Phulbani: Prakash Chandra Dehuri, an ITI student of Budhdani village under Phulbani block in Kandhamal district, did not like to run after government jobs. He rather preferred plantain and banana farming and has scripted success setting an example for others.
He is earning lakhs of rupees annually from it. People do not like doing banana cultivation in the hilly areas of the district. But Praksh took it as a challenge and wanted to get it done.
He has grown 3,086 banana plants on his 2.5 acres of land. “I hope, if things go right, I will get `6 lakh this season,” he asserted. Prakash’s father Harischandra eked out his living by farming banana and other crops on this land.
Prakash completed ITI and unsuccessfully tried to seek a job in private and government sectors, but he did not feel encouraged. Covid lockdown and restrictions made life miserable for him. He wanted to go in for banana farming on his land.
Prakash sought the help of the horticulture department about high-yielding variety of banana. The department provided him technical knowhow and G-9 variety of banana saplings from a Maharashtra-based company with 40 per cent subsidy.
With the help of his father, he planted the saplings. Most banana plants have borne fruits. They have already earned `50,000 by selling banana. “A bunch of bananas is being sold for `500 to `600.
“My father sells the banana bunches in Phulbani market,” he said. He observed that many youths are frustrated after unsuccessfully running after jobs. They should do farming banana which is a lucrative crop. Many farmers fail to do farming for shortage of input funds.
The state government should provide financial support to the unemployed youths to make them self-reliant, he suggested.
PNN
