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Appa Karamkar is a school teacher and an organic farmer in Solapur, Maharashtra
From 2014 to 2016, Appa Karamkar struggled to make profits from his sugarcane plants on three acres in the Angar village of Mohol taluka in Solapur, Maharashtra. Extremely low rainfall caused severe water stress and Appa’s sugarcane, a water-intensive crop, did not yield much returns.
“I was growing sugarcane and due to the rainfall problem, I removed them and decided to plant Moringa oleifera,” Appa tells 30Stades.
Moringa plant yields drumsticks, which are the long, slender pods used in sambhar, curries and other dishes. The leaves, called moringa, are dried and powdered. Both leaves and drumsticks have high nutritional content and medicinal properties, leading to high demand.
“I chose drumsticks over moringa farming because collecting and processing leaves is labour-intensive. I am a teacher at the Jagdamba Vidyalaya and have limited time. Both drumstick and moringa farming are equally profitable,” says Appa, who has completed his MA (Marathi) and BEd.
India is the world's largest producer of drumsticks. Drumstick exports have seen a rise in recent years, particularly to countries in the Middle East and Southeast Asia, according to data from Volza.
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In November and December 2024, drumstick prices shot up to Rs500 a kg due to high demand and low supply. Drumsticks are packed with vitamin A, C, and essential minerals like calcium and potassium, leading to rising demand.
Also Read: Odisha’s MBA moringa farmer clocks Rs25 lakh annual turnover; exports to Europe and Gulf
From sugarcane to drumstick farming
After removing sugarcane, Appa strengthened the soil fertility by adding cow dung manure. “In one acre, one trolley of cow dung is required. Then pits are dug. I kept a line-to-line gap of 10 feet and a plant-to-plant gap of 4 feet,” Appa says.
Being a low-cost crop, the initial investment in drumstick farming is only Rs 15,000 per acre. One acre requires half a kg of seeds, which can be directly put in the soil. The seeds typically cost Rs 4000 per kg.
“I purchased seeds of the ODC3 moringa variety from a nursery in Mohol and sowed over three acres. The plant starts flowering in three to four months and the first harvest is ready in six months of sowing,” he says.
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Though seeds can be sown at any time of the year, Appa says the best time to plant them is from October to February. “An acre can typically have around 800 moringa plants. I treat them like a jungle, not adding any chemicals,” he says.
Appa’s first harvest was ready in 2017 and he sold it at Rs 70 per kg. “This was more than ten times the price I used to get for sugarcane. I realised drumstick farming would work well for me,” he adds.
Also Read: Five moringa entrepreneurs who made it big from small villages
Why drumstick farming is profitable
Today, Appa harvests around 8 tonnes (8,000 kg) of drumsticks per acre. His produce is transported to Pune. "Daily, a truck of drumsticks leaves my farm for the Pune market. The average price I receive is around Rs 100 per kg as it varies from a minimum of Rs 50 to Rs 200 per kg throughout the year,” he adds.
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It leads to a turnover of Rs 8 lakh per acre and around Rs 24 lakh from three acres.
Last year, Appa also sold drumsticks at Rs500 per kg during high demand, making good profits. His annual maintenance expenses are only Rs 50,000 per acre, resulting in a profit of Rs 7.5 lakh per acre.
He practices organic farming of drumstick. “I use cow dung manure and prepare jeevamrit on the farm. I have also purchased a waste decomposer, which I use to turn fallen moringa leaves into manure,” he says.
Also Read: This moringa farmer clocks Rs10 lakh per acre in drought-prone Solapur; exports powder to the US
While a well-maintained drumstick plant can give pods for ten years, Appa prefers to change them after every two years to improve yields. “Younger trees tend to produce more and larger pods. I save my own seeds and the cost of fresh plantation is just Rs 15,000 per acre. The result is high yields with high-quality drumsticks,” he says.
Appa uses drip irrigation to minimise water wastage and ensure the plant is not over-watered. “Too much water can destroy the roots. Drumsticks don’t need much water; so drip works the best,” he adds.
(Rashmi Pratap is a Mumbai-based journalist specialising in financial, business and socio-economic reporting)
Also Read: Engineer quits MNC for organic moringa farming; makes a profit of Rs6 lakh per acre