Narasimha Murthy, a farmer hailing from a small village in South India, had always been passionate about agriculture. He grew millets on his farm and was known for his hard work and dedication to farming. However, he wanted to learn more about modern farming techniques and expand his horizons. One day, while browsing through YouTube, he came across an advertisement for an app called “ffreedom” that claimed to provide comprehensive courses on various aspects of agriculture. Intrigued, Narasimha Murthy decided to give it a try, and little did he know that this decision would change his life forever.
Narasimha Murthy downloaded the ffreedom app on his smartphone and enrolled in the Papaya Farming course. The course covered a wide range of topics, from climate suitability for papaya farming to choosing the right papaya breed, preparing the soil and land, irrigation and manure management, disease prevention and medication, harvesting, and packing techniques, sales and export strategies, income and expense management, demand and supply analysis, and challenges of papaya farming. The course was well-structured, easy to understand, and provided practical insights based on real-life experiences of successful papaya farmers.
Narasimha Murthy diligently followed the course lessons and applied the knowledge to his own papaya farming venture. He started papaya farming on a one-acre plot of land near the highway and built a small shop nearby to directly sell the papayas to customers passing by. He was determined to sell the papayas at a lower rate compared to the market price to ensure that people did not suffer from hunger. He set the price of his papayas at Rs. 35 per papaya, which was significantly lower than the market rate of Rs. 40 per papaya.
One of the key lessons Narasimha Murthy learned from the ffreedom app was about choosing the right papaya breed. He carefully selected a high-yielding and disease-resistant breed that was suitable for the climate of his region. This decision proved crucial as it resulted in a bumper yield of papayas. He also learned about the importance of preparing the soil and land properly for papaya farming. He followed the recommended practices of soil testing, ploughing, and adding organic manure to enrich the soil. This ensured that his papaya plants grew healthy and yielded high-quality fruits.
Another important aspect of papaya farming that Narasimha Murthy learned from the ffreedom app was irrigation and manure management. He implemented the recommended irrigation schedule and used organic manure and fertilizers in the right proportions to nourish his papaya plants. He also learned about disease prevention and medication and took proactive measures to protect his papaya plants from pests and diseases. This resulted in healthy and disease-free papaya plants, which in turn led to a higher yield of papayas.
Harvesting and packing techniques were also crucial in ensuring that the papayas retained their freshness and quality until they reached the customers. Narasimha Murthy learned about the optimal time for harvesting papayas, how to handle them carefully during harvesting, and how to pack them properly for transportation and sale. He implemented these techniques meticulously, and as a result, his papayas were always fresh and of high quality, which delighted his customers.
One of the major challenges that Narasimha Murthy initially faced was selling his papayas at a lower rate compared to the market price. However, he believed in his vision of ensuring that people did not suffer from hunger and remained committed to his goal. He used his shop on the highway as a direct selling point to customers, which helped him save on middlemen commissions and offer papayas at a lower rate. His papayas were soon recognized for their taste and freshness.