At 70, farmer Krishna Chandra Halder from Hooghly, West Bengal, created a disease-resistant papaya variety by cross-breeding two types of plants.
Halder, a school dropout, has farmed his late father’s small land since 1976, growing various crops before focusing on papaya.
He noticed native papaya yielded poorly and was disease-prone, inspiring him to experiment with cross-pollination for better results.
Using hand-pollination, he crossed Red Lady 786 with native papaya, trying for years until fruit finally set on his plants.
His new variety is elongated, weighs 500 to 750 g per fruit and produces a high yield, with around 1,875 plants on three and a half bighas of land.
Today, Halder harvests about 75,000 kg of papaya annually and earns an estimated Rs 22.5 lakh from sales alone.
His papayas, sweet and aromatic, are much in demand in Kolkata markets, especially for their year-round availability.
He spaces plants six to eight feet apart, uses clay soil and supports with bamboo, replacing plants after two years for best results.
Halder credits advice from Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya on soil and plant care for improving his cultivation techniques.
Selected for army service early in life, he chose farming instead, finding joy and purpose in agriculture.
He now trains other farmers in his region to grow this sturdy papaya, increasing incomes and local yields.
From small beginnings, Halder’s dedication shows that innovation in farming can change livelihoods and inspire others.
Read his journey here.