Daijiworld Media Network - Gadag (SP)

Gadag, Sep 3: A teacher who was struggling to make both ends meet, has now been able to lead a self-reliant life. He is unlike many who watch the YouTube channel to spend their leisure time. But this teacher found total transformation in his life after watching this channel. The people are awed by the way the teacher has turned a farmer by growing roses in this district that is located in the plains.

The man who stopped teaching in school and started to grow roses successfully is Erappa Itagi from Shirunja village in Gadag district. He stands out as an excellent example to prove that people who are determined can eke out a living in a way of their choice.

Erappa had completed MA degree and started working as a guest lecturer in different colleges including Gadag and Mulgund. But he soon found out that the petty salary he received from these colleges was grossly insufficient for a living. Erappa therefore wanted to do something. When he was watching a YouTube channel on his mobile phone, he found the stories of a few farmers who became successful in growing roses. By watching YouTube channels further, he gathered details about raising roses.

Erappa then contacted the department of horticulture and started to cultivate roses in the two and half acres of land that he had inherited. The teacher who was earning a few thousand rupees per month began to get Rs 30,000 profit per month. He has been earning three to four lac rupees through this profession per year now.

Gadag district does not have too many rose cultivators. Still, Erappa took the bold decision of undertaking a profession that was relatively new to him and his village. He has planted 6,000 saplings by maintaining a four feet distance between the two plants. He bought rose saplings of gladiator, black magic, Modi Red and Mango Yellow varieties from Sarjapur nursery near Bengaluru.

He entered the area of rose cultivation with an investment of one lac rupees. Now he has emerged as a model farmer for his neighbours. As there is good demand for roses locally he has been selling the flowers in Gadag and Hubballi. Erappa follows both organic and chemical methods of raising the crops. He has become self-reliant now. The farmers who are inspired by his success story have also now begun to emulate him and cultivate roses.