Analysis of Vegetable Nutritional Garden Interventions to Improve Socio-economic Status, Nutritional and Livelihood Security of Selected Beneficiaries under DST- WOS-B Project of District Moga, Punjab, India

Abstract

Study was carried out in Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, Punjab to analyse the impact of vegetable nutritional garden on the nutritional intake and socio- economic status of selected beneficiaries of District Moga, Punjab, India. Survey conducted to assess the impact of DST Project from 82 beneficiaries across the two blocks i.e. Village Khosapando and Niddhawala, Village Dagaru and Churchak from November- December, 2019 and again August-September, 2021, through a structured questionnaire developed by the Department of Food and Nutrition.  The data pertaining to general profile, dietary habits, socio-economic status of the beneficiaries. The dietary diversity questionnaire include 12 groups of food like Cereals, Pulses, Green leafy vegetables, Roots, Tubers, Fruits, Vegetables, Milk and Milk products, Egg, Fat, Sugar, Meat and Miscellaneous. The information on respondent’s food consumption was collected using (24-hour recall).The results have shown that, there was difference in the nutritional uptake of beneficiaries during the intervention period and before the intervention of project. Under this project, area under vegetable cultivation has increased significantly in all selected villages over period 2019-2022 i.e. area under vegetable production in Village Khosa Pando, Dagru, Chuharchak and Nidhanwala increased by 91.6,100, 93.9, 94.2 percent. Moreover, per capita income of farmers having landholding of 0.5 to 1 acre and 0.1 to 0.5 acre has increased by 180 and 62 percent respectively. Furthermore, the consumption of green and leafy vegetables, roots and tubers, and other vegetables by intervention household increased drastically from 61.4, 48, 54 to 97.6, 95.0 and 88.1 respectively after establishing vegetable nutrition gardens.