Ashish Pandey, (Shivpuri)
Ramniwas Rawat Success Story: A young man from Bilara village in Shivpuri district of Madhya Pradesh has proved that if the thinking is modern, the vision is far reaching and there is honesty in hard work, then even the village land can become an example of international level. This is the story of Ramniwas Rawat, who created such a model by combining farming with studies, the discussion of which is now reaching the digital world beyond the village.
Ramnivas completed his studies with subjects like B.Sc., M.Sc. and Bio. When he returned to his village after staying in Indore for about eight years and getting education, he had two options in front of him, job or ancestral work. He chose another path, but not in the old way, but with new technology and scientific understanding. Along with his father, he started tomato cultivation in 9 bighas of land. Saplings were planted on 9th August. The entire planning was based on drip, bed system and balanced nutrition. The result was that in just 60 to 70 days red colored fruits started coming out from the fields. The influx that started in November continues even today and is expected to continue till the end of April.
Use of two improved varieties
Ramniwas selected two improved varieties in this experiment, Abhiraj and Pari. According to his experience, the size of the fruit is larger in Abhiraj, which results in higher weight in a crate and better price in the market. On the other hand, in Pari variety the quality remains good, but the weight per crate is slightly less. This difference plays a big role in calculating profits later on.
Talking about the cost of farming, it cost around Rs 1.5 to 2 lakh per bigha. Seeds, fertilizers, medicines, labor and irrigation, everything was calculated in advance. Till now, after taking out the expenses, the net income has been around Rs 5 lakh, while the total income figure is estimated to reach around Rs 15 lakh.
The strongest role of family
The role of family was the strongest link in this entire journey. The father took over the responsibility of the farm, while the younger brother Rammilan Yadav, who is preparing for NEET in Kota, comes to the village during holidays and helps in the work. This combination of studies and farming shows that today’s youth is moving forward with multitasking thinking.
Another special thing is that instead of buying everything from the market, Ram Nivas prepares many agricultural equipment itself. The tools, small equipment and necessary structures for making tomato beds are made in-house, which reduces costs and keeps control in their hands. Ramniwas believes that farming is no longer limited to just plow and bull. If correct information, timely decisions and scientific method are adopted, then a big dream can be achieved even while living in a village. His success is a message for those youth who consider farming as a backward job. This story from the fields of Bilara tells that the soil still has power, all that is needed is to change the perspective.
