Amarpali: At a time when people blame the government for everything that’s wrong in their life, two young farmers at Bikalpur village under Birmaharajpur block in Subarnapur district have become self-reliant by undertaking marigold cultivation on their farmland without any government assistance and incentive. Gadadhar Padhan and Parikhita Karna have not only been able to earn a decent income from marigold floriculture but also become an example for others to emulate by giving employment to some youths on their farms. The two after completing graduation tried to get into government service but in vain.
Later, they got the inspiration for marigold cultivation from the social media platform YouTube. They bought marigold saplings spending from their own pockets and planted them on five acres of land. What is noteworthy is that they did not use any chemical fertilizer or pesticide and used only organic manure to grow the flower plants using traditional methods. As their responsibilities grew, they employed some local youths to water the plants, clear the farmland of weeds, and pluck the flowers. They said that they are now selling Rs 50,000 to Rs 60,000 worth of marigold flowers per acre of land. After harvest, the duo is transporting the flowers to cities like Cuttack and Bhubaneswar by bus for sale. “We are now getting a handsome earning from the cultivation owing to minimum expense and labor incurred in growing the flowers,” they said. The two informed that they have raised their farm without any government assistance even as the state government is giving away various incentives to boost cultivation. It takes around one and a half months to clear the land of weeds and plant the saplings. The flowers are harvested for a period of three months.
A kilogram of flowers sells at Rs 40 to Rs 50 while they earn around Rs 60,000 from the flowers grown on an acre of land. The youth duo has carved a niche in the area by earning lakhs with minimum expenses. While YouTube might be a platform of entertainment for some the youths have been able to earn their livelihood by learning marigold cultivation from the online platform. Parikhita said that farming marigold is a better option for making a decent buck and it also reduces the dependency of the state on neighboring West Bengal for the flowers. Gadadhar said that more youths will be attracted to floriculture if the state provides them with financial assistance and technical inputs.
