Odisha's Rambai, an ideal for many woman farmers

In times of agrarian crisis, Rambai a sharecropper from Odisha shows the way towards sustainable agriculture with profitable income. She started vegetable cultivation on 2.5 acre land with limited resources.

Bargarh (Odisha): Promoting women empowerment and gender equality, Odisha's successful woman farmer Rambai appeared as a changemaker in the agricultural scenario of the state.

In a crucial situation, when Bargarh district has been receiving news of many farmer suicide incidents, 45-year-old Rambai has shown light to other farmers. Despite several barriers, she started vegetable cultivation on a mere 2.5 acre land and turned out to be a successful farmer.

Rambai lost her father at an early age. After a few years of her marriage, she lost her husband too. She also lost her elder daughter who was suffering from typhoid. Having no earning member in the family, she decided to become a sharecropper and started vegetable cultivation with limited resources.

She learned the cropping methods independently by observing other farmers. She was lauded with various awards and recognition for her strength and unbreakable attitude despite unfair situations. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik felicitated Rambai for her success as a female farmer.

Talking to ETV Bharat she said, "Farmers are the backbone of the nation as they ensure food security. If they choose to escape by committing suicide, who will understand the miseries of the poor and the deprived?"

As Rambai could never study, she wants her daughter to complete her education and become a better human being.