Scientist Quit Job In US, Earning Lakhs From Remote Village By Rearing Goats

A large section of youngsters in our country aspire to go abroad, grab a decent job, and spend a comfortable salary. But the man under spotlight today is just the opposite, or even a step ahead. He traded a decent job in America with business of rearing goats in his village.

To make a choice like Dr Abhishek Bharad one needs ample courage, and a thick skin to ignore the jeering and taunting. If we can show people that cities are not worth exchanging our villages, we can provide a solution for migration. It is necessary that more and more citizens come forward to become employers rather can taking up dead-end jobs.

Young scientist Dr Abhishek has written a unique story of success for himself. Hailing from  Sachkharda village, in the remote Buldhana district of Maharashtra, Abhishek’s father Bhagwat was employed with irrigation department as an engineer. He wanted his son to be well-educated and become a rich person.

Abhishek was a promising student right from his school days and would always top his class. After receiving a BSc degree in 2008, he went to the United States for further studies. He pursued a masters degree in science from Louisiana State University, US and then completed the PhD course as well.

After completing the PhD, Abhishek worked as a scientist for two years. He was receiving more than a handsome salary and had a good work environment to do his research. Despite drawing a monthly salary of Rs 10 lakh in the US, Abhishek missed feeling utterly joyous or satisfied. It was yearning for homeland and a desire to make a difference that changed his mind. The next thing we know is that he resigned from his job, and returned back to his native village in Maharashtra.

When Abhishek came back home and informed the villagers that he has left the job for a village life, they were shocked. His parents, initially, objected to his decision, but acceded eventually. After a proper explanation, the villagers began to encourage him to move forward. Abhishek wanted to start a business based on agriculture from his village.

In a special conversation with KenFolios, Abhishek says, he decided to start goat farming after a lot of study and market research. He sensed a big business opportunity in this field, but required strong resources and a huge land space.

I prepared the entire plan and took 20 acres of land on lease. I also rented a cattle shed to keep the goats.

Abhishek launched his startup of goat rearing with an investment of Rs 12 lakh. Initially, he bought 120 goats, then went ahead by growing fodder for his goats, instead of buying from the market. He believed that would provide his goats with better nutrition. He also started sowing crops like maize, millet, etc. on a six acre-land and used these crops as source of cattle fodder. This gives his goats clean and fresh fodder at a cost lesser than market’s.

Within a year, Abhishek’s hard work started to bear fruits. Number of goats nearly doubled to 350 goats in eight different breeds, including African Bore, Beetal, Sirohi, Jamnapari, etc. He earned an average of Rs 10,000 on selling one goat. These earnings totalled to over Rs 10 lakh.

Apart from goat rearing, he has also ventured into poultry and organic farming. He is providing employment to many village youths and offering them good salaries. Abhishek has set an example of improving a traditional business by using advanced technologies. He has proved successfully that animal husbandry can also be a profitable business in India. One just needs to have the right direction.

Abhishek now encourages other people to take up challenges and start their own business instead of relying on jobs in the city. He, along with his team, has already provided guidance to thousands of farmers in the locality. He has created a group, with the help of educated farmers, to organize free workshops for farmers who lack knowledge on advanced farming techniques. His team educates these farmers about scientific ways of farming and animal husbandry that will yield more profit for these farmers and help them succeed in life.

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