The edges of his hands are coarse by now but the success story he enthusiastically shares would remind many achievers of their own struggles and thereafter the contentment that crowns them. Letthang Misao, who has been a farmer for almost 30 years now, looks back with pride beaming in his face, for this vibrant man in his early fifties, has something more than ordinary that catches the eye.
He recalls his childhood as a boy with eyes full of dreams and wanted to hold a degree in BSc Agri when he grew up. Given the choices, he would have pursued some ambition that only education could help one achieve. Almost regretfully, he says that his parents could not afford to send him to college after he matriculated.
“My family couldn’t support me and I have other siblings who needed their attention too, so I quit studying,” he says with some sadness in his voice and that was how he steadfastly promised himself never to let his children down when it came to education.
All is certainly not lost, for this never-say-die fifty-something was not one to let disappointed and the turn of fate control his life. And it was in farming that he achieved his desire of educating his six children, most of them graduates now with two working in private firms in Delhi while the rest are pursuing other professional courses.
And then he explains with excitement how, even as a farmer, life has been fulfilling in the long run. Of course, he didn’t have it easy all the way through. Initially he and the whole entire Molvom Village under Dimapur District were into Jhum Cultivation which apparently had not been very beneficial.
Alongside, in the 70s, pineapple seeds were procured from Manipur and they were growing some but in between, due to the situation in the bordering areas, the growth of pineapple had also been hampered. However, with the suggestion of the Horticulture Department, following a subsidy from the Government, Molvom Village had had got together to revive pineapple farming and is now famous for its juicy pineapples. It wasn’t until the 1990s that they commonly came to be known as Pineapple Growers. With this, he gets all appreciative of the Government’s initiative to help the farmers in the area. “It is because of the steps they had taken that helped me educate all my children besides taking up pineapple growing as a full time profession,” he says gratefully.
He goes on to say that like him, many other farmers have also been able to educate their children by growing pineapples. He feels that the Horticulture Department has in a way opened their eyes by showing them the right means to till their land and is hopeful that the Government will reach other corners of the state and enlighten more farmers in the way that helps them best.
His only regret, however, is the lack of a food processing factory. Otherwise, he seems to be happy over the shift of growth and development that had taken place from the time they had started with, till today. The roads have apparently become comparatively better although some toppings could have made it a whole lot easier for these farmers to transport their pineapples for marketing.
Letthang Misao is also the Chairman of the Pineapple Growers Society Molvom (PGSM) which they are in the process of registering it as “Molvom Village Farming Co-operative Society”. He says that “one hectare of land accommodates 15,000 suckers” and within 18 months, they start to produce pineapples.
For most of the residents of this village, pineapple farming has proved to be profitable. With pineapples harvested twice a year (summer and winter), Letthang informs that an annual income of at least 1 lakh is already being raked in.
He acknowledges the help and support of his children in the farm during vacations but as for him and his wife, they have seemingly made a life out of pineapple farming. He is hopeful that by 2010, the whole 15000 suckers in one hectare of land would produce at least 10,000 or 15,000 pineapples in contrast to the 5000 pineapples it produces right now.
The pineapples are sold in wholesale prices of Rs.3 to Rs.5 per piece which is supplied to Dimapur and the surrounding area. Except for some problem with marketing and transportation, he is grateful that the Government had helped them made a better living out of it and excel even in their own little ways through pineapple farming.
He may not have been well educated but is an ardent believer that without education, today’s generation has nothing much to boast about. “If our children are not studying, they will stray” he emphasises and complements it by adding that “once they are educated, they will think of the future”. He’s definitely an exceptional Farmer, who finds joy even in the simplest and commonest profession that people would rather associate it with. What’s more is that he holds it with pride for more reasons than one. And that we know is coming from the happiness of achieving a Goal with sheer hard work and perseverance. 
No comments:
Post a Comment