MIRZA, Sept 22 � At a time when growing reluctance to pursue agriculture has become a cause of concern, a four-member group of sisters, who have taken to farming, has scripted a success story which proves that farming if practised with conviction can ensure security of livelihood. More importantly the 16-bigha plot of land located at Jharobori under Palashbari LAC has found a friend in the siblings � Pranati, Jonali, Jewti and Sabita - who practise organic farming, thanks to their eco-friendly tilling activities.
Paddy cultivation apart, farming of horticultural crops, mustard, cattle-rearing, are being practised in the organically managed plots of land. �Organic farming, besides being friendly to soil health, requires minimal input cost and the output is free from health hazard,� Jewti told this correspondent. She further added that the huge demand of organic product is behind the better economic return of their commodities.
Except ploughing the land, all of them perform the other tilling work, right from fencing to marketing on their own. As they possess the required agricultural implements including a bullock cart, they hire the ploughman. The four sisters who lost their father in 2004 are encouraged by their aging mother who also lends her helping hand in the hour of need.
The economically important vegetable crops � ridge gourd, bottle guord, pumpkin, cucumber, brinjal, tomato, pepper etc grown in their plot has brought them good returns this year. �Returns in the last two months by selling our organically produced output has touched Rs 35,000�, Pranati, the eldest of them informed.
As far as paddy cultivation is concerned, they practise farming of aromatic rice and last year they reportedly sold this variety of paddy to the tune of Rs 30,000. Also, the mustard farming practised in a 3-bigha plot of land has been rewarded with a rich harvest. Apart from selling vegetables in the initial stage, they also get the harvested mustard crushed.
However, failure of exploiting all the inherited plot of land has deprived them of making their agricultural venture highly remunerative as another plot of land measuring 10 bighas is yet to be brought under cultivation.
�Our keen desire of utilising this plot by cultivating boro paddy received a setback four years ago when our pleas to the block authority of Chhayani Borduar Development Block for a pumping machine was turned down,� they said. �Shuttling from home to the financial institutions, being a sheer waste of valuable time, we no longer feel disposed to make such plans�, they added.
Further, from four milch cows, they supply nearly 540 litres of milk per month to a local dairy unit at Rs 18 per litre. The green fodder requirement for the indigenous variety of the cattle comes from their green fodder cultivated plot.
Referring to the advantage of organic farming an agricultural scientist said that practice of organic farming help sustain the soil health and if practised commercially, the output fetches very good returns.
