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Success Stories

Ornamental Fish Culture and Breeding

Thiru E. Kumar, 29 years old is a rural youth of Katerikuppam village of Puducherry region. He belongs to a poor agricultural family struggling for their livelihood. His father was not able to maintain his family with seven children with the poor income from 0.5 acre agriculture land.

During 2003 Th. Kumar visited Perunthalaivar Kamaraj Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Puducherry and attended the Composite fish culture training under Programme Assistant (Fisheries), after gaining confidence, he leased in one Commune Panchayat pond of 1 acre and carried out the carp fish culture and gained a profit of Rs.18000/-   Again he approached Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Puducherry and contacted the fisheries unit regarding ornamental fish culture and learned the technical details for setting up of an ornamental fish production unit in small scale.

He constructed a small fish pond of 200 sq.mt area with the help of his family members.    He stocked 12000 nos of gold fish seed purchased from Kolathur fish market at Chennai @Rs.1.00/each.  After 45 days he sold 10000 nos of gold fish and he realized an income of Rs.40,000/-.

After getting the  lucarative  income in short period he got confidence in this profession.   He expanded his ornamental fish culture area in  from 200 sq.mt to 2000 sq.mt with four earthen ponds having 500 sq.mt each.  He become a ornamental fish supplier at wholesale rate to all the aquarium shop keepers in the Pondicherry region and  also to Karnataka and Kerala states.  He started  to produce variety of ornamental fishes like gold fish, black moor,  Angel fish, guppies  mollies, platies and swordtail etc..

Further he expended his activities in this trade by establishing aquarium shop in Pondicherry town. He started to supply aquarium tank and accessories to the needy people along with aquarium fishes and ornamental plants produced from his own fish farm to the Government offices, private companies, agencies, shopping complex etc.,
Due to over increasing demand for the ornamental fish he decided to expend his ornamental fish production unit in 3.00 acre area at Vazhudavur road at Katerikuppam.  He constructed 20 nos of rearing ponds measuring 500 sq.mt each and one stocking pond of 1000 sq.mt area.  He proposed to produce ten variety of commercial important ornamental fish like Gold fish, Angel fish, Koi carp, Gourami, tiger ,  rosy barb, tetras Oscar etc along with live bearing fishes like guppy, mollies, platy and sword tail.

Ornamental fish culture pond under construction

He planned to produce 2 lakhs ornamental fishes per month and to supply to all the aquarium shop keeper in Pondicherry and nearby states.  Further he also has the idea to export the fishes to foreign countries.
After observing his activates and improvements in his life style by adopting his ornamental fish culture trade many rural youth from near by villages like villianur, Thirukanji, Senthanatham, came to his farm and got advice and started this type of fish farm in a small scale.
He proved that this ornamental fish culture in promising technology to the unemployed youth to lead a successful and respectful life with sufficient income with less investment.

Success Story of Tmt. G. Pakyavathi – An Empowered Woman

Tmt. G. Pakyavathi aged 40 is a farm women residing at Karikalampakkam village, Nettapakkam commune, Puducherry. She wanted to earn more money by doing some self employment in her village, after knowing the  activities of KVK  in detail she approached Home Science scientist, KVK to express her ambitions.

Intervention of Krishi Vigyan Kendra:
a) Training imparted by KVK

Tmt. G. Pakyavathi has undergone various training programmes at KVK especially on Mushroom Cultivation, Orchid maintenance, Value addition from fruits and Vegetables, SRI method of Paddy cultivation, Vermicompost, precision farming etc. Apart from KVK training, she underwent ‘women legal literacy’ training and other agriculture related trainings from the Department of Agriculture, Government of Puducherry and Non Government Organisations. All the trainings were effectively utilised by her not only for her own benefit but also for the welfare of the community.

b) Formation of Self Help Groups by KVK            

Home Science scientist motivated her to start a Self Help Group in her village in the year 1994. This motivation kindled her interest and started thinking of her dreams of starting new enterprises. A new Self Helf Group was started by name Thirumaga and Tmt. G. Pakyavathi  become the leader of KVK Self Help Group at Karikalampakkam village in the same year. So far she has formed 45 more Self Help Groups in nearby villages.   Each group is having savings amount of around Rs. 1.5 lakhs.

c) Enterprises started by Tmt. Pkyavathi under the guidance of KVK
Orchids: She obtained Orchids plants from the Department of Agriculture, Government of Puducherry on subsidy and she has started an orchid unit  in her open terse itself. At present she is maintaining 500 orchid plants in her house with the knowledge gained from KVK. The orchid flowers are being sold and she is earning around Rs.1000/mth out of them. This unit is a model unit in the village. Many farmers are visiting this unit and are getting useful information about these orchid plants.

 Vermicompost:

She has started one vermicompost unit in her village under the guidance of KVK. She is producing quality vermicompost and selling it even to KVK farmers and to other farmers and fetching an additional income of Rs.800-1000/ mth.

Mushroom cultivation

A small mushroom unit was established by her under the technical guidance of KVK. Spawns are being supplied by KVK. She is getting 1 to 2 kgs of mushroom everyday and getting around Rs. 1500/ mth. This earning helps her to meet out her day to day expenditure

SRI method of Paddy cultivation

She is adopting the SRI method technology of paddy cultivation in her own farm. Observing the high yield of paddy in her field, villagers approached her for her guidance. She discussed with the group members in undertaking the work of cultivating paddy on contract basis in other farmer’s field. All the members agreed to co-operate to take up this kind of new venture for the first time in Pondicherry.  On contract basis, she undertook the activity of SRI method of paddy cultivation with the co-ordination of SHG members in various villages.  She has cultivated around 60 acres of village lands by adopting this method at reasonable cost. Farmers felt happy because of saving not only paddy seed but also getting higher yield.

Precision farming:

At present she is cultivating Marigold, Tapioca, Bendi, Brinjal etc. by adopting the method of Precision Farming and getting marked improvement in the yield. She is the only farm woman who came forward to utilise the subsidy scheme of Department of Agriculture in the village for adopting the technology of precision farming.
Awards secured

• She has secured best farmers club award twice from NABARD in the year 2001 and 2004.
• NYK has awarded 1 ½ lakhs worth computers for appreciating her group activities in the year 2005.
• NYK has also awarded Rs. 10,000/- for best club in the year 2007.
• She has secured an award of Rs. 2000/- in the year 2007 for best Mandram from Block Development Office, Karikalampakkam.
• State bank has issued certificate for appreciating very good linkage with bank and public.
• BDO office has also issued another award of Rs.2000/- for best leader in the year 2008.

Conclusion

Tmt. Pakyavathi shines as a great example for not only to all the SHG members but also to the farmers. She expresses her gratitude to the KVK Scientists in the form of getting many awards and appreciation from the public. Directly and indirectly she generates employment opportunities to around 150 Self Help Group members. Even though she has studied only up to high school level, she motivated her son to study well and to do medicine in Medical College. She acts as a role model to all other Self Help Group members. DDG and Zonal Project Director of ICAR also visited all the activities of Tmt. Pakyavathi and interacted with the Self Help Group Members at Karikalampakkam village and appreciated her initiation, interest, effort and devotion.