Seeding Change In Nagri's Farming Landscape: Rajendra Tudu's Story

There was a time when Rajendra Tudu could not afford shoes. Rajendra grew up in Megadih Tola in extreme poverty, where even basic needs like food and clothing are difficult to meet. He walked to school barefoot and eventually dropped out after Class 7 when financial constraints made it impossible to continue.

At just 13–14 years of age, he migrated to Mumbai in search of work. The early days were difficult, but he eventually found a job in a small hotel in a suburb of Mumbai, cleaning tables and washing dishes for ₹600 a month. He lived frugally, saved whatever he could, and sent money back home to support his family and help repair their mud house.

After several years away, he returned to his village and turned to farming, the only livelihood available to him. The shift, however, was far from easy. Without technical knowledge, quality inputs, or reliable market access, his yields remained low and incomes uncertain. Most days, he sold small quantities of vegetables in local markets, earning just enough to sustain the next cycle of farming.  

There, he met watermelon farmers from Khunti, Jharkhand, who were earning steady profits through improved methods, under a similar project supported by the Tata Trusts. Inspired, Rajendra tried watermelon cultivation on a small plot and earned over ₹1 lakh in a single season. For the first time, farming felt like a possibility rather than a struggle.

That experience opened the door to a new way of working. Later, he was introduced to scientific nursery practices—soilless seedling production, polyhouse cultivation, irrigation management and grafting. With CInI's support, Rajendra set up a 252 sq. metre soilless polyhouse nursery using a ₹3.5 lakh grant from the project by the Tata Trusts, a ₹1.20 lakh loan from Rang De, and ₹30,000 of his own savings.

As his understanding deepened and demand grew, the nursery began producing strong grafted seedlings that farmers preferred for their higher survival rates and better yields. He gradually expanded the unit to 600 sq. metres, now producing ₹5–6 lakh seedlings annually, including tomato, chilli, brinjal, and cauliflower. He has brought in a new approach to farming in Nagri. 

Today, Rajendra, fondly called 'Dada' in his village, earns ₹5–6 lakh annually from his nursery and farming operations. He has invested in livestock and a tractor worth ₹9.5 lakh, and is recognised locally as a trusted seedling producer.

His nursery now provides seasonal employment to 20–25 villagers, most of them women. With improved market linkages through the Nagri Farmer Producer Company, his work has also contributed to making Nagri a recognised seedling production cluster.