Octogenarian farmer manifests resilience
Source: Chronicle News Service
Thoubal, November 08 2023:
Age is no barrier for passionate and dedicated farmers, as many elderly farmers continue to inspire the younger generation with their focus on farming.
Irom Bijoy, an 80-year-old from Leishangthem Awang Leikai in Thoubal district, exemplifies this spirit of resilience.
He is determined to leave behind a legacy of hard work and sustainable farming practices for future generations.
Irom Bijoy had a career as a government employee and retired in 2004 from the education department as deputy director.
However, he didn't let retirement slow him down and continued to live as a farmer.
Last year, he sought assistance from the horticulture and soil conservation department, which provided him with 300 saplings of G-9 banana plants.
With these saplings, he embarked on a new journey as a farmer.
In a conversation with The People s Chronicle, Irom Bijoy shared his motivation for choosing banana farming.
He emphasised the cultural and nutritional significance of bananas, making them an essential fruit for various rituals and as a nutritious food source.
His banana plants, which he acquired from the department through tissue culture last year, are now bearing fruit with harvesting in sight in less than a month.
Each cluster (bunch) of bananas from his farm consists of up to 20 tiers (hands), and he sells each hand for Rs 30, bringing an income of around Rs 600 per bunch.
With 300 banana plants in his farm, he is anticipating a yield of at least Rs 1.8 lakh this season.
After deducting farming costs of Rs 30,000, which includes expenses for fertilisers and labour, he expects to have a profit of Rs 1.5 lakh.