Self-employment: Suchendra Desai shows the way Written by ALBERT FERNANDES Friday, 07 August 2009 01:48 POINGUINNIM: At a time when youth are busy seeking government jobs, 35-year-old, Mr Suchendra Desai, hailing from Palolem, Canacona has taken up the profession of his ancestors. Speaking to ‘The Navhind Times’, Mr Desai, an arts graduate, informed that that he has willingly taken to dairy farming, which he believes can fetch good returns. Mr Desai has twelve Jersey cows, 11 of which provide him with 18-20 litres of milk per day, per cow. Though Mr Desai employs labour, he has now purchased the milching machine which makes work faster and easier consequently requiring less labour. However, this is not all. Since the last two years, Mr Desai has taken to farming also. He cultivates paddy crop on his father’s land measuring around 18,000 sq mt. He informed that he cultivates two crops in a year. When asked about the machinery needed for cultivating paddy, he replied, “So far I have been using hired machinery from agriculture department. However, now I will purchase an 18 HP tractor.” He has a fodder cutting machine that enables him to feed livestock on time. He also believes that music has a calming effect on cows, which is a great help especially whilst they are being milched. Mr Desai, on an average earns around Rs 15,000 per month on dairy farming alone. Besides this, the paddy which he sells in the open market also fetches him a good income. “I am self-sufficient and proud of my occupation. However, I wish to advise other youth to take up such ventures and occupations instead of waiting for government jobs”, he said. Mr Desai also pointed out that there are a lot of fields that are fallow. He advised the youth to cultivate such lands belonging to their ancestors, by purchasing sophisticated agricultural machinery, which can be availed on subsidies. Mr Suchendra Desai has also taken on a trial basis, ‘Suganda’, a high yielding variety of Basmati rice, from which he expects a good yield. Apart from dairy farming and cultivating paddy, Mr Desai also develops farm lands for pineapple, banana cultivation and vegetables as there is a great demand for it in Palolem, keeping in mind the fast-approaching tourist season. http://www.navhindtimes.in/news/goa-news/1719-self-employment-suchendra-desai-shows-the-way?tmpl=component&print=1 VIVA GOA
