Success Story: The engineer did not give up even after retirement, earned a lot from lemon farming
Success Story: Bihar-born construction engineer Shah Nawaz Khan is improving his village. After 41 years of service in Bihar and Jharkhand, he retired in 2023 and decided to pursue a career in agriculture. He grows a variety of produce, including lemons, on his 10 acres of land. Shah Nawaz wants to encourage the next generation to become farmers and help build a more sustainable planet.
In the Bihar government, Shah Nawaz Khan began his career as a junior engineer, which laid the foundation for a long and illustrious career. After the division of Bihar, he continued to serve in the newly formed state of Jharkhand and was promoted to the post of Assistant Engineer. Shah Nawaz earned the respect of his seniors and peers over the decades by playing a key role in several important infrastructure projects. His assistance in the construction of the lakes at the famous Deer Park in Hauz Khas, Delhi, which still benefits the city today, was one of his most notable achievements.
After 41 years of government service, he was promoted to the position of Executive Engineer and retired in 2023 due to his unwavering commitment, technical proficiency and leadership skills. However, Shah Nawaz did not stop there. Due to his deep knowledge and steadfast dedication to the engineering community, he is now the State President of the Jharkhand Engineer Community and President of the All India Diploma Engineer Federation. Through these positions, he shares his vast expertise with the next generation and promotes engineers. Additionally, he has now ventured into the agriculture industry.
Shah Nawaz Khan has recently become a member of Krishi Jagran’s nationwide program, “Global Farmer Business Network” (GFBN). Its goal is to encourage prosperous and sustainable agricultural entrepreneurship in India. Let us now look at Shah Nawaz Khan’s success story in more depth. –
Main objective of farming
Most individuals aim for a comfortable retirement after more than 40 years of engineering and public service. However, for Shah Nawaz Khan, retirement was a new beginning rather than an end. He started farming because he felt a deep connection to the land and wanted to make a significant impact.
Shah Nawaz chose to devote his time and attention to learning about farming rather than living a comfortable life. He began growing a variety of crops on his ten acres of land because he was committed to environmentally friendly techniques and had a keen interest in sustainable agriculture. Lemon is his main crop, as it is in great demand in the market and is beneficial for the environment. He is also growing other crops that are both environmentally beneficial and commercially profitable.
Failed and tried
Shah Nawaz Khan started farming by growing papaya on eight kattha or about half a bigha, of land leased from his sister. However, due to lack of technical expertise and ignorance of agricultural methods, the papaya crop failed miserably. However, he saw this setback as a worthwhile educational opportunity. Within a year, he restored the destroyed crop with 220 lemon plants, which are currently blooming.
Apart from small holdings of potatoes and onions, Shah Nawaz Khan now cultivates 10 acres of land, with lemons being his main crop. Despite using traditional agricultural techniques, he always keeps refining his technical skills. Shah Nawaz is constantly moving forward in his agricultural career and refining his methods under the guidance and mentorship of Bihar’s well-known farmer Ram Sewak Prasad.
Big step towards a greener future
According to Shah Nawaz Khan, agriculture is a gift of nature as well as a source of income. According to him, this characteristic of nurturing the land should be valued and encouraged. With this conviction, he not only works tirelessly on his farm but also encourages the youth and other farmers to see farming as a great and satisfying work.
He actively seeks knowledge from experienced farmers in his region, observes their techniques, and implements appropriate farming methods on his land. He is proud to enter the agriculture industry because he wants to make a difference by starting from the ground up and ultimately helping to build a more sustainable and greener India.
Befriending the Market
Shah Nawaz was relatively new to farming, but he had already started researching the dynamics and trends of the industry. He now sells his goods locally. Now that his lemon trees are a year old and in the blooming stage, he is soon getting ready to reach out to a wider audience and sell his goods more widely.
Shah Nawaz Khan’s path displays a powerful mix of perseverance, education, and a deep reverence for the natural world. From initial setbacks to expanding land and a sustainable farming strategy, he presents a positive example, showing that there are more promising and environmentally friendly ways to grow a greener and greener world.