Golaghat: A 43-year-old farmer from Golaghat district named Asgar Ali has made horticulture a profitable business. Ali has made it clear that success in agriculture depends on innovative techniques, adaptation of advanced technologies, and smart marketing. He has 50 bighas of farmland, cultivating varieties of fruits and vegetables like papaya, king chilli, brinjal, sweet potato, tomato, watermelon, and local chilli types.
His innovative style of horticultural intercropping is the talk of the town. He grows papaya and chili together and cultivates watermelon in a zig-zag layout over 4 bighas, which has surprised others. Currently, he has been fetching a huge income through his innovative thinking. He focuses on both productivity and sustainability.
Most of the time he keeps his farms free from chemical-mixed pesticides. He uses it when the situation becomes grim—especially during the flowering of the plant. Ali always purchases quality seeds. Earlier, this kind of seed was not available in a city like Golaghat. He has improved his productivity due to the availability of high-yield seed.
Ali remains busy on social media as well, using Facebook, WhatsApp groups, and farming forums for the promotion of his productivity. He brings YouTubers and agriculture experts to his fields and takes advice from them, which has given him big dividends. Buyers easily contact him through a digital horticultural approach. Asgar Ali’s encouraging story has made him a role model for the local farmers.
