CHANDIGARH, JUNE 4
His intense desire to do something different in life has made him set an example for others to emulate. Vinod Kumar of Jamalpur village in Gurugram district, a qualified engineer, has earned the epithet of being the first progressive farmer to have initiated fresh water pearl cultivation in Haryana. And his path-breaking effort has brought him rich dividends.
Giving details, Mr Vinay Pratap Singh, Deputy Commissioner, Gurugram, said in Gurugram today that now Vinod was doing pearl farming on one bigha of land. In 2016, he along with his uncle, learnt about fish rearing from the district office of the Fisheries Department.
Vinod had a small piece of land measuring 20x20 ft on which he could not do pearl farming. Guided by the district fisheries officer, Mr Dharmender Singh, he went to the Central Institute of Fresh Water Aquaculture in Bhubaneswar for one month to get training in pearl culture. Back from training, he started pearl culture in village Jamalpur, which yielded excellent results: he earned over Rs 4 lakh in 2017.
Gurugram is the first district to have initiated pearl culture. Inspired by the results, other districts are also preparing to adopt pearl culture. It is pertinent to mention here that 50 per cent subsidy is given by the Fisheries Department for farmers doing pearl culture.
About Rs 40,000 was the initial investment Vinod made in putting together the required infrastructure. A nucleus is inserted in oyster and the oyster is wrapped in a net bag which is hung from a stick and left in 4-foot deep water in a pond for eight to 10 months.
Mr Singh said following in the footsteps of Vinod, farmers in many other districts are also taking to pearl culture. Ramavtar, a farmer of village Bhonda Kalan in Gurugram, has also started doing pearl culture on his one-acre land. One farmer from district Kurukshetra is also making efforts to make a beginning.
Vinod Kumar’s ardent desire and keen efforts brought him results. Due to urbanization, land for agriculture is decreasing by the day. Given this scenario, pearl cultivation can play a vital role in providing source of livelihood and help in doubling the income of farmers, Mr Singh added.
Mr Vinod said when he first heard of pearl farming his initial reaction was of disbelief. But after getting training in Bhubaneswar, he developed faith and self-confidence to take the plunge. “I made up my mind on taking to pearl farming and left my engineering profession, Now, And I have no regrets”, Vinod said.
Mr Singh said with more framers taking active interest in pearl culture, the district office of Fisheries Department had started imparting training to them free of cost.
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