Geography graduate in Bihar uses innovate methods to successfully grow capsicums, coriander, mushrooms

Aryan Kumar, 22, left traditional farming for cash crop farming, earning ₹10-12 lakh annually. He uses fibre net to control sunlight, and gets 90% subsidy from Bihar govt. for equipment. He formed an FPO to motivate others, inspiring 10+ villagers to take up cash crop farming. His success has made his family proud.

Aryan Kumar, 22, in Bettiah city of West Champaran district has left behind his family’s traditional cultivation practices of food-crop plantation and weather-dependent farming. The geography graduate, who took a week-long course offered by the Bihar government’s Agriculture Technology Management Agency (ATMA), has taken up cash crop farming that provides high yields, uses less water, and has lower risk than the traditional wheat, sugarcane, and paddy. He grows coriander, mushroom and capsicum, earning ₹10 to ₹12 lakh annually.

“I first started shade net farming of capsicum in 2021 on 7 katha of land [less than 1 acre]. We use fibre net, which helps control the sunlight according to the needs of the crops,” he says, adding that the company supplying the net also sells drip irrigation equipment for capsicum and sprinklers for coriander.

His initial expenditure in 2021 was ₹42,000, with ₹22 lakh provided as a subsidy by the government. He gets seeds from Excellence For Vegetable – Horticulture Farm in Chandi town, Nalanda district. The State’s agriculture department provides subsidies up to 90% on cash crop farming for the purchase of equipment.

He does two rounds of coriander farming a year, and a single batch of capsicum, scheduled to begin in October. Each time, he produces 70 quintals of capsicum, which grows across five months. Similarly, 2 quintals of coriander leaves are produced per katha, which means 28 quintals annually.

Mr. Kumar said, “The first time the government provides seeds of both vegetables free of cost. I purchase capsicum seeds at ₹3 per piece and 4,000 pieces are used for farming, which ultimately produces 70 quintals of capsicum. Similarly, I purchase 3 kg of coriander leaves at the cost of ₹300 per kg.” He sells the produce in the local market in Bettiah, coriander leaves at ₹250 per kg and capsicum at ₹50 per kg.

Group work

Now, Mr. Kumar has formed a Farmer Producer Organisation (FPO) that operates through WhatsApp groups. They motivate each other, share knowledge, and help each other with supply chain issues. Inspired by him, at least 10 more villagers have opted for coriander and capsicum farming.