Manipur Man Ventures into Saffron Farming, Aiming to Earn Rs 5 Lakh per Kilo

IMPHAL: Manipur is home to the first saffron farmer in the state Khundrakpam of Lipham Khunou Makha Leikai in Imphal.

The 35-year-old man, who is a sound recordist and theater production manager by profession, takes pride in his new venture-saffron farming. This experimental aeroponic saffron farming project has been undertaken on the soil of the "Red Gold" produced by this crop.

It is stated to cost over ₹5 lakh per kilogram in the market, highly-priced and used in all the culinary, medicinal, and cosmetic applications due to of skill and labor that has to go into cultivating.

Still, Tomba stands tall among many entrepreneurial ventures initiated in Manipur. It is a fairly new initiative, and still, not many of the locals understand what saffron is or its importance.

The state has been host to different entrepreneurs who ventured into a business against tremendous odds but have been quite successful in their respective pursuits. Nevertheless, Tomba and all those like him are requesting the government for additional support and assistance to further help these entrepreneurs sail through the rough waters that come with trying to start an enterprise in Manipur.

Saffron farming doesn't solely imply farming; it means high investment with much risk management. It involves tremendous hardship for the entrepreneurs as in Manipur.

From extortion risks and inflation increases to unorganized key support services, in Manipur, the scenario is much harder than that seen in areas developed on India's mainland. The acquisition of raw material for farming saffron is not a task small in measure, due to the circumstances requiring greater access and trust. Determination by Tomba, at this level, is commendable.

He has an unwavering spirit and takes up this risk of cultivating saffron. Tomba knows the struggles that he would go through. He understands that the journey may have some very hard times, but in his head, each defeat would be a lesson and a chance to learn something new.

Tomba's experience will turn to wisdom as he strives to adapt and change his experiences into some lessons, showing resilience within an unforgiving agricultural environment.

It transcends to more than farming; hope and perseverance for Manipur and the motivation of encouraging other entrepreneurs to go ahead in trying to fulfill their ambitions in challenging environments.

This is what Tomba manifests while forging ahead in his saffron cultivation-a true tenacious and ambitious entrepreneur of the region.

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