Raipur. Arun Kumar Saw, a progressive farmer of village Salheona under Sakarboga Panchayat of Raigarh district of Chhattisgarh, has set a different example of farming with his hard work and new thinking. Some pineapple plants, once planted on the ridge of the farm as a hobby, have today become a major source of income for them. Presently he is cultivating pineapple in an area of about two acres and is earning an additional income of Rs 2 to 2.5 lakh every year. His success has become an inspiration for the nearby farmers.
Arun Kumar Saw earlier used to cultivate traditional crops including paddy. Many years ago he had planted some pineapple plants on the ridge of his farm for domestic use. Seeing the good growth of plants and quality fruits with time, he decided to adopt this farming on a large scale.
The process of separating the shoots (suckers) emerging from the plants and replanting them continued continuously. During this time, he got technical advice and guidance from the officials of the Agriculture Department, which further increased his confidence. Gradually his small experiment turned into a two-acre manicured pineapple orchard.
Today, the pineapple plants lined up among the mango and guava trees in his farm are presenting a successful example of multi cropping.
The biggest feature of pineapple cultivation is its low cost. This crop requires less fertilizer, pesticides and irrigation as compared to other crops. This keeps production costs under control and farmers get more profits. Due to continuous good demand of pineapple in the market, farmers also get fair price. Each pineapple grown in Arun Kumar Saw's farm fetches a price of Rs 40 to Rs 80 depending on its quality, due to which his income is continuously increasing.
Arun Kumar Saw is earning good income not only from the sale of fruits but also by selling the shoots (suckers) emerging from the plants. It has become an important means of additional income in pineapple farming. Seeing their success, many nearby farmers are now turning to horticulture crops along with traditional farming. This is promoting agricultural diversification and creating new opportunities to increase the income of farmers.
Arun Kumar Saw says that success in farming is not achieved only by hard work, but selection of the right crop, use of modern technology and following the advice of agricultural experts is equally important. He believes that if farmers select crops keeping in mind the local climate and market demand, then good income can be achieved even on limited land and less resources.
