In an era when the majority of Odisha’s youth regards farming as a low-wage occupation and seeks higher-paying MNC or government positions, Seema Mishra, an agro-entrepreneur is defying this stereotype with her revolutionary ‘Integrated Farming (IF)’ concept.
Seema, 36, has combined various compatible farms in her integrated farming, including field crops, horticultural crops, livestock (dairy, pigs, poultry, and small ruminants), fishery, mushroom, and bee culture, in a synergistic way where wastes from one process become inputs for other processes for optimum farm productivity.
Seema’s IF is 100 percent organic and produces zero waste. In addition to training aspiring people of all ages coming for internships, farmers, and youths with an interest in agriculture, she encourages farmwomen in the surrounding villages to embrace innovative farming methods and begin a career as an agro-entrepreneur with the assistance of KVK Scientists and other specialists. She has completed 23 training sessions in her ‘bamboo bridge heritage’ farmland to date.
Seema is an MBA graduate and alumnus of Delhi University, hailing from Randio village in Puri District, Odisha. When her grandfather died in 2015, she left a well-paying corporate position at TCS. As the eldest daughter, her proximity to her extended family became a need.
However, limiting herself to housework was not her cup of tea. She desired to contribute to her family’s welfare. The abundance of parental land provided her with the opportunity to try her hand at farming and produce income. To get the requisite profit, she opted to practice IF by incorporating neo-traditional and organic tools into her farming.
“To run my farming in today’s polluted environment, where lands are losing fertility due to excessive chemical use, I need precise planning and knowledge. After receiving training from a local animal husbandry in Puri, I began poultry on a trial basis with 200 chicks at my parents’ coconut orchard in 2015. I was able to gain a few perks by rearing hens, fish, and calves, as well as cultivating marigold, coconut, banana, mushrooms, and veggies, among other things, but they were negligible. As a result, I chose to switch to large-scale farming.”
Seema learned everything she could, experimented, and expanded her farming. The advanced skill-based training program and exposure visits conducted on vegetable cultivation, horticulture, fishery, cattle farming, Bio-floc management, and other topics by state ICAR-CIFA, KVKs, and several scholars and researchers assisted her in filling conceptual gaps in farm management and learning how to convert agro wastes into fodder, organic manures, and vermin-compost.
Despite the hurdles, Seema is always interested in experimenting with new agricultural practices and incorporating new farms to boost income. Her extensive social network with numerous government organizations, including rotary clubs, SHGs, APICOL, OPOLOFED, ICAR-CIFA, and KVKS, not only helped her obtain subsidized bee boxes, livestock for dairy farms, poultry, and so on, but also a market for her farm produce to maximize profit.
On her 22 acres of land, she currently cultivates roughly 50 bee boxes, 50 goats, fish ponds, vast chicken farms, and many other things. Furthermore, she just established a bio-floc facility and expects to develop numerous commercially relevant fruit bearing plants such as dragon fruit with a monthly turnover of around 5 lakhs.
This year, her most recent creative concept, ‘Eco-Agro tourism, a direct farm to plate concept,’ drew over 60 people and provided exposure to Odisha’s farmlands, culture, and farming experience, as well as the taste of native cuisines created from freshly harvested farm products.
“I hope to establish the Bamboo Bridge Heritage Farm as a learning center for those interested in pursuing a farming career. I aim to change people’s preconceptions of monoculture farming to integrated farming, which can be profitable as well as environmentally beneficial if done correctly, with patience, dedication, and enough backup planning.”
Seema has received numerous accolades from public and private organizations. Many people get in contact with her through social media handles. She is now a well-known trainer, speaker, energetic women leader, young icon, and successful agro-entrepreneur who inspire many agro-enthusiasts. Not only that, but she has employed and self-sufficient members of five households. Inspired by her achievement, many young people in her community have taken up farming and become self-sufficient.
