Phulbani: Gayatri Pradhan, a woman of backward Kandhamal district, has metamorphosed herself from a home maker to an agri-entrepreneur. Her farming initiatives are reaching new heights. When women of her age have failed to be self-sufficient, Gayatri has taken up income generating activities by focusing on chemical-free farm produces.
Originally from G Udayagiri block, Gayatri wanted to stay in Phullbani to educate his son in an English medium school. Gayatri stays in her grandfather’s house as his son’s school is near her house. Her grandfather owned more than five acres of land and there was no one to take care of it. Gaytri’s husband is a headmaster at a Durgapanga Ashram School.
She decided to lend a helping hand to her husband by supplementing her family income. In 2016, she ventured into organic farming by planting various kinds of trees. She started her startup on her grandfather’s five acres. One of her relatives, who was in agricultural department, guided her on this. Since then she has never looked back. Apart from being self-sufficient, Gayatri has given livelihood to five women.
To encourage Gayatri’s efforts, some officers of agricultural department visited her farmland and advised her to plant mango saplings of Pareshghan breed.
Gayatri agreed to their proposal and the department provided her 800 mango saplings from Pareshghan, Amrapalli and Mallika breed. The department also arranged irrigation facilities to her farmland by providing her a water pump.
This year the mango plants have blossomed. Given the luxuriant blossoms, Gayatri is hopeful of a good mango harvest this year. Gayatri and other participants were trained to reduce costs and risks associated with agriculture while increasing yield.
She also cultivates seasonal vegetables, fruits, pulses and flowers in her farm including cauliflower, bins, brinjal, potatoes, corn and green leaves, marigold and dahlia, paddy, pigeon pea, green pea and mango, guava and coconut. Her organic products have a good demand in market.
She reads journals about the process of organic farming and its ingredients for manure and pesticides. She has done vermin-compost on a part of her land so as to add fertility to her land. To give her farm products an organic protein, she cultivates algae which is a supplement of urea. Her annual turnover is Rs 2 lakh.
“I love my work. My biggest achievement was that I first tried everything, gained experience and then advised others,” she said. Meanwhile, she has negotiated with companies to supply her produce. She is also planning to sell her produce online. “My aim is to introduce people to organic products and improve the health of our land and people,” she added.