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The Success story of Awungshi Shimray Augustina Sanyaola

Opinion | Articles | Philip Lyngdoh | 15-Jul-2021

From diamond seller to apple farmer, Awungshi Shimray Augustina Sanyaola has come a long way. Her story is one of hope for those who want to convert their passion and dream into a real enterprise. If more people turn into farmer-entrepreneurs like her, not only Manipur but the entire Northeast, with its ambient climate and soil, can veritably transform into the horticultural hub of India and the world!

But when Augustina Sanyaola took the sudden plunge and left her job as Boutique Manager of GordonMax, a Delhi-based Singaporean company, people thought she was crazy. More so because GordonMax deals in lab-grown diamonds and the job that was hers for six years was a lucrative one as well. But Augustina Sanyaola, a devout catholic lady from Poi village of Ukhrul district, Manipur did just that!

She returned to do what most people wouldn't think of: grow apples.

And the gamble paid off!

Only a few weeks ago in June, none other than the Chief Minister of Manipur himself felicitated her!

Augustina has now become news all over Manipur, inspiring so many others to start similar ventures that could well transform Manipur into a veritable apple-growing state!

Call of the City Lights

With good jobs being scarce in the Northeast, many of our youth dream of a job in a megacity and most would trade an arm and a leg for even a toehold. Augustina was among those who entered that race. Her family's financial condition wasn't too good and so in 2006, she flew off to Delhi.

Her parents were mere cultivators but they managed to send Augustina to school. Till class IV she studied in Savio High School in Ukhrul, then went to Imphal's Little Flower and completed class X from there. Finally, she did her higher secondary education at Sacred Heart's, Hungdung.

But she could not pursue her graduation as she and her two elder brothers had to pool in to help their three younger siblings.

She was doing well in Delhi's apparel and electronics retail business houses where she worked for the first 4 years before joining GordonMax where she spent 6 years working. Then after 10 years she abruptly quit.

That was in 2016. Now that her siblings were well-educated — some are working in Delhi and one, a brother, unfortunately, passed away in a road accident — Augustina longed to return to be back home with her parents. She planned to complete her graduation but never got around to do that. Maybe she would, someday.

Back to Native Place

Poi is a hamlet that's not far from border pillar No. 125 next door Myanmar in Ukhrul, one of Manipur's most backward districts. Life's not easy for dwellers of the border areas means of livelihood is meagre. Economic considerations often force the poor cultivators to throw morality out of the window and resort to ganja or opium cultivation which is illegal. "But that doesn't happen in Poi," asserts Augustina emphatically.

In Poi people mainly live by the land and the river. They cultivate paddy and vegetables on land and fish on the river Challou. Says Augustina, "The ngapaila fish from our river is well-known in Manipur. People eat it with chutney and the taste is unlike any other fish."

So Augustina's venture assumes even more significance as it can become a potential alternative and lucrative means of earning.

Learning to Love Trees from Dad

Augustina's father is an avid fruit gardener and so from him she too learnt early on to plant trees. In their garden, they have trees such as orange, guava, walnut, lemon, peach, plum, and avocado.They also have a nursery where they planted chikoo, Thai red mango (which is extra sweet), star fruit, seedless litchi, and pink jackfruit (which most may not have heard of). The chikoo is the Thai variety with an elongated shape. That's quite an amazing collection and those exotic types she sourced from a local nursery at the foothills called "Keiraowangkhem".

And Now Apples, But Why?

Although their family farm has varieties of native fruit trees, strangely, she would decide to go for apples that are not at all native to Manipur. But she explains:

"I happened to get a call one evening in November 2018 from Madam Soza Shaiza, a former member of the National Commission for Women. She asked if I would be interested to join a free apple plantation training in Palampur, Himachal Pradesh. Without hesitation, I said yes."

That training was sponsored by the NEC, Shillong and implemented by NERCORMP, Ukhrul. CISR-IHBT, Palampur conducted the 10-day course in December 2018 and Augustina was among the 20 candidates. She was an eager student and the training gave her enough knowledge and skills.

Augustina returned before Christmas of 2018. By January 2019, she had laid out a small 100 feet by 100 feet plot for the apple saplings which every candidate would be provided with free of cost.

Apple Tree Tending is no Cakewalk!

Right from the start, planting apple trees is constant hard work.

"Before planting, you need to plan and prepare the soil at least one month ahead," she says. "First, you dig pits one square metre area and one metre deep and then position the saplings in the midsection before filling in the bottom half with garden soil and the top half with equal proportions of topsoil, manure and sand in equal proportions."

Since apples love well-drained soils, the dry April month is the ideal time for planting, after which the farmer needs to water 2 to 3 times a week to ensure the soil at the roots stays moist and the plant gets adequate water.

Space between trees can be one or two metres apart from each other to ensure adequate sunlight and in any case, the branches of one tree must not touch those of another. No weeds are allowed either at the base of the plant.

Regular pruning with immediate applying of a mixture of lime, copper sulphate, and linseed oil is a must on the trunk and pruned sections to prevent insects from invading the plant.

Finally, the Saplings!

In March 2019 Augustina got 55 young trees. They were about 2 feet tall and 6 months old grafts. Then March 2020 came and the first buds appeared that blossomed into beautiful, little pinkish flowers. Her trainer advised that the first flowers must be removed to help the plant concentrate on growth and not on fruiting.

The second flowering happened in February end 2021 and this time the flowers stayed. By the March-end tiny fruits have formed and by late May Augustina got her first harvest. She was lucky to get fruits in the second year itself she said. Normally it takes three years to fruit.

She got around 200 kg this harvest, which is not bad for the first year. The feedback about the fruits was that they were sweet and juicy, and the people love the organic freshness. Moreover, they are far cheaper and superior in quality than the competition!

 Doesn't she miss Delhi?

At first, yes. Life was initially boring in the village but when the trees arrived things began getting interesting. She is now actively following her passion for trees, converting her dream into a gainful activity and great income stream. Now Augustina is also pitching in by giving free training to those willing to learn. Everyone here seems to want to plant apples, she says, emphasizing that her dream is to make Poi village the apple capital of Manipur!"

What Next?

Besides expanding her crop Augustina wants to add more value to her products. She plans on 'freeze drying' them so that they can attain longer shelf and can be exported outside of Manipur. Freeze drying, says Augustina, is superior to dehydration, is more hygienic, safer, and leaves the products with better eye appeal. Moreover, freeze-dried products can be stored at room temperature and can have a shelf life of 25 years!

Way to go, Augustina Sanyaola!

(The Author is a retired Sr. Asst. General Manager of Air India. He can be reached on philip.lyngdoh@gmail.com. Story narrated is from his personal knowledge)

 

 

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