Bijapur, KARNATAKA:

Shabbir Jagirdar has been working from home as software engineer, also doing farming

Bijapur :

Strolling in the farm under the scorching heat and watering capsicum and watermelon plantations, Shabbir Jagirdar does not appear like any typical farmer. For the reason; he is a software professional and works for a Pune-based software company.

Yet, this techie has chosen farming as his passion along with his profession while working from home for the company.

Having cultivated capsicum, tomatoes and watermelon, Shabbir, though started farming, as a hobby but now has taken it as passion and involved himself fully.

Shabbir vehemently believes that farming should be done scientifically and professionally to earn profit and to convert the farming into a lucrative business.

“ I strongly believe and want to send the message to people that educated people can do farming in a far better manner than uneducated or people with limited educational qualifications. The educated people can do farming using skilled methods unlike traditional farmers”, he said.

With the clear objective of dispelling the notion that educated people are not fit for farming, he said that while traditional farmers, despite spending entire days at the farm, and still do not earn enough profit, the educated people can spend only a few hours in the farm and still can earn more profit.

“ Since I am working from home, I carry my laptop to the farm here. I spend around 3-4 hours at the farm, later I do my software job”, Shabbir said.

Admitting that the farming is not easier said than done, he however asserts that with a strong commitment and zeal, it is surely possible to earn in the farming.

“ In the beginning I did face some hurdles on cultivation, watering, controlling pests etc. but as I started getting more involved into it, I began learning from the mistakes”, he said.

Having cultivated watermelon and capsicum which is expected to give higher returns, he however experienced some loss in tomatoes after market crashing.

“ I would have earned profit even if I had sold tomatoes for Rs. 4/kg, but since the market has crashed, I have experienced loss”, he said.

Since he has adopted a multi-cropping system which he advises other farmers also, he said that if one crop causes loss, another crop helps in recovering the loss.

He is intensely hoping to recover the loss in watermelon as the demand will increase in the summers and from the capsicum which will come for harvesting in a few days.

For details, he can be contacted on 8956686124

source: http://www.thehindustangazette.com / The Hindustan Gazette / Home> News> Business / by The Hindustan Gazette / March 30th, 2021