Surguja (Chhattisgarh): It is a pretty normal day for Lakpa, a retired army officer now, as he strolls past his farm adorned with lush green trees laden with pears and litchis. Once busy protecting the nation, Lakpa now spends most of his time looking after his farm with over 27 varieties of different fruits cultivated with innovative methods after he retired from the service.
There are several Tibetan camps in the Mainpat region of the state today. In 1959, the People's Government of India started settling people from Tibet in India. By 1962, Tibetan refugees also began settling in the dense forests of Mainpat. Today, after so many years, when we see the biography of the people living in the Tibetan camp, a pleasant picture emerges. Tibetans are doing great -- they are not only earning their living but also serving the society and the country.
Lakpa comes from one such Tibetan lineage. After retiring from the army, he has converted around 8 acres of his fertile land in Mainpat into a blooming pear and litchi garden. A total of 27 types of fruit trees have been planted in this garden, but the garden mainly comprise fully blossomed litchi and pear trees. Lakpa says since the atmosphere in the village is conducive for the plants to grow properly, his cultivation brings him huge profits every year.
But the climate is not the only reason for Lakpa's noteworthy success. He uses various innovative techniques of farming to derive maximum yield. He also uses species of fruits bought from foreign countries. "I made many friends while serving the Indian Army. They live in different countries, and through them, I could procure litchi saplings from Thailand, China, Bangladesh and Vietnam," Lakpa told ETV Bharat, adding that there are also some other varieties of litchi from Bihar in his garden.
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Narrating his journey from serving the nation to becoming a full fledged farmer after retirement, Lakpa said, "I was born in Mainpat, studied here. I joined the army and retired in 2017. I took up this farming experiment after retirement." Lakpa further informed that he does not believe in the old methods of farming, and have therefore adapted to the modern, more effective techniques .
"I have planted litchi and pear mostly, but there are around 27 types of different fruit plants. I practice inter-cropping. This way, something or the other is always growing in the field all months of the year," Lakpa further said. In the past 5 years of his farming, Lakpa has seen massive progress in the techniques he has adapted.
Having largely succeeded at what he took up, Lakpa did not keep his farming knowledge to himself. He also guided the other farmers in the area to follow the modern techniques of farming for better yields. "I tell the farmers around that there is no benefit in the traditional farming methods from the earlier times. People often visit my farm to see how it is done. So it has kind of become a tourist place," Lakpa said with a shy chuckle.
The retired army officer, now in his 60s, does not stop at farming. He has also tried his hand at bee keeping and timber production alongside, which has also worked pretty well for Lakpa. The honey produced on his farms is exported to the US and several other countries, while the Timber produced on his farm also remains in high demand.
