Venkatasamy Vignesh's family was thrilled when he got a job with Infosys in Chennai. Hailing from a family with roots in agriculture, a job with the software giant meant a stable income, but the happiness was short-lived when Vignesh decided to quit his job and take up farming. Now, two years since, the 27-year-old earns double the salary while working at a brinjal farm in Japan.
"I have always been interested in agriculture," Vignesh, who is from Kovilpatti in Tamil Nadu's Thoothukudi district, told Moneycontrol. "And it was during the lockdown that I got a chance to reconnect with my passion. I began to tend to my family's farms and soon realised that it was indeed my calling."
But Vignesh's family was not in favour of him earning a living out of agriculture. "They said there is no money to be made here. And they wanted me to have a stable income," he said, and he soon found hope when he came to know of an opportunity in Japan.
"I heard from a friend about an institute that trains people in Japanese language and culture before helping them find jobs in the country and I got myself enrolled," Vignesh said.
Chennai-based Nihon Edutech works in collaboration with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and trains skilled workers in Japanese language, culture, etiquette, and technical training to place them in Japan. The country's demand for farmers comes from its ageing population and its younger generation's disinterest in agriculture.
Six months later, Vignesh was ready, and in March, he flew to Japan to begin his stint as an agricultural worker at a brinjal farm in the country's Kochi prefecture.
The former software engineer, who used to earn close to Rs 40,000 a month at Infosys, now earns around Rs 80,000 after deducting taxes. "Here, I live in the company's quarters for free but have to take care of my food requirements," Vignesh told Moneycontrol over a call from Japan.
Explaining his role at the brinjal farm, he said that he has to take care of the crops and once they are ready, he helps in harvesting, cleaning, and processing it. "There is a lot to learn from here," he said. "A lot of the work is mechanised which reduces manual labour."
When asked what he plans to do after his stint in the country, Vignesh said he intends to use his learnings to introduce innovate farming techniques in India.
Commenting on Vignesh's journey, CEO of Nihon Edutech Krishnan Narayanan said, "He has done a great job, not only in setting a goal and achieving but has also helped a few of the others to go along (with him to Japan), helped and even been a leader to them."
Meanwhile, CII’s executive director Sougata Roy Choudhary believes it's a unique opportunity for Vignesh especially because he wants to return to India and use his experience to teach others about better farming practices. "Japan has limited agricultural land and they practice intensive farming with the use of the latest equipment and technology. The techniques Vignesh learns there, he can implement in India so that the productivity per acre goes up," he said.
But in the end, when Vignesh was asked what his family feels about him farming brinjals in Japan, he replied with a laugh, "They are okay now knowing that I am making more money than in my last job at Infosys while still working in the agricultural industry. They are also a little proud that I intend to return and share my experiences with them."
Read more: Can farming in developed countries become a feasible employment avenue for Indian youth?
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