Situation
Smt. Lham Dema Khirmey of Rupa circle, West Kameng District, had been farming since 2008 but faced low returns because of limited irrigation. She practised rainfed farming and faced delays in nursery preparation, weeds and limited yields.
Response
During 2018–19, the Department of Agriculture, West Kameng provided a rainwater harvesting structure with RCC lining. The assured water supply helped her grow off-season vegetables such as tomato, carrot, king chilli and capsicum, along with fruit crops including apple, almond, persimmon and kiwi. Drip irrigation was later installed in her 0.6 ha kiwi orchard.
Result
The source reports that her gross income reached around ₹10–15 lakh per annum after the water-harvesting intervention. She expanded cultivation to more than 4 ha and diversified into commercially viable crops including persimmon, walnut, apple, kiwi and mushroom under controlled conditions.
Evidence
The story notes that her farm has attracted attention from fellow farmers and rural youth and demonstrates the potential of commercial vegetable cultivation when irrigation and technical support are available.
Source: SAMETI, Arunachal Pradesh