Ghazipur: Sheikh Abdullah, a resident of Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh, used to work in a dairy in Kolkata. Due to challenging circumstances, he took up farming, hoping to earn a decent income. He returned to his village where traditional farming methods were already prevalent. After gaining some experience, he realized that reaping profits with conventional farming methods was a tremendously difficult task.

Eventually, he transitioned to modern farming techniques, and this resulted in increased crop yields. The positive outcome with this approach prompted him to continue with these practices. Presently, farming is done on 2000 hectares of land in Ghazipur. A local market has also been established that helps the farmers sell their produce conveniently. 

Facing challenges

During the time when Sheikh Abdullah was engaged in the dairy business, he experienced challenges with the introduction of new government laws. He had to relocate his dairy outside Kolkata city, which affected his business. After taking up farming, Sheikh Abdullah began with the cultivation of tomatoes. Realizing that people preferred to buy hybrid tomatoes, he adopted modern farming techniques. This transition yielded positive results, encouraging him to sell his produce in the markets of Kanpur, Gonda, and Bahraich. 

Making profits

This is a tale not from ten years ago, but from the early 1990s. Sheikh Abdullah did not have a land of his own, so he leased land from other people and embarked on his farming journey. Moreover, he also launched a campaign to educate farmers about modern farming methods. Gradually, he gained significant popularity in his local area, and other farmers began to focus more on tomato cultivation.

Remarkably, Maheshnagar village of Bhanwarkol came to be known as the village for best tomato production. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Varanasi, also provided assistance and support to the local farmers. 

Patal Ganga market

When the vegetable production increased, the local Ghazipur market became insufficient. To address the issue, Sheikh Abdullah and local farmers collaborated to establish a market near Patal Ganga. Now, the traders began to visit the markets to purchase the produce. Approximately 100 truckloads of tomatoes were sold daily at the time. The market gained prominence and the farmers began selling their vegetables across the country and in Nepal. 

Recognition

After first ten years of successful tomato production, farmers began to face losses when the prices plummeted. During this time, they explored crop diversification. They received assistance from agricultural research centres and began the cultivation of green chillies. Presently, 95 percent of farmers are engaged in chilli cultivation.

Everyday 150-200 carts of chillies leave from Patal Ganga Market to different parts including countries like Bhutan, Nepal, Bangladesh, and the Gulf countries. Peas are also cultivated on a large scale. Sheikh Abdullah served as the head of Maheshpur village for 27 years. His efforts have been honoured with the recognition from the former Governor T Rajeshwar.