Tenant farmer reaps dividends beyond rice plantation
Source: The Sangai Express / Ng Liklaileima Arambam
Imphal, September 11 2022:
A tenant farmer from Imphal East district has set a fine example that a person, if committed, can earn their living through agricultural activities without owning any piece of land.
The work of Thangjam Indrajit (49) from Kachikhul in Imphal East district is not limited only to rice plantation as he also has been growing mustard to manufacture edible oil and feed for livestock.
This particular farmer has been growing mustard at a paddy field measuring about 2 paris (the Manipuri unit of land measurement) at Thangjing Loukol Khullen after harvesting rice every season.
Indrajit not only plants mustard at the paddy fields he tills as a tenant, but he is also involved in producing mustard seeds at other fields measuring about 150 paris at Thangjing Loukol Khullen and has been buying mustard seeds from other farmers and uses the same to produce edible oils, feeds for livestock and honey.
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Speaking to The Sangai Express, Indrajit said that he doesn't own any piece of paddy fields as he is a tenant farmer and plants mustard only after harvesting rice.
He continued that he started planting mustard under the All India Coordinated Research Project on Rapeseed-Mustard taken up by CAU, Imphal Centre as part of NEH Component of AICRP on Rapeseed-Mustard Scheme.
Indrajit further stated that he received one oil expeller machine free of cost under the scheme to produce edible oil from mustard seeds.
Saying that Thangjing Loukol Khullen covers many villages such as Kachikhul, Karong, Sangaithel, Longa Koireng, Indrajit said that the water for irrigation to the paddy fields is being provided by Heibirok canal.
Saying that many farmers at the Loukol now prefer to plant mustard instead as the market for rice is shrinking, he added that a land measuring one acre can produce up to 600 kilograms of mustard seeds.
"We also harvest honey thrice during the flowering period of the mustards by keeping bee boxes in the nearby areas," he said and added that every bee box produces about 1.5 litre of honey in a single harvest.
Saying that the harvesting period is the most difficult phase in mustard seed production, Indrajit said that harvesting an acre of land for mustard seeds requires about 15 labourers.
On the oil expeller machine, Indrajit maintained that he has been using the machine for nearly three years after taking training from the experts at CAU, Imphal.
Indrajit also said that he learned the skills to repair the machine from Youtube channels.
Maintaining that he takes the assistance of his wife and son in the manufacturing process of mustard oil, he added that he could provide for his children's education and other expenses by planting mustard seeds.
Further stating that mustard plantation is his full time profession, he added that the demand for mustard oil is also very high in the market.
Indrajit said that the oil manufactured by the expeller machine has to be filtered again at the oil filter machine before sending it to the market.
He continued that the price of mustard oil is Rs 200 per litre at the market while the price is lower if the consumers buy five litres (Rs190/litre) or 15 litres (Rs 175/litre) at once.
The news story is written under the Media Fellowship Programme of Public Relation and Media Management Cell, CAU on Scientific Journalism in Application of Science in Agriculture.
For further information, one may contact Dr Indira Thounaojam through [email protected] .