Reported by: Dev Paikaroy, Program Officer, BRLF
Edited by: BRLF Communication Team
“In 2020, I struggled to seek a loan of Rs. 10,000 from money lenders to start a small business, but now I earn around Rs. 4-5 lakhs per year. As a result, I have built a lovely pucca (concrete) house,” said Bhagabati Mohanta, an agri-entrepreneur from Nua Gaon in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district.
Bhagabati Mohanta is a budding entrepreneur who started her journey in the Agriculture Production Cluster (APC) program as an agri-entrepreneur on 12 September 2020. She is an active farmer and is part of the Devi Shakti Producer Group (PG). Initially, she started with a small nursery and cultivated in patches. Slowly, she diversified to multiple micro-enterprises promoted under the APC program. She trained on natural farming practices in block-level training programs and started a Bio-resources Unit (BRC) producing organic manures and pesticides.
At first, her family was reluctant, but with determination, she started the BRC by breaking her fixed deposit of Rs.5 lakhs.
It has been three years since she started this initiative, and in these years, she has invested around Rs.10.09 Lakhs and has a turnover of Rs. 11.72 lakhs. Her outreach has been increased over the years.
Her intentions are not only limited to her own well-being but through her business, she also wishes how she can contribute towards sustainable and environment-friendly methods of farming, which will be beneficial to both human and soil health in the long run. Her enthusiasm to become an agri-entrepreneur has only increased over the years, and this year, she has also started a nursery unit in her backyard with support from the Horticulture Department. She has undertaken training in APICOL as an agricultural entrepreneur interested in becoming a Nursery entrepreneur. This year, she sold 30,000 samplings with a profit of Rs. 7,200 in the Kharif season. Now, she has also started a beekeeping and goatery shed on her premises and is getting ample benefits.
Bhagabati is now contributing to her family and children’s education with her income from the BRC centre. In the long run, she wishes to reach out to more farmers and encourage them to adopt organic farming so that both her business and farmers reap benefits from her BRC centre.
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