Khoijuman youth show the path
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, December 14 2014: Sometimes self employment can be far more satisfactory and productive than employment in Government offices or private firms.

The Government's inability to provide jobs to all educated youths of the State is no issue for some innovative and industrious youth of Khoijuman, Bishnupur district.

They can now easily earn anywhere near Rs two lakh by cultivating winter crops.

Khoijuman is located in the vicinity of Loktak lake, about 28 Kms from Imphal and under Oinam Assembly segment.

Youngsters of the village have been cultivating different varieties of vegetables without leaving any field uncultivated.

Every household of Khoijuman village cultivate different varieties of vegetables apart from cultivating paddy during kharif season and thus they are fairly successful in creating a source of income for themselves.

A large share of the vegetables marketed at Imphal is produced at Khoijuman village which is irrigated by Thongjaorok river.

Almost all kinds of vegetables such as cabbage, cauliflower, potato, mustard, chilly, U-Morok, onion, garlic, brinjal, tomato, pea, ladyfinger, cucumber etc are cultivated in the village on commercial scale.

Each household cultivates different varieties of vegetables on a field as large as one Sangam on the average.

There is healthy competition among the villagers to produce seasonal vegetables as early as possible.

One Thiyam Nutanchandra (38) claimed that he has already earned more than Rs 10 lakh by cultivating tomatoes, beans and cabbages and selling the same produces this season.

Now Nutanchandra is cultivating two varieties of peas apart from cultivation of paddy for home consumption.

Nutanchandra who is a graduate said that people of Khoijuman have been cultivating different varieties of vegetables after completing several training courses conducted by Horticulture Department and other experts.

In the event of plant diseases, appropriate corrective measures including pesticides are applied in consultation with experts.

Khoijuman villagers still face the difficulties of marketing their produces.

At present, they have been marketing their produces at Nagamapal and Lamphel.

Vegetables produced at Khoijuman are sold to traders in bulk and Khoijuman villagers never sell the vegetables to customers directly.

"Even though I could not get any Government job, I can now earn a decent income by cultivating seasonal vegetables", Nutanchandra said.

Attributing the successful and profitable cultivation of different varieties of vegetables at Khoijuman village to Thongjaorok river, Nutanchandra said that many small dams have been built across the river for water harvesting and irrigation of vegetable farms.

Although the villages get some crop seeds from Horticulture Department, they do not get other materials like poly-house.

There are just three poly-houses at the village.

If the Department is generous enough to provide poly-houses to interested youth, organic farming can be successfully introduced at Khoijuman village, Nutanchandra added.

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