Ghazipur: Decades ago, when modern farming methods were not even heard of, Ghazipur’s Sheikh Abdullah implemented these farming methods for the production of his crops. He created a platform ‘Kisan Vikas Manch’ where he motivated farmers to use more sustainable methods of growing cash crops. His crops attract customers from all over the world. For years, he has cultivated hybrid tomatoes on his land. Chilli cultivation is getting popularized among farmers and these crops are cultivated on 2 thousand hectares of land.

Beginnings

Sheikh Abdullah is a resident of Maheshpur village of Bhanwarkol block of Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh. He was the head of Maheshpur village for 29 consecutive years spanning from 1988 to 2015. 

Some thirty years ago, he had a dairy farm in Kolkata city. The announcement of new rules regarding operation of dairy farms made him move his dairy out of the city. It became difficult to run the business due to which he returned to his village. 

He observed that farmers were still using traditional farming methods in their fields. He owned one acre of land then, and he started cultivating tomatoes in his field. He could not make much profit from it as all the other farmers were producing the same kind of crops. He thought of something new and experimented with growing hybrid tomatoes. His produce from modern farming methods was fresh and of high quality and this enabled him to sell the produce in the markets of Lucknow, Kanpur, Gonda and Bahraich. 

Land on lease

In was the year 1990, when Sheikh Abdullah was reaping profits from modern farming methods. To expand his area of cultivation, he took land on lease from people who were living in the cities. He also introduced a platform ‘Kisan Vikas Manch’ and educated farmers about the better and sustainable farming techniques. In the next ten years, he observed the increased production of tomatoes on a large scale. 

Sheikh Abdullah also received help from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Varanasi. With years of production, his area came to be known as one of the biggest producers of tomatoes. In the initial days, it was a struggle to sell the tomatoes in the markets due to less demand and small scale of reach. 

Patal Ganga Market

A regular buyer observed the hardships of small-scale farmers and made a suggestion to Sheikh Abdullah that he should consider setting up a market in his own area along with other farmers. 

Sheikh Abdullah set up a market near Maheshpur village in the year 2005 at a place called ‘Patal Ganga’. Almost 100 truckloads of tomatoes were sold in the market on a daily basis. Apart from different states, the tomatoes were also exported to Nepal and Pakistan. 

Presently, Patal Ganga Market is considered to be the biggest market of tomatoes in Ghazipur district. It must be noted that the market runs without the intervention of government facilities. 

Chilli production

Massive profits were made until the end of 2010. Post that period, due to the extensive production of tomatoes, farmers started receiving poor price for the produce. Losses were experienced which prompted the farmers to adopt crop diversification. 

Sheikh Abdullah visited agricultural research centres and then began the cultivation of hybrid chilli on one acre of land for trial purposes. Chillies can be cultivated from October-November and April-May, which is longer than the period of tomato production. It seemed that chilli production would surpass the tomato crops. Chillies were being sold at higher prices back then. Analyzing the market situation, the farmers reduced tomato production by 5 percent and cultivated chillies with an increased production of 95 percent. 

The sales

Everyday 150-200 carts of chilli leave from Patal Ganga Market to different parts. The produce is exported to countries like Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Gulf countries. Madhya Pradesh and China are the largest consumers of red chillies. Along with this, farmers have started cultivating peas; hundreds of trucks of peas are delivered from Patal Ganga Market. 

Story behind the name

Patal Ganga Market is near Maheshpur village of Bhanwarpur block; it is at a distance of 30 kilometres on Buxar road from Ghazipur. The story behind the name ‘Patal Ganga’ follows the incidents that took place in the year 1913. In that year, a massive flood broke out in the area and the whole city was drowned in the water. There isn’t an actual village called Patal Ganga, but the market adopted the name due to the incident and the location. 

Farmers work tirelessly, harvesting vegetables throughout the day and transporting their produce to the market in the evening using bicycles, handcarts or other means. 

The recognition

Sheikh Abdullah’s dedication to agricultural and developmental efforts earned him recognition, including an honour from the then Governor of Uttar Pradesh, TV Rajeshwar. He also received a silver medal from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research in Varanasi. 

The former District Magistrate, Rajan Tiwari acknowledged his contributions. For more than three decades, Sheikh Abdullah has played a pivotal role in introducing modern farming practices to the local farmers in the area. Due to the expansion of production and the increasing demands in the market, he has been able to provide many people with employment opportunities.