From Bhagalpur to Bangalore

BANGALORE: Farmers from faraway Bihar have won the hearts of Bangaloreans even as the season for mangoes comes to a close.
For those put off by artificially ripened mangoes, the organic Bhagalpuri Langra ones from Tamouni, a village in Bhagalpur district, have given them the guarantee of safety. It has come as much-needed encouragement to farmers who were growing organic produce for the first time.
The sales have also opened doors to more organic vegetables and fruits from this village, at least 2,500 km away from Bangalore.For the perenially drought and flood-hit farmers, Bangalore's feedback comes as a blessing, with distance the least of their worries: "Last year, we wound up sales in Kolkata's wholesale markets disappointed with a loss of Rs 75,000. This June, we returned home from Bangalore with smiling faces and 30% profit per kilo in just one month. All these years we avoided the Bangalore market only because it was far off. Even this year, we came here only in June," said Wazi-Ur-Rahman, an elated mango orchard owner who spoke to TOI from Tamouni.
This was the first time farmers of Tamouni (known for its mangoes) used organic methods for growing the fruit instead of inorganic carbide.
When they arrived in Bangalore with their first stock of 2,000 kg, little did they know it would be a success. "We sold them all to just one mall. The profits came in no time!" exclaimed Rashid Khan. The 26-year-old from Bhagalpur works in Bangalore as an electronic engineer. When he has time to spare, he helps farmers back home with organic farming methods.
After a year's research on Bangalore's agricultural market, Rashid finally managed to convince his people to divert their fruits to the city's retail market. The change also earned farmers orders for vegetables like pointed gourd which will be supplied shortly.
"The major challenge was to meet Bangalore's high post-harvest standards," he said. The farmers' efforts paid back on June 10 when their first consignment of Bhagalpuri Langra mangoes was supplied to one of Bangalore's malls with only 3% fruits rejected by quality-check experts.
BACK ON THEIR FEET
Brought up in Ranchi, Rashid saw his town go through a traumatic phase post-1989 riots. "Many in my village are yet to begin farming as a means of livelihood since the riots. Almost 80% farmers have migrated elsewhere. Some have even turned to odd jobs like tailoring and construction work. I want to bring them back to farming," said a determined Rashid.
He studied at DAV Jawahar Vidya Mandir in Ranchi where he was two years junior to cricket team captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni.