A young farmer from Bihar's East Champaran district has shown that capsicum farming can turn a small plot of land into a highly profitable venture. Rajneesh Kumar, who lives in Amwa village under the Turkaulia block, has earned five times his total cost by growing capsicum, moving away from the conventional crops that most farmers in the region still rely on.
Why a net house became necessary
Rajneesh explains that capsicum is originally a crop suited to hilly regions with cooler temperatures. Since Champaran, being a plains area, records much higher temperatures, growing this crop in open fields was not possible. To get around this, he set up a net house, which allows the temperature inside to be controlled and brought down. He obtained this net house with support from the district's Krishi Vigyan Kendra.
Drip irrigation and mulching paper made the difference
According to Rajneesh, a good capsicum harvest depends heavily on using a drip irrigation system along with mulching paper. Laying mulching paper across the field nearly eliminates the problem of excessive weed growth, which in turn reduces pest attacks and keeps the plants protected. The drip system, meanwhile, lets him deliver fertilizer and water directly to the roots of each plant through pipes, cutting down significantly on both the labour and the time spent in the field. Rajneesh says that with the right technique and proper management, capsicum can be grown easily on Champaran's fertile loamy soil.
Over 10 tons of yield from 10 katha of land
This season, Rajneesh planted around 5,000 capsicum plants. Each plant yielded between 2 and 3 kilograms of fruit. Cultivated on roughly 10 katha of land, this modern farming method produced a total yield of more than 10 tons of capsicum. Good prices in the market allowed Rajneesh to earn a profit that was five times his total investment.
An example for other farmers to follow
Rajneesh's success is now encouraging young farmers in Champaran and nearby areas to move away from traditional crops and adopt cash crops along with modern farming techniques. His experience shows that using tools like a net house, drip irrigation and mulching correctly can help farmers earn substantial profits even from a small piece of land.
