Santosh Devi, an 8th-grade-educated farmer from Sikar, Rajasthan, has won the President's Award for her innovative carrot farming techniques. She transformed her yield and income by experimenting with cow ghee and honey on carrot seeds. Her story is an inspiration to farmers across India.
In many districts of Rajasthan, there are farmers who, despite facing the challenges of nature, have made remarkable innovations and experiments in agriculture. With patience and continuous hard work, they have achieved success. Some of them have even received the President's Award, not just once but twice. One such woman farmer, Santosh Pachar, lives in the Sikar district of Rajasthan. True to her name, 'Santosh,' meaning contentment, she works with utmost care and patience. She has developed a new variety of carrots.
Santosh Devi lives in a small village in Sikar
Santosh Devi, who lives in a village in Sikar district, has studied till the eighth grade. Coming from an agricultural background, she has always been involved in farming. Along with farming, she also shoulders the responsibilities of her family and society. Santosh, who used to cultivate carrots, shared that she would get low prices for her produce due to the short, crooked, and uneven shape of the carrots. She was looking for a solution to improve the quality. To gain knowledge, she started attending various fairs and workshops organized by the state government.
Farmers from far and wide come to Santosh Devi for training
Santosh Devi experimented with cow ghee and honey on carrot seeds to enhance their quality. Within a short period, she started witnessing positive results. The production time was reduced, wastage decreased, and the carrots grew up to one and a half feet long. Her annual income, which was around two to two and a half lakh rupees, increased to fifty lakhs. Over the years, Santosh Devi Pachar has imparted this unique technique to more than ten thousand farmers. She has received the President's Award in 2013 and 2017. Farmers from far and wide come to her for training.
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