Class 8 pass Maha woman runs successful poultry business to boost family income

PTI, Mar 8, 2022, 10:59 AM IST

Sunanda Shivaji Kshirsagar has studied only till Class 8, but she did not let it become a deterrent and used her entrepreneurial skills to develop a successful poultry business here in Maharashtra through which she has managed to grow her family income.

Now, she also provides employment to others in her business, which she started with about 500 hens. Her farm now has around 50,000 poultry birds.

In a boost to Kshirsagar’s initiative, the Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) in Aurangabad has also studied her business model. She also received the Maharashtra government’s Krishi Bhushan Award in 2016.

Kshirsagar, a resident of Pangra village in Paithan tehsil of Aurangabad, got married in 1992. Her husband Shivaji, a science graduate, was at that time thinking of taking up a job to sustain their livelihood. However, they changed the plan and decided to get into full-time farming on four acres of land which they had. Talking to PTI on the occasion of the Women’s Day, Kshirshagar said, ”I have studied only till Class 8. To support my husband, I decided to start a poultry business and purchased 500 hens. The business initially started fetching Rs 5,000-6,000 per month.” ”But, we didn’t stop there. Today, we have three sheds with about 50,000 poultry birds and earn a profit of Rs 7-8 lakh per month,” she said.

Her son, who is a science graduate, is pursuing some agriculture related courses and also helps her in the business. ”Now, poultry farming has become our family’s key business, and with the help of this, we have been able to expand our land ownership from four acres to 27 acres, of which I myself own 13 acres,” she said.

Kshirsagar says she has also learnt about the proper diet of poultry birds to keep them healthy.

”This has been possible through my experience in running the poultry business. I have employed four women and as many men to take care of the birds,” she added.

Her husband, who still focuses on farming, said, ”Our poultry business is entirely handled by Sunanda.” KVK’s poultry course expert Anita Jinturkar said women do not generally take up poultry/goat farming, but Sunanda Kshirsagar has been an exception. ”She has developed a technique to regulate the weight of birds by properly managing their diet. Such precision is not much seen in poultry farming in the Marathwada region,” Jinturkar said.