Good drumstick (moringa) season... It is all about Moringa (murungai maram)

My dear social friends, brothers and sisters :)...

I trust everyone is doing well. Its been a month and more, since I wrote my last one. Back here, and trying to be disciplined without any excuses.

I am writing this blog from Bentonville, Arkansas, USA. On an official trip and it is weekend, Saturday morning. I am missing my farm, viewing the breeze and trees from camera :), and it is time to share about that.

OK, in this blog,I am going to share little about my current farm season: Drumstick Vegetables Season.

So far, it is good.  This is an iron rich vegetable, and it has lots of health benefits too. Families do make curries (Sambar, various spicy ones too) with this vegetable or make side dishes (Aviyal, Poriyal etc) too.

drumstick

We have been producing around 500 kgs every week.  This season lasts for two/three months.  It is a hard work and we have to really sweat. :)....

Now, let us look at the other side. i.e. why farmers are committing suicides or giving up farm.. Moreover, why parents don't allow their kids to become a farmer... Why my dad gave up farming etc?...

OK, how much money I got, when I say good season? - Let us do some reality check :)

Please check out below bills that I got from wholesale market:

From June 2022:

drumstick

From the above bill, total production: 439 KG.  Price per kg in bill: 18. INR.

But, after commission, I was paid 14.7 INR per kg. .. 

So, total was 6460 INR... If we deduct four persons salary (i.e. 2200), I got around 4260 INR..... This was a good price. :)... It was a welcome price and decent enough. But, please note that, we did not count any investment cost here and my salary too.

As a consumer, my social friends pay around 60 to 100 INR per KG, and it depends on where you are, and where you are buying this vegetable (i.e. small store, small retail, big retail etc)

Important tips: How they determine the price per kg for me:- In the market, they open the sack, take few sample vegetables, look at the length, check for any dots/damages and decide the  price. This is important. Please note down. Price is determined by length of the vegetable, damages and dots.  But, when you cook, do you care about the length??? 

drumstick pack

From April 2022:

 

From the above bill, total production: 556 kg. Here, per kg cost was: 7 INR. 

 After all commission deduction, per kg price was: 4.8 INR.

From 556 kg, I got INR 2680.  if we simply deduct four persons salary,(i.e 2200 INR).  

What was remaining - ? 480 INR....  Now, you imagine, what is the situation of FARMER. :)

My social friends still pay the same price of around 60 to 100 INR per kg... 

drumstick trees

 

So, what did we learn? - It is very simple and no one needs explanations..

If you are farmer, would you allow your kids to go through above situation?. Would you continue this for ever?. Same thing happened to me. My dad gave up when this was our primary income. He got into other business and always warned me about this.

But,

  • Farming gives happiness, farming rejuvenates you.  Sun and Earth are blessing you.
  • If you are IT professional, please try out farming. I treat this as my second job and no conflicts at all with my current IT job :).
  • Farmers happiness is all about producing healthy vegetables, fruits and living with nature. :)
  • I always felt happy, because producing 500 kgs of vegetables every week, is indirectly serving 500 families. :)
  • Farming keeps you grounded, no egos.
  • Farming gives patience and healthy life

When you get all the above, do you care spending (not loosing) some money ? :) -  But, we know for sure that, very soon farmers will be appreciated by governments and there will be base price for every farm products. 

OK friends. Hope, you enjoyed reading this.

 I have written a previous blog about, how we pack, release etc. Here is the link:  https://blog.prabakarpaulsami.com/2020/09/weekend-release.html

Also, having good papaya season too, I will share about this in next blog...

 

papaya trees

papaya trees

OK, take care everyone... I will be heading back to India next week, and hoping to see my farm soon. :)


 


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