Fruits of foreign countries can never be grown in Odisha. One may call it either a myth or a misconception but it has been proved wrong by a farmer of Ganjam district.
You will agree to it when you see Thailand's red apple and green apple berry trees laden with juicy fruits in his garden. Meet the farmer who has made the impossible possible. He is Abhimanyu Pradhan, a farmer of Takarada village under Buguda block in Ganjam district.
Abhimanyu said when he was surfing the internet, and YouTube channels, he came to know about this fruit grown in Thailand. Then the urge inside him to give it a try grew inside him.
“After coming to know about Thailand red and green apple berries from watching several YouTube videos, I made up my mind to give it a whirl. I placed an order for 650 saplings at Rs 55 with a nursery in Kolkata. Nine months have passed since I planted the saplings and they are now laden with fruits,” said a visibly happy Pradhan.
Pradhan said he planted the saplings the way he learnt from YouTube channels. He planted the saplings on his land measuring two acres with a gap of eight feet between each sapling.
Pradhan’s months-long labour has finally borne fruits. There are bunches of these tasty and juicy berries on the trees, bringing cheer on Pradhan’s face. In fact, the villagers are too happy at Pradhan’s success.
“It is a matter of great delight that the berries of Thailand are now growing in Takarada village. We hope, more fruits will come in the second year as the trees will shoot out more branches. And, the good thing is that more farmers will be inspired by Pradhan’s successful story,” observed Takarada sarpanch Dilip Kumar Pradhan.
These barriers will be ready for consumption next month. Given the demand of these fruits in the local market, Pradhan is optimistic that the fruits will fetch him good return.
Meanwhile, Pradhan’s success story has reached the neighbouring villages. On a regular basis, curious farmers and common people have been paying visits to his farmland to see for themselves how three-feet-high Thailand berry trees are laden with fruits.
“I would like to thank Abhimanyu babu for his effort. Now he has become a source of inspiration for others. I will tell the farmers of my area to plant Thailand berry plants,” said Prakash Maharatha, a resident of Buguda area.
“After coming to learn that Thailand fruit trees are bearing fruits, we have come here to see the trees and fruits as well. It is really inspiring,” said Bijay Pradhan, a local resident.
(Reported by Pitabasa Das from Buguda, Ganjam)