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Capsicum Millionaire and Seed Saver

A farmer who earns Rs32 lakh an acre by growing capsicums, an MBA seed saver with a collection of over 1,000 native seeds, a social worker clocking Rs2.5 crore turnover by making compostable pouches and the Troy of Tamil Nadu are part of this newsletter

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Rashmi Pratap
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Capsicum Millionaire and Seed Saver

Capsicum Millionaire and Seed Saver

Dear Reader,

In the late 1990s, when I was attending a lecture on Business Organisation and Management, a phone rang. Our class of 60 students was surprised and amused because no landline was around. After a few seconds, our professor took out a mobile from his pocket and went out to answer the call. 

We students, meanwhile, began guessing the price of the device though we knew the call rate was over Rs8 per minute at that time, both for incoming and outgoing calls. My amazement that began with that call continues even today as I see new tech breakthroughs daily. 

Farming is no exception. Today’s tech-savvy farmers mimic nature in enclosed setups, controlling parameters like temperature, rain and humidity and earning lakhs from just an acre or half. They don’t fear untimely rains or droughts because they grow plants in polyhouses, net houses, shade nets, plastic tunnels etc.

Last week, my colleague Riya spoke to one such farmer who earns Rs32 lakh per acre by growing green, yellow and red capsicums in his polyhouse! Pravin Borgave from Kolhapur, Maharashtra, harvests 40 tonnes of capsicums per acre. 

Every two months, he plants saplings on part of his 4-acre farm to ensure year-long income and gets consistently good rates, averaging Rs80 a kg. Riya has given all the details on costs, revenues and profits. Do look it up if protected farming interests you.

My colleague Anu wrote an interesting piece on Mohd Suhail, who set up Athar Packaging Solutions in 2020. A development professional, he saw garbage piling up on roads during COVID-19. He set up Athar to recycle waste paper into envelopes.

The startup now sources waste paper and plastic from industries and converts it into compostable pouches, doubling revenues annually. He is set to close this fiscal with Rs 2.5 crore in revenues, proving that cash can, indeed, be made from trash.

Last week, I spoke to V Priya Rajarayanan, an MBA in Finance, who began saving heirloom vegetable seeds in 2007 to feed her family chemical-free food. Her collection of 1,000 varieties now includes over 100 types of tubers, gourds, brinjals and tomatoes and more than 40 types of okra. 

When I asked her why she shares seeds free of cost, Priya replied: “I never had to spend a rupee on medicines since I began saving and sharing seeds. I feel free seed sharing keeps me and my family protected.” What a thought!

Our Sunday feature is on Gingee Fort, the 800-year-old Great Wall of South India. It was called the ‘Troy of the East’ due to its reputation for being nearly impenetrable, similar to the ancient Greek city of Troy. Do look it up!

Team 30Stades wishes you a very Happy Republic Day! 

Warmly,
Rashmi


 

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This farmer clocks a turnover of Rs32 lakh per acre from capsicum farming

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From waste paper envelopes to Rs2.5 crore revenues, how this entrepreneur built a business of compostable pouches 

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How this MBA farmer saved over 1,000 varieties of native vegetable seeds

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Gingee Fort: The 800-year-old Great Wall of South India

native seeds heirloom seeds indigenous seeds capsicum farming coloured capsicum
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