Manipur: How this Ukhrul woman turned her garden into an organic farm

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The Ukhrul landscape is dotted with kitchen gardens of all shapes and sizes, but there is something that sets Lungmi Shingnaisui’s garden apart from everyone else’s. It is no longer just a kitchen garden to supplement what she procures from the market.

Mind you, seven years ago, things were very different. At that time, Shingnaisui wanted to ensure less dependence on the market. Like most beginners, Shingnaisui started small, and with familiar plants: cabbage, spinach and celery, and after a few months, she realised she could sell some of the produce to supplement her family income. She has not looked back since.

Today, Shingnaisui’s produce has an incredibly high demand in the Ukhrul district as more people become increasingly conscious of healthy food and living, especially after the pandemic.

Speaking to EastMojo, Shingnaisui said that she started the kitchen garden in her backyard not just to supplement the family income, but also to engage in healthy, physical activity.

Soon, her dedication and love for gardening turned her vegetable garden into a mini-farm with an array of herbs, fruits, flowers and veggies.

As production increased, and so did demand, Shingnaisui had to make an important decision: will she opt for commercial fertilisers for quick and higher turnover, or stick to organic? In the end, the choice, Shingnaisui says, was simple: “Though it is labour-intensive and time-consuming, it is rewarding to see the garden full of organic vegetables, flowers, and plants. It gives me a lot of pleasure to watch the garden, especially in the morning,” she said, adding that she depends entirely on organic fertilisers such as manure made of cow and pig dung from her piggery.

Over time, celery, cabbage, and spinach from her farm have become firm favourites among her neighbours. She has now introduced lettuce, bok choy and Chinese cabbage (napa cabbage), which she says are in high demand, especially among youngsters.

Shingnaisui currently supplies three vegetable vendors, who purchase the farm produce in bulk every day.

“Earlier, I used to supply the vegetables to Ava market (Mother’s market) as well. But these days, vegetable vendors come here and pick the products by themselves,” she said.

But that is not all: customers can also visit her farm and pick vegetables of their choice directly. So the next time you are in Ukhrul, you can add visiting Shingnaisui’s farm to your to-do list!

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