Champawat: The story of 35-year-old Kamal Giri from Champawat has now become a role model in the hill regions of Uttarakhand. Gradually he became a successful horticulture entrepreneur from a small shopkeeper. Credit goes to his relentless work and the support from the state government’s initiatives. His horticulture journey got under way when he learned about the early-yielding apple varieties. He went on to see a nursery in Bhimtal.
He found there that the Horticulture Department has been running the apple mission scheme, motivating him to venture into farming, purchasing 500 apple seedlings with a 60% subsidy, and planting kiwi on 10 naali (local land measurement) under the Kiwi Mission. He also started growing other fruits and spices. Currently, he has been growing apples, kiwis, peaches, apricots, and vegetables on his land.
He embraced the modern techniques in his farming, such as setting up a polyhouse for growing vegetables and mushroom production. He got support from various government schemes. He received an 80 percent subsidy for the erection of the polyhouse. He also fenced his land to protect crops from wild animals, especially in the forested area.
Kamal’s hard work paid dividends, selling 21 quintals of apples and harvesting 15 quintals of bay leaves the previous year, and he has been successfully producing kiwis. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami praised Kamal’s efforts, saying horticulture plays a significant role in boosting Uttarakhand’s economy. The state government’s apple and kiwi missions are providing a lot of support to farmers to increase their profits.
Kamal has proved that determination is the only key to bringing success in life. He is a shining example for his fellow farmers. The horticulture sector will get a boost in the state, and many farmers will shift from traditional farming to horticultural crops after seeing Kamal’s success.
