Bandipora’s award-winning farmer turns successful nurseryman

Srinagar, Sep 13: Azad Hussain Bhat, an award-winning farmer from Watpora area of Bandipora in north Kashmir has turned to a nurseryman after he turned his land into a lucrative nursery to grow vegetable seedlings.
The well-known farmer has been associated with growing plant saplings of different plants over the past 25 years and has become an inspiration for farmers for this unique farming method and his hard labour in agriculture has made him a progressive farmer.
Bhat who learned farming from his father has been earning a handsome income after he turned his small agriculture land near his home into nursery planting saplings.
“I have been associated the vegetable nursery farming and I am growing plant saplings of different vegetables like onion, chilli, haakh, cucumber, cauliflower, tomatoes etc. It is a lucrative sector and it just needs hard work and commitment,” he said.
Bhat said he took vegetable farming by choice and learned modern ways and methods and included those in the nursery and has been reaching fruitful results.
“Earlier, I used to sold vegetable plant saplings including onion on a roadside in Bandipora and after years of hard work I shifted to my own agriculture land,” he said.
The enthusiastic farmer said availability of quality planting material is highly essential for successful commercial vegetable cultivation and farmers generally prepare small nurseries in their backyard solely for personal usage.
After years of hard work, the farmer said the Agriculture Department and KVK in the district came to know after his nursery farming which encouraged him further.
“Quality seed is the essential component of farming and it also requires fertile land. Farmers should also have the know-how of the new interventions and technological needs,” he said.
Notably, in 2004, he received the first award as Progressive Farmer Award from Jammu and Kashmir Govt. and it was followed by a national award given to him SKUAST-J. He is also the recipient of more than 10 awards that fuelled his interest in nursery farming.
Bhat said he got a lot help and encouragement from the Agriculture Department Kashmir and was trained in field about advanced nursery management technologies like soil solarisation, grafting, sowing, fertilization, raised beds, pest and disease management activities, etc.
“I have been working hard I also take help of my family members including my son and my wife and we don’t hire labourers and we do everything on our own,” he said.
Bhat also had been to Agriculture University Punjab for 15 days as part of the exposure tour and he learned many new methods of nursery management and seed sowing.
The 50-year-old progressive farmer also grows onion seedlings which she sells in October and has been promoting the same to the people and farmers over the years.
Many farmers visit her farm to take a glimpse of her success and many have followed her footsteps. Regarding farming, he said low-cost production, quality produce has opportunity to get good premium price and it is economically viable.
“There is no doubt that farming and produce has provided viable income to me which encourages me to do more hard work. It is an excellent example for financial security,” he said.