Nabarangpur, Nov 26: Jitendra Maharana, a young entrepreneur from Jharigaon, has turned his initiative of producing kitchen garden fertilizers into a full-fledged organic fertilizer company. Not only is he self-reliant, but he also provides daily employment to others. Currently, he produces 400 tons of organic fertilizer annually, generating a turnover of over 30 lakh rupees per year.
By educating farmers on the proper use of organic fertilizers, Jitendra has successfully promoted sustainable farming practices in Nabarangpur. Despite facing several challenges initially, he now exports his organic fertilizers to various districts in Odisha as well as neighboring Chhattisgarh.
Jitendra, the third child of Maharana and Rama Ramhari Maharana of Jayantinagar, Jharigaon, had been working alongside his father while studying. After completing his studies, he ran a computer shop and a photo studio. From 2014 to 2021, he regularly shared his work through newspapers and television.
During the COVID-19 lockdown in 2021, when his studio business came to a halt, he decided to focus entirely on the organic fertilizer business. Starting with just one worker, he began production, and today he provides daily employment to 21 men and women. His fertilizers are now supplied to Nabarangpur, Kalahandi, Balangir, and Nuapada, producing 400 tons annually and generating over 30 lakh rupees in revenue. He aims to increase production to 5,000 tons per year in the future.
Jitendra’s company, Khushi-Agro, has now received government certification for its products. He markets the fertilizers in 1 kg, 30 kg, and 50 kg packets. As he does not own land, he pays a monthly rent of 4,000 rupees at the RMC premises for production. Farmers from Nabarangpur and nearby districts visit him to receive training in fertilizer preparation.
Despite initially facing challenges in securing bank loans due to lack of land ownership, he managed to obtain a 5 lakh rupee loan, which helped expand his business.
Nik Shashak Lenka, Senior Scientist at the Agricultural Science Center in Umarkot, has praised Jitendra’s work and assured full support to help him achieve his future target of producing 5,000 metric tons of organic fertilizer.
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