Doti, 8 Ashoj (Sep 24): The trend of young people going abroad in search of employment is increasing. Along with India, thousands of young people go abroad daily in search of employment in third countries. 23-year-old Mukund Awasthi of Adarsh Rural Municipality-1 here had no different dream than thousands of young people. He wanted to go to a country where he could earn good money in agriculture after completing three years of agricultural science (ICAG). Mukund, who has postponed his plan to go abroad and cultivated commercial vegetables in the village, continues to earn a satisfactory income.
“I also thought that the current ‘trend’ or compulsion is the wave of emigration. I also thought that I should go abroad and earn better. I had planned to go to Korea or Israel, but after the lockdown, I came home and started farming in the barren land”, Mukund recalled on the first day. At present, Mukund is planting vegetables on about 12 acres of land. He has registered the brothers multi-purpose agriculture and livestock farm and made 25 ‘plastic tunnels’ and planted vegetables. All the tunnels are now flourishing.
In the beginning, he started producing vegetables from ten tunnels with a subsidy of Rs. He informed that vegetables worth about nine lakhs were sold from ten tunnels last year. In the first year, as the investment was high, after cutting the expenses, the income was about three lakhs. This year, he estimates that business will double as vegetables are planted in 25 tunnels. Mukund currently takes eight to 10 crates of goats to the market daily. He earns 8000 to 10000 a day when he sells goats in the market at the rate of 50 rupees per kg.
Tomato has found the market easily. Mukund said, “Doti district was dependent on vegetables. In the beginning, we had to work hard to sell the vegetables, but now we are not able to meet the demand. One and a half to two quintals go to the market every day. The price is also good.” He has used ‘mulching’ and drip irrigation techniques in vegetables. Compost manure has been used to produce clean vegetables. Manure made from the excreta of buffaloes, goats, cows and bulls at home is sufficient. He said that they are preparing to start the production of more earthworm compost.
It is not only the family that has become independent from the agriculture started by Mukund. Five people have also got employment. He plans to increase the number of tunnels to 50 this year. But there is a problem in bringing the produced vegetables to the market. The road leading to Dipayal Bazar is unpaved and sometimes blocked. In that case, he said that he had to carry it on his back and take it to the market.
Acting head of Krishi Gyan Kendra Doti, Gangadat Awasthi said that drip irrigation, construction of water tanks, production of plastic houses and earthworm compost were supported according to the program of the large vegetable production area. Awasthi said that Mukund, who has become a successful farmer in a short period of time, is an inspirational person for the youth.
