SINGIMARI, Jan 19 - The growing market demand for organic farm produce and the appeal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to transform the North East into an organic hub seems to be working on the minds of progressive farmers of Darrang district as reports of a good number of committed and hard working farmers of different villages of the district, taking up organic farming and getting financially benefited has come to light in recent times.
Nabab Ali (48) of Singimari-Bodiyasisha village under Dumunichuki Agri Subdivision is one such ideal farmer who has led this journey of organic farming in the district. Ali is very much determined to carry forward his work against use of chemicals in farming, which pose many health hazards. Nabab, a former secretary of the �Singimari Bodiyasisha Jutia Krishi Paam Cooperative Society� has not only applied organic manure including cowdung, vermi-compost etc., and pesticides made of neem leaves for farming nearly in 18 bighas of land but also successfully done multiple winter rabi cropping thereby reducing the risk of facing losses.
He has divided his land for growing mustard, capsicum, tomato and musk melon. Interestingly, following a good harvest of water melon and strawberry in the last two seasons, Nabab for the first time has come forward to produce musk melon, which has very high nutritional value and tastes like a combinations of water melon and cucumber. �Last time by investing around Rs 40,000 in a couple of bighas of land, I harvested around 11 quintals of strawberry which I sold in the market at Rs 300 per kilo and earned almost Rs 3 lakh,� Nabab told this correspondent at his farmland on Thursday. �I produced water melon during the period May and October and had a good earning. However, last time unprecedented heavy rain damaged my crops as I had not applied mulching technology for their protection.
Regarding marketing of the products, he said, �I myself take care of my market and supply my farm products to several wholesale markets of Guwahati including Fancy bazaar, Gorchuk etc. I also supply tomato to Imphal.� However, he feels the need of better road connectivity to his farm and cold storage for proper preservation of his products .� But he is against becoming a beneficiary of government schemes, free of cost. He strongly believes only in availing the technological support from government agencies. �I don�t think one can become a successful farmer depending on the government supplied free seeds, fertilizers etc. But we must have training on the new technologies. We can be benefited only when we can apply our brain with knowledge of technology.� Nabab Ali attributed his success to the support of local Agriculture Department and the Sipajhar unit of Agricultural Technology Management Agency (ATMA).
On Thursday, Deputy Commissioner of Darrang district, Ashok Kr Barman along with Nila Kanta Deka, District Agriculture Officer, Sankar Nath, local official of ATMA and other agricultural officials visited the farm of Nabab Ali. Barman who has been constantly in touch with the officials to promote at least 50 progressive farmers for organic farming has assured all sorts of administrative and technological help to Nabab Ali and appealed to the young farmers to follow the path of Nabab Ali and contribute to the economic growth of the district .
�Nabab Ali has been earning Rs 50,000 per month besides generating employment for locals and is also saving the society from consuming chemically-produced vegetables and crops. He is an inspiration for all the people in the society and youths should consider him as one of their role models,� the delighted Deputy Commissioner told this correspondent at the farm.
