Woman finds self-reliant through chive farming
Source: Chronicle News Service / Ngangom Suraj
Imphal, February 27 2024:
Known locally as 'Yenam' or 'Nakuppi', the Chinese chive is an aromatic delicate herb/spice used in almost every Manipuri dish and is an important element in rituals of the Meetei community.
In recent years, the demand for chive has been on the rise thereby entailing cultivation on a larger scale and many farmers switching to chive farming over the traditional paddy owing to many advantages.
Also used as an important ingredient in traditional medicine, the chive is known to contain nutrients that are important to bone health and in inducing sleep.
Some research has also linked the chemicals in chive and other allium vegetables with anti-cancer effects.
It is also a nutrient-dense food, meaning low in calorie but high in beneficial nutrients including vitamin, minerals and anti-oxidants.
Hailing from Saiton village under Kumbi assembly constituency in Bishnupur district, Khangembam Ranjeeta Devi (36), daughter of (late) Khangembam Chandra Singh and Sorodhani Devi is among few successful chive farmers of the state.
Farming on a tenant land measuring half a hectare (Loukhai) at Top Moirangkampu Sajep in Imphal East district, Ranjeeta earns Rs 10,000 to Rs 25,000 every 20 days depending on season.
In an exclusive interview with The People's Chronicle, Ranjeeta recalled that she used to be a boxing player before becoming a chive farmer.
Owing to poor financial condition of her family she could not pursue her career in boxing and had to search for means to earn money so as to help the family kitchen running, she said, with tearful eyes while also recalling that she used to take up many other odd jobs.
It was in 2018 when Ranjeeta saw a chive farm around where her present farm is located, and got struck with the idea of becoming a successful chive farmer.
With all the savings she had and some money provided by friends and relatives, Ranjeeta ventured into chive farming, which in the formative period was marked by struggle with challenges such as infection of the plant, limited market and rotting in rainy season.
However, she learnt from such bitter experience and was able to establish a proper network for her business.
Explaining the advantage of growing chive over traditional crops such as paddy or vegetables, Ranjeeta said that it requires plantation only once but can harvest for many years.
From the day of plantation, chive requires about 30 days for the first harvest and then can be continuously harvested every 20-25 days, she said.
Pointing out that the harvest also depends on season, plentiful in rainy season and lesser in winter, Ranjeeta said that it is also during rainy season that chives rot rapidly.
Regarding requirement of fertilizers, Ranjeeta said that she practices entirely organic farming for which she purchases mixture of paddy husk and chicken waste from broiler farm at Rs 40-50 per bag.
When there is infection in the plants, agricultural experts are consulted and only the required amount and prescribed insecticides are used, she said, adding that clean water from Iril River is also drawn for irrigation.
Citing the present restive situation in state, Ranjeeta lamented that the demand for chive in the market has reduced very much owing to disruption in supply chain linked to the hill districts as large portion of her chive production used to be in high demand among the hill people.
According to Ranjeeta, though agriculture is referred as backbone of Indian economy, it is a profession often looked down as many consider farming to be a dirty job and the youth, even those who have pursued Agriculture and other allied subjects, tend to search for government jobs rather than apply what they have learnt.
But at the same time, she expressed with confidence that "Dirty hands are the sign of clean money".
Stressing the need for involvement of youth, especially those students of Agriculture and other allied subjects, in agricultural practice of the state, Ranjeeta opined that these youth should rather initiate innovative farming ideas and methods to improve production so as to make the lives of many illiterate farmers brighter, rather than simply chase after government jobs.
She also appealed to authorities concerned to be honest at the time of extending aid or benefits of schemes to the farmers.
(The report has been filed under the 4th Award in Scientific Journalism Programme on the topic "Successful Entrepreneurship & Students Agriculture and allied sector", organised by Public Relation & Media Management Cell, Central Agricultural University, Hq., Lamphelpat, Imphal.
Information and publicity officer and head PRMM Cell, CAU Dr Indira Thounaojam can be contacted through [email protected] for more details) .
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