Padmapur: A farmer has been able to become self-reliant by taking up cultivation of marigold flowers, a report said. Sambhunath Behera of Bachhipur under Basudevpur block in Bhadrak district has been cultivating marigold on his farmland and that too without any government support. His success in bringing prosperity for his family has made him an example for others to emulate.
After passing his matriculation examination, Sambhunath left his village and joined a private company in Bangalore to earn his livelihood. However, that was short-lived as he had to return to his village to shoulder the responsibility of his family which was thrown upon him at a very early age.
Sambhunath, without running after jobs, decided to take up marigold cultivation on his two-acre land. He brought marigold saplings from the market and planted them on his farmland, which after two months were ready for harvest.
His flowers have great demand and he earns good profit during festive and marriage seasons. Since his flowers cost less than those brought from Kolkata, customers prefer these in the local market.
Sambhunath says he sells his flowers at Rs 40-50 per kg at Betada Basudevpur Bazaar which fetches him Rs 4,000 to Rs 5,000 per month.
He has managed to do this without any government support but has not been able to generate more funds for expansion of his cultivation. Sambhunath is, however, not averse to accepting government help which he thinks will enable him make more profits and help other farmers become self-reliant.
PNN