Goradih, Feb. 5: Lal Bahadur Singh, a farmer at Saarath village, is reaping a bumper harvest, courtesy the Village Development Programme launched by Nabard, Bhagalpur.

Till 2010, Singh used to yield 30-32 quintals of paddy or wheat from one acre. Today, the produce has increased to 54-56 quintal per acre and Singh credits the improvement to the application of system of rice intensification (SRI) and system of wheat intensification (SWI) methods.

Singh and several other villagers have benefited from Nabard’s village development programme that was laun-ched in Saarath in 2011 through Disha Gramin Vikas Manch, a voluntary organisation.

The programme that will continue till 2013 aims at creating awareness among the villagers towards development initiatives taken by the state.

Disha, the implementing agency, has been co-ordinating with panchayati raj institutions and the villagers under the banner of Suryodya Farmers Club, formed in 2010.

As part of the development programme, UCO Rural Self Employment Training Institute organised training for villagers in dairy management.

Bhagalpur district magistrate Narmadeshwar Lal and other officials visited Saarath on February 2 and praised the development programme being carried out in the village.