Many are often intimidated by the power of a woman. For when she decides to do something, she is sure to ace it. Such is the story of Kavita Mishra, a sandalwood and fruit farmer from a village near the Raichur district of Karnataka. Holding a Master’s degree in Psychology as well as a Diploma in Computer Science Engineering, she chose farming as her passion and profession.
This decision came into being when she was offered an 8-acre land right after her marriage. Confused about what to do with it, Kavita took her time and eventually settled to grow pomegranates on it. When she began to earn a decent profit out of it, she kept at it.
But God had bigger plans for her. One day her pomegranates caught a disease. Due to this, she had to completely uproot the crop. Ultimately, she was back to the hilly and rocky landscape she began with. On top of it, she had to battle the 45-degree temperature and lack of rainfall.
Given these challenges, Kavita began to search for sustainable and integrated ways of farming. Then, she planned and planted 1200 mangoes, 600 guavas, 600 custard apples, 100 amlas, 200 jamuns, 200 drumsticks, 200 curry leaves, 200 mausambis, and tea leaves. Along with this, she began to rear desi cows, practiced beekeeping, poultry farming, and much more. Additionally, she implanted 800 teakwood trees using organic manures, cow urine, and sheep dung to reduce the cost of cultivation. The result? They were nothing short of spectacular.
With multiple sources of income at hand, Kavita now earns a stable income monthly. For the last 2-3 years, she has been running nurseries as well. “I am a woman agri-preneur who started with great difficulty but the results speak for itself,” she says.
Interestingly, Kavita also gives lessons on farming on Sundays to students. She aims to empower the next generation to avail healthy foods. “Several NRIs have also shown interest in associating with me. I have connected with nearly a lakh people in the past few weeks,” she proudly states.
Moreover, Kavita opines that pairing agriculture, horticulture, agroforestry, and animal husbandry for an integrated farming method is the need of the hour. If planned in this manner, farmers will become very strong economically. “I put my trust in the Motherland and it reaped good benefits. One must bear in mind that farming is not like instant coffee! It takes patience and perseverance.”
While agriculture is believed to be a male-dominated field, Kavita is truly shattering the glass ceiling, one crop season at a time. She says, “Women are natural forecasters. They can think in all aspects and directions.” Finally, Kavita’s advice for agri-preneurs is to take challenges head-on and never underestimate their potential. “If you love the Motherland, it will reward you in many ways,” she maintains.
