Photo Courtesy: nagalandpost
Kohima: Prime Minister Narendra Modi turned a national spotlight on Phek farmer Vesalu Puro during the August 30 broadcast of Mann Ki Baat. The Porba village local turned a small flower project into a major regional enterprise. It started in 2021 to supply flowers for weddings and church events. She took a big leap.
Technical guidance from the ICAR-Krishi Vigyan Kendra in Phek proved vital. Experts provided 6,000 corms of the Arka Amar gladiolus variety. She planted on a 0.25-acre plot. The harvest yielded 5,400 marketable spikes. This netted her 52,070 rupees with a benefit-cost ratio of 2.80:1.
Puro now manages 400 flower varieties. Hydrangea, peony, delphinium, stock, and eucalyptus fill her fields. These flowers reach markets across Nagaland, Delhi, and Mumbai. She also crafts wedding bouquets and runs an agro-tourism business. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research published her story on August 21.
Dr. Sanjeev Kumar Singh, head of KVK Phek, praised her impact. He noted, "Puro had emerged as a role model for youth and aspiring entrepreneurs." Her work proves that scientific support can build sustainable businesses. Dr. Girish Patil S of the ICAR-National Research Centre on Mithun highlighted that these results fall under the government NEH programme. The project continues to drive rural economic growth.
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