Jajpur youth shuns corporate job to take up goat farming

Jajpur: A youth from Jajpur district, who was once a job hunter, has now become a job provider to local youth. Driven by the desire to excel as a self-employed, Uday Kumar Rout shunned a cozy job and has become an entrepreneur.

Rout, who hails from Balungabandi (Rungurunga) village under Danagadi block, has taken up goat rearing to be a self-employed after quitting a job in a steel plant here.

Parbati Goat Farm established by him provides livelihood to 13 persons. Earning a monthly income of Rs 60,000 from his farm, Rout has become an example of sorts for others who wish to take up self-employment.

The district administration has provided him high-quality vaccines, medicines and protein supplements for his livestock.

Rout claimed that he earned over Rs 7 lakh from his farm in 2015-16. He said he was making efforts to absorb unemployed rural youths in this profitable trade.

Rout started his professional career at Kalinganagar-based Visa Steel at a monthly remuneration of Rs 15,000. He quit his job in April 2014 and established a goat farm with an investment of Rs 40,000.

“One fine day, I listened to the call of my heart and went ahead for self-employment instead of struggling with the monotonous corporate life and the polluted ambiance of the plant,” said Rout.

He aims at procuring goats of better breeds from other states and rearing them at his farm. Rout believes this can bring in a change in the livelihood of scores of unemployed people of his area.

His farm has over 130 goats of 22 breeds and his customers include women self-help groups and beneficiaries of Odisha Livelihood Mission and National Mission for Protein Supplements.