| Sulaiman, Valiya Peedika, Kudavamkulam, Kannur |
Agriculture is a loss-making proposition. Gulf offers good employment opportunities for Keralites. These two statements have been axiomatically accepted by a vast majority of Malayalies. However, here is a young man with an interest in agriculture, who has proved with his own life experience that it can be the reverse also.
For four years he used to toil in the Gulf to earn Rs.15000 a month. But then Sulaiman decided that back-breaking work in the desert sands wasn’t his cup of tea, he came back and took up his earlier passion, agriculture. And today, with 6 hours of work in the morning and evening, even without owning a cent of land, he is able to generate double the income he was earning in the sandy lands.
He cultivates vegetables in 50 cents of land taken on lease. Cowpea, bitter gourd and cucumber are the only items in his farm. Being a new variety from Delhi, his pea is one metre long, better resistant to pest and gives yield for 6 months. He mostly uses organic manure with a lacing of chemical fertilizers.
Sulaiman gets about 200 kg of pea per day and 125 kg per week of bitter gourd and 100 kg per fortnight of cucumber.
Before seeking his fortune in the Gulf, Sulaiman hand been into agriculture. Someone had lured him with an offer of a promising job. Even after four years of work, when the bank balance did not show much improvement, he decided to come back to his native soil. His only regret now is about the loss of four years in the desert sands.
He is planning to add tomato to his portfolio of cultivation during the rainy season. If it is successful, he plans to expand his labour to more area.
Courtesy:
T.Ajeesh, Malayala Manorama, March 22, 2010
Contributed by: Administrator
