Ladakh man earns lakhs with organic farming

February 12, 2021 Unknown Wizards Valli Sarvani No comments

Nowadays, organic farming is growing in the country. Many people prefer to consume organic products. Hence, farmers are also cultivating their farms organically. This Ladakh man is one among them. Urgain Phuntsog, a 48-year-old organic farmer is earning lakhs of rupees with organic farming.

But, his journey in this field was not smooth. Urgain lost his father when he was just 12 years old. As a result, he had to choose agriculture. His family had a farm and livestock. Along with his mother and other family members, he used to grow barley, peas, potatoes and mustard.

However, Urgain did not discontinue his studies. After the completion of his high school education, he wanted to leave his village to obtain a government job through proper coaching. He had plenty of opportunities to get a government job at that time. He also applied to the Indian Navy.

However, he could not join due to his mother’s ill-health. He had to maintain the family farm. Even his elder sister also decided not to marry and look after livestock. Thus, they all worked together for the wellbeing of their family.

Urgain’s life changed when the local agriculture department conducted an agricultural tour for a select group of farmers in their area. He learned many things by visiting different agricultural universities, especially growing crops using a greenhouse. He started growing cabbage and cauliflower. Then he progressed to corn, quinoa, fennel seeds and garlic.

Now, Urgain became popular in his village as a man of the soil. He spends a lot of time on his farm working with soli. He cultivates various crops like barley and mushrooms. He also grows different types of vegetables. In addition to that, he rears sheep and goats. He uses organic manure produced from household and farm waste. Currently, he grows over 20 varieties of crops and earns more than ₹1 lakh per season.

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