Farmers in Chhattisgarh's Surguja district are now moving beyond conventional methods to grow chilli with modern technology, and their hard work and dedication are clearly visible in the effort. This is why one farmer has raised a chilli crop for the very first time by planting 4,000 grafted chilli saplings. Earlier, this farmer had already cultivated several crops, including potato and tau. The real question is: what trick do these farmers use that turns whatever crop they touch into gold? Here is the full report…
A Hybrid Chilli Crop Raised with Modern Technology
Sunish Kumar, a farmer from Mainpat, has taken up hybrid chilli cultivation on a commercial scale for the first time. He sourced grafted saplings of the VNR company from the Karji Farm House in Ambikapur and planted around 4,000 of them. Before beginning the cultivation, the field was ploughed four to five times. After that, ridges were prepared and a drip irrigation system along with a mulching sheet was laid out.
Drip Irrigation and Mulching Are Improving Crop Quality
The farmer explained that the entire crop is being irrigated through the drip system. This not only saves water but also provides the plants with moisture as per their need. The crop is being treated with cow-dung manure, IFFCO fertiliser, potash and other nutrients, due to which the plants are growing quickly and fruiting has already begun.
Hopes of 20 to 25 Kilograms of Yield from a Single Plant
According to Sunish Kumar, the chilli plants have started bearing fruit, and in the early stage the flowers are being plucked to make the plants stronger. He claims that a single plant is likely to yield, on average, between 20 and 25 kilograms of chilli. This variety of chilli is quite spicy and long, and it enjoys good demand in the market.
The farmer said that so far around 60 to 70 thousand rupees has been spent on this cultivation. If the weather remains favourable, chilli harvesting will begin from the first week of July, and the produce will start reaching the market between 5 and 10 July. With better output and good prices, he expects to earn a healthy profit.
A New Experiment Backed by 22 Years of Experience
Sunish Kumar has been engaged in farming for the past two decades. Every year he cultivates potatoes and other crops on a large scale. He says that the inspiration to grow chilli did not come from anyone else; rather, he took up this new experiment after considering his long farming experience and the demand in the market. At present, his entire focus is on chilli, tomato and brinjal crops, from which he hopes to earn better income.
By Growing Chilli, Sunish Becomes an Inspiration for Other Farmers
This initiative by Mainpat farmer Sunish Kumar shows that with modern technology, improved seeds and proper management, farmers can move beyond traditional cultivation towards more profitable crops. If this experiment succeeds, it could become an inspiring example for other farmers in the region as well.
