Red grapes millionaire: How this Ahmednagar farmer clocks Rs14 lakh per acre; exports to Europe, China

After appearing for his class 10 exams, Rahul Rasal started helping his family on their farm in Nighoj village in Ahmednagar, Maharashtra. It was 2006, and they grew pale green grapes of Thomson seedless variety over 2.5 acres. However, its demand was declining.

“I learned that the international demand for exotic red varieties was increasing while that of green grapes decreased. So the export potential was high. In 2006, we started the plantation of the Crimson seedless red grape variety. The market for red table grapes, especially exports, had developed well by 2012,” recalls Rahul, who has completed his BSc in Agriculture

Also Read: Father-son trio reaps bumper mangosteen harvest; older trees yield 300 kg per season

The production of red grapes per acre is 10 tonnes, and they sell at Rs120 to Rs140 per kg, resulting in an income of Rs12 lakh to Rs14 lakh per acre. It can also go up to Rs16 lakh per acre in case of higher demand.

From exotic red grapes farming over 18 acres, Rahul earns Rs2.4 crore apart from income from intercropping vegetables like bitter gourd with grapevines.

The global grapes market size is estimated at 215.17 billion dollars in 2024 and is expected to reach 303.20 billion dollars by 2029, growing at a CAGR of 7.10 percent, as per Mordor Intelligence. Grapes are one of the largest fruit crops grown worldwide.

Also Read: This duo quit corporate jobs to grow organic vegetables in Alleppy; their collective sells 500kg of veggies daily

The formula for farming success

The three main strategies behind Rahul’s success are efficient soil management, residue-free farming, and knowledge of the export market. 

His farm has the Global G.A.P (Good Agricultural Practices) certification required for exports to European countries. It also has APEDA-GrapeNet registration, a residue traceability software system for monitoring fresh grapes exported from India to the European Union. 

“We have been exporting to Europe, Arab nations and China for the last 15 years. The advantage of both exotic red varieties is a high shelf life of 60 days unlike the Indian varieties, which do not last long,” says Rahul.

Once the grapes are ready, Rahul registers them with APEDA. “A sample is analysed in APEDA labs in Maharashtra and the result report is published online. Exporters see that report and connect with us directly. We discuss the rates and the exporting company’s staff members come with their branded boxes and harvest the crops,” he says.

Also Read: How Nashik’s millionaire grape farmer uses technology to get a yield of 10 tonnes per acre

Crimson is a slightly elongated red seedless grape with good levels of sweetness. Crimson and Red Globe are rich in antioxidants and have many health benefits.

Preparing land for exotic red grapes

Rahul practices residue-free farming where chemical usage is minimal and no harmful traces are left behind. Alongside, he uses organic inputs to improve soil carbon and increase fertility.

“I use dhaincha (green manure crop) as it adds organic matter to the soil, and improves water-holding capacity, and microbial activity,” he says.

"I also prepare a mixture of sugarcane bagasse (10 tonnes), cow dung (5 tonnes) and press mud (sugar industry waste 10 tonnes). This mix of 25 tonnes is spread over every acre,” he explains.  

“I use mulching sheets, which retain moisture and suppress weed growth,” Rahul adds.

Grape farming requires the grafting method, which joins the rootstock (lower part) from one plant and the shoot from the scion plant (the variety to be grown). “I procured the rootstock and stems for grafting from ICAR-National Research Centre for Grapes, Pune. I paid Rs20-25 for rootstock and Rs10-15 per stem,” he says.

In one acre, Rahul planted 700 plants at a gap of 10 ft X 8ft. 

“In the space between plants, one can grow bottle gourd, bitter gourd (karela), or other vegetables. I cultivate bitter gourd to maximize returns from land,” the agripreneur says. He uses drip as well as sprinkler irrigation. 

The rootstock is planted in February and grafting is done in September. “In February next year, grafting is re-cut and fruit pruning is done in October. By March next year (two years from planting rootstock), we can harvest the first crop,” explains Rahul.

The first year output in red grape varieties is 5 tonnes per acre and it goes up to 10 tonnes per acre from the second year.

Also Read: How this farmer created an evergreen farm of exotic fruits in Karnataka's dry lands

Blending organic farming and scientific knowledge

Rahul has blended scientific and organic farming techniques to boost crop yield. For good results, Rahul adds green manure once a year and biogas slurry twice a month. “We have 20 cows on the farm and have put up a biogas unit. We add farm waste to the biogas digester and the resulting slurry is fermented and put into the plants. This has helped increase the organic carbon to 1.8,” he explains.

Rahul has also innovated ways to improve the poor quality of soil and water in his village. “The pH level of water is 8.6 ph and the soil in the region naturally had high salinity, which worsened over the years by chemical fertilizers. Additionally, the groundwater used for irrigation contained excessive minerals and salts,” he says.

To address these challenges, Rahul installed a reverse osmosis (RO) plant on his farm to purify the water. The setup costs him Rs.20 per litre for water treatment and has reduced pesticide costs by 20 percent, resulting in substantial savings.

"I learned that mixing pesticides or insecticides with distilled water enhances their effectiveness. Considering the importance of soil health, I've reduced chemical usage drastically,” Rahul says. 

His advice to farmers is to undertake soil analysis before starting grape farming. “The soil pH should be neutral and have a water-holding capacity above 50 percent. Residue-free farming is essential for good yields and farmers should blend organic farming with scientific knowledge to increase incomes,” he says.

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

Also Read: 27-year-old farmer earns Rs15 lakh per acre with grape farming; harvests 30 tonnes per acre

Look up our YouTube Channel