educationinsider.net/detail_news.php?id=%20472 In an era where the young generation, including me, runs after white-collar jobs, stands out 22-year-old Hashique. What makes Hashique unique is his passion for farming. By Neethu Mohan A network-engineering student in Bangalore, Hashique hails from Pozuthana, a village in Wayanad district of Kerala. He has set an example for both the student and the farmer community in the country with his model farming. It is to be noted that Hashique hails from a district where 32 farmers have committed suicide during the past one and a half years. Hashique – who started with a capital of 10,000 – now earns a minimum of Rs 25,000 a month. The way to success in Hashique’s words: “My grandfather was a farmer, and it was he who inspired me. Farming was in my blood, and I started farming at the age of 13. When I began, it was nothing more than a hobby for me. However, later on, it became a passion. I started with a capital of Rs 10,000. Coffee was the only crop I had when I started off; now I cultivate banana, pepper, cabbage, cauliflower and different types of seasonal vegetables. Rabbit farming and poultry farming were set up in the initial days and later the farm was expanded with malabari goats, turkey hens, cows, geese and flying ducks. Now I get an income of about Rs 25,000 a month.” During the early days of farming, Hashique had resorted to chemical farming because he was unaware of other types of farming. However, once he came to know about organic farming, he abandoned chemical farming forever. “Organic fertiliser gives us more yield than chemical fertiliser, and the latter is harmful to health,” Hashique says. About his daily schedule: “My day starts at 4 a.m. with the cleaning of the cowshed and milking three cows. After that, I feed the rabbits. By then, my mother Rukkiya and brother Shahir will join me to feed the goats, chickens, turkeys, geese and ducks.” “The schedule is tight because I have to find time for my studies also, but so far, farming has not affected my studies. I have scored more than distinction marks in all the examinations I have written,” a confident Hashique says. Considering the enthusiasm and success of this 22-year-old, the Department of Animal Husbandry has set up a field-level farm school at Hashique’s home and has appointed him the training director. According to the three-year contract worth Rs 2.5 lakh, he will impart training to 300 farmers from across Wayanad on innovative farming techniques. Gandhiji Study Centre (GSC), a Thodupuzha-based voluntary organisation that promotes Gandhian values and thoughts, recently chose Hashique as the Best Organic Farmer in Kerala. The award carries a cash prize of Rs 2 lakh and a 10-day trip to New Zealand. Hashique says: “New Zealand is a country which gives prime importance to farming, and it will be a great experience to interact with the culture and people, and, of course, various farming practices and techniques there.”
Posted on: Wed, 03 Jul 2013 15:08:41 +0000
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