No Age To Attain Success: Pogam Padu Becomes Successful Agri-Entrepreneur At 82

Arunachal, Dec 13: At 82 years of age, Pogam Padu, an elderly village head in Arunachal Pradesh has become an agribusiness entrepreneur. Not only that, but he has also raised the largest number of children ever and received the ‘Governor of Arunachal Pradesh State award for Best Parent‘ along with his wife Mongam Ete Padu.

Head of the village of Kamdi, West Siang, Pogam Padu, has achieved the achievement of establishing the first line of Natural Rubber Sheet Manufacturing at Hiri, Kamdi village, near Aalo district headquarters under the aegis of ‘Pogam Padu Rubber Estate‘. The inauguration of the Unit occurred on Sunday.

The rubber trees were acquired from nurseries in Itanagar in the year 2007 when he first started growing them experimentally. After planting the money crops in 2013, he acquired the stumps from the Guwahati-based Manimalaya Rubber Board and started his own nurseries.

A total of seven rubber plantations at Pogam Padu Rubber Estates were damaged in 2016 as a result of ‘TAH‘ (Trans-Arunachal Highway) construction activities. Only five rubber plantations remain with over 8,000 rubber trees.


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Upon approaching Pogam Padu and asking him how he came up with such a concept, the octogenarian said that it was by choice. Plantations are of interest to him since he loves trees and cares for the environment. However, he also wanted a steady source of income, so he began managing rubber plantations. As a result, he became the first rubber farmer in the West Siang district.

Additionally, he noted that he, later on, received technical support from the field officers of the Rubber Board of India, Itanagar, and scientists from the Manimalaya Rubber Board.

He is thankful to the Government of Arunachal Pradesh for providing the district agriculture officer in West Siang with free roller machines. There are several rubber estates belonging to him registered with the Rubber Board at Itanagar.

Pedu has issued a call to all the villagers of Kamdi, Darka, and the whole area of Aalo to have rubber plantations for permanent occupation to improve their economic condition, noting rubber is called ‘white gold‘ and will revolutionize society if more growers enter into this field in place of other temporary and nonpermanent sources of income.


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Participants in the inaugural ceremony included former Minister Doi Ado, retired Indian Administrative Service officer Gamli Padu, Shi-Yomi Deputy Commissioner Gamtum Padu and West Siang District Agriculture Officer Margi Ete.