Apples in Rajasthan & Manamadurai

Dear Reader,

While navigating life's journey, we often forget how capable we are. Societal norms, restrictions on free thinking and objections to experimentation usually ensure that most people never realise their full potential.

I strongly think we must believe in ourselves and not shy away from taking risks when required. That’s exactly what Santosh Devi Khedar did. 

It is well known that apples grow in cool climates but she decided to organically grow the fruit in Sikar, part of the Thar Desert, where summer temperature goes up to 50 degrees Celsius. And yes, she has achieved super success! She has 100 apple trees on her farm in Beri village in Sikar, Rajasthan. Santosh told me that the average output per tree is around 80kg and there’s a beeline on her farm to buy apple saplings she prepares through grafting in her nursery.

Her annual income from just 1.25 acres is Rs38 lakh. Santosh could study only till class five but lack of education could not deter her from mastering farming. Today, she is a role model for farmers because she has done what was impossible. You can read her story here.

From Odisha, my colleague Niroj wrote about Dr Subhasisa Bal, who quit his job as a research scientist and returned to his village in Puri in 2014. He now grows native paddy over 10 acres and has conserved 750 varieties including over 70 aromatic landraces. Dr Bal also helps farmers shift to natural farming using his low-cost 5G model. His model is now being replicated in Nepal.

Exotic fruits like mangosteen, rambutan, blueberries, dragon fruit, longan, etc. are rapidly gaining popularity in India due to their health benefits and taste. My colleague Anu put together a piece on seven exotic fruit growers running super profitable farms thanks to the rising demand for their products, which sell at more than double the rate of traditional fruits like pomegranates, bananas and grapes.

Our Sunday story is on Manamadurai, where potters mix clay from the Vangai River with mud from three places to make the durable and unique Manamadurai pottery, which received the GI tag last year.

India will enter one of the biggest wedding seasons soon. So in the Money section, my colleague Karan has listed seven financial tips for young couples to achieve their long-term goals. 

Happy Reading!

Warmly,
Rashmi