Ukhrul: Worchanphy Muiwo, 37, and Thotngachan Muiwo, 33, a young couple from Huining Ato, Ukhrul district in Manipur, have embarked on a journey into organic farming amidst challenges faced by many youths in finding sustainable work opportunities.
Residents of Huining Ato, around 25 km from Ukhrul town, the couple decided to utilise available public land for farming in 2022 after previously relying solely on traditional paddy fields with no additional income.
What distinguishes this couple is their self-reliance and commitment to organic farming practices. Without hiring additional labourers, they meticulously managed their farm operations.
Remarkably, they followed organic farming methods to nurture their crops, ditching fertilisers.
“From clearing the jungle to digging the ground and planting saplings or seeds, we have managed everything ourselves because we couldn’t afford to hire labourers. This year alone, we spent at least 100 days solely on planting beans,” Worchanphy shared with EastMojo during her visit to Ukhrul town as she braved the cold weather and persistent rainfall on Tuesday, to sell freshly harvested farm products.
During the harvest season, Worchanphy rises early each morning to gather beans and sells them at Ava Market (Mothers’ Market) in Ukhrul town. Since their farm began yielding fresh, organic vegetables last year, this market has remained their sole point of sale for their produce.
“Since our twin daughters are very young, one of us looks after them while the other works on the farm. We work six days a week, often starting early to harvest beans for sale at Ava Market,” she added.
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Their produce, which includes broccoli, various beans, bitter gourd, bok choy, pumpkins, cucumbers, green chilies, and 600 King Chilli plants, is exclusively sold at Ava Market. Worchanphy sells in bulk to women vendors who then distribute the produce further.
“We initially invested Rs 10,000 in seeds and saplings. Within two years, we’ve not only recovered our investment but also sustained our family of four,” she explained. Their future plans include introducing onions and garlic after the bean harvest.
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