10 farming stories that show what works in Indian agriculture now

In a country where 47 percent of the population depends on agriculture for a livelihood, it is obvious for readers to gravitate towards real-life farming success stories. They are not the usual stories dependent on government subsidies alone. They are narratives rooted in choice, belief, possibility, and profitability.

These ten of our farming stories, each read by over a lakh people in 2025, stood out not because they promised shortcuts, but because they showed what careful decisions can achieve over time.

Some featured professionals who walked away from corporate careers, like engineers, bankers, and MBAs, as they studied agriculture costs, markets, and long-term viability. Other stories followed farmers who stayed rooted to agriculture but changed how they farmed by shifting crops, adding value, saving seeds, or working collectively to regain control over prices.

Across geographies and crops, a few patterns emerged clearly.

Farmers moved away from water-intensive or low-margin crops to better alternatives. They reduced risk through diversification, collectives, or organic farming practices. And most importantly, they treated farming as an enterprise that demands planning, learning, and resilience.

These stories mattered because they offered evidence that profitability in farming is possible. That land quality can be changed, and strategy is more important than scale. Above all, agriculture can offer a livelihood with dignity.

Together, they reflect why so many readers returned to these pieces. It was not just to admire success but to understand how success was built.

1. MBA Farmer Doubles Income by Shifting from Sugarcane to Custard Apple; turnover at Rs6 lakh per acre

Shridhar Divekar began custard apple farming in 2016 after replacing sugarcane. He uses drip irrigation to market his crop earlier than other farmers who depend on rain. The average yield per tree in his orchard is 22 kg.

By replacing a water-guzzling crop with a hardy fruit tree, this MBA farmer showed how better crop economics can transform farm incomes. Lower inputs, reduced labour and improved price realisation helped him increase returns per acre by over ten times.

2.L&T engineer quits job for organic farming; saves and sells 800 native vegetable seeds

Pradeep Kumar quit L&T in 2019 and has grown a food forest at Anicut village in Tamil Nadu. He has also saved seeds of 800 native vegetables and sells them to farmers and gardeners across India at nominal rates to help biodiversity conservation.

Leaving a corporate engineering role, Praveen chose conservation over convenience. His journey highlights how preserving indigenous seeds can create livelihoods while protecting biodiversity and farmer independence at the grassroots.

3. Ex-banker turns rocky land into dragon fruit paradise; clocks Rs50 lakh annual turnover

Joseph KS has turned his rocky land in Kerala into a dragon fruit orchard using only organic manures and neem cakes. He replaced loss-making rubber plants with dragon fruit in 2016. The produce is sold in Kerala and also exported to the Gulf countries, resulting in Rs50 lakh in annual revenues.

This story challenged assumptions about unproductive land. A former banker, Joseph converted rocky terrain into a profitable dragon fruit orchard, proving that the right crop can overcome soil and climate limitations.

4. MBA farmer replaces family’s rubber plantation with rambutan; old trees yield 100 kg per season

Shino Matthew quit his job with Axis Bank and started rambutan farming in 2015 in Thodapuzha, Kerala. He has planted the N18 variety over 4 acres with yields reaching up to 100 kg per season for 10-year-old trees. He sells them at Rs 130 to Rs 140 per kg.

By betting early on an unfamiliar fruit, Shino demonstrated the power of patience. His rambutan orchard now enjoys strong demand, showing how niche crops can deliver stable, long-term income.

5. With Rs150 and a bike, this farmer saved 300 native vegetable seeds; sells across India

Salai Arun has collected 300 varieties of native vegetable seeds from across India on his bike. They include a brinjal eaten raw, an 8-foot bottle gourd, and tomatoes the size of peppercorns. He gives the seeds for free to farmers.

Starting with almost nothing, this seed saver built trust-based networks across villages. His story resonated for showing how impact and income can grow from modest beginnings and community relationships.

6. Engineer couple quits jobs, builds dairy business with Rs 2 crore turnover and exports to UAE, Australia

Shreekant Malde and Charmy started GauNeeti in 2017 with four Gir cows. Today, the farm has 170 cows and offers organic A2 milk at Rs 120 a litre in Ahmedabad. It also sells butter, ghee, incense sticks and other products across India, UAE and Australia.

This initiative showed that farmers don’t have to grow alone. Through collective planning, aggregation and shared resources, Gauneeti is helping farmers improve bargaining power and income stability.

7. Five farmers harvesting bumper profits from rambutan farming

Rambutan farming is expanding in India, with the exotic fruit fetching Rs150-Rs350 a kg. We featured five farmers using smart cultivation, organic farming practices, and direct marketing to turn this tropical fruit into a profitable, long-term investment.

Demand for rambutan has surged among health-conscious consumers and in premium retail stores. Farmers who market directly through local markets, supermarkets, or farm-to-home models earn significantly more.

With India’s tropical climate aligning perfectly with rambutan’s growing needs, and increasing consumer interest in exotic fruits, the crop holds high potential for export and domestic expansion.

8. This couple earns Rs 8 lakh per acre from organic turmeric farming; products go to Germany, Australia and US

Anita and Sanjay Ghogare practice organic farming of turmeric in Maharashtra’s Loni village. The rising demand for organic turmeric has created a good market for their powder, pickles, and an immunity-boosting doodh masala, which sells for Rs 2,000 per kg

Moving beyond commodity sales, this agripreneur couple focused on quality and processing. The result was better pricing and a clear lesson on how value addition can change farm economics.

9. Telangana woman farmer saves 650 varieties of native vegetable and flower seeds; sells across India

In 2016, Gajawada Swaroopa began collecting native seeds after realising that the youth among farming families were giving up agriculture. To prevent biodiversity loss, she has saved seeds of 450 types of vegetables, and the rest are flowers and herbs. She sells them to home gardeners at nominal rates.

She also cultivates millets, pulses and vegetables for sale. This story highlighted quiet resilience. Through discipline and persistence, Swaroopa has built a sustainable farming enterprise, reflecting the growing role of women in agri-entrepreneurship. She is also saving biodiversity.

10. With Rs150 investment, how this housewife built a mushroom business earning Rs3 lakh per month

Rama Kumari Pandey ordered a kg of oyster mushroom spawns (seeds) online in 2021 and harvested 12 kg of mushrooms at her home. She now cultivates button, oyster and milky white mushrooms and also sells their spawns to farmers across north India, clocking Rs 3 lakh monthly.

With low investment and quick crop cycles, Rama’s mushroom unit proved that even small-scale models can deliver consistent income when demand and planning align.

(Rashmi Pratap is a Mumbai- based journalist specialising in financial, business and socio-economic reporting)