After the Corona epidemic, there have been many changes in the world from work to living and the biggest example of this is work from home. Many people are still doing all the office work from their home. Today we are going to tell you the story of one such person, who returned to his village during the lockdown and then started farming while doing work from home. Today this person is earning up to four lakh rupees annually from banana farming.
This is the story of Kuldeep Sharma, a resident of Ayodhya district of Uttar Pradesh. Kuldeep, who hails from ‘Pure Bhaggu Singh’ village, about 30 km from Ayodhya, hails from a farming family. But after completing his studies, he started working in Delhi.
by Kuldeep The Better India Told to, “I come from a farming family. I have seen grandfather and father farming. During the lockdown, when I returned to the village, I thought of helping the family members in the agricultural work. Then I planned to take up banana cultivation, with the full support of my mother and brother.”
Farming inspiration from village nursery
Kuldeep is posted as Assistant Manager in a PR agency in Delhi. In June 2020, when the nationwide lockdown was implemented due to the Korana epidemic, people working from government offices to private companies were asked to work from home. In such a situation, Kuldeep also returned to his village. In a nursery near the village, he witnessed the cultivation of bananas. He thought why not try his hand at banana cultivation. After this, he planted 1100 banana saplings in one acre of field.
Kuldeep explains, “When I came to the village, I had thought that I would use the time of lockdown properly. Banana is a cash crop. For its cultivation, I took the help of my younger brother Rahul Sharma. Together we prepared the field for the first crop. Meanwhile my work from home was going on. I also had to do my office work. I used to go to the fields at the end of the week, especially on Saturdays and Sundays to look after the plants.”
When he did not understand anything during Banana Farming, Kuldeep used to take advice from agricultural experts. He said, “Shubham Singh, who runs a nursery near my village, helped me the most. He is knowledgeable in Banana Farming. Got to learn a lot from him.”
Banana Farming started from 45 thousand rupees
Kuldeep first made the land fertile for farming. Since they already had the land, they had to spend initially only on preparing the plant and the land for cultivation. He bought banana plants and started banana farming at a total cost of 45 thousand rupees. Their expenditure on fertilizers and pesticides was high, but profits were also high. Kuldeep says that for the first time he earned a total of Rs 2 lakh from banana farming.
Earn four lakh rupees annually from banana cultivation
Many people in the village advised Kuldeep not to cultivate bananas. People said that the markets are closed during the lockdown. As such, farming is like hitting one’s own feet with an axe. Kuldeep ignored these things. He did not give up and earned his first income of about Rs 2 lakh from the first crop in one acre. Today, Kuldeep is cultivating more than two thousand banana plants in his village, earning an annual income of four lakh rupees.
After the Corona epidemic, when everything gradually returned to normal, Kuldeep had to go back to Delhi. Now he comes to the village on holidays. His brother Rahul Sharma looks after the entire crop in his absence. Along with farming, Rahul is also preparing for competitive exams.
Kuldeep says, “The youth of today see farming as an opportunity. A lot can be done with the new technology in agriculture. Farming is a business that can be done either part time or full time.
Editing – G N Jha
Also read: Five women of Northeast India, who have a significant contribution in history
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