Dragon Fruit Startup and Tribal Paddy

Dear Reader,

I came to Mumbai two decades ago to work for India’s largest financial daily and settled here forever, about 1,400 km from my hometown. This is the most enigmatic thing about Mumbai - it makes you feel at home, no matter which part of the country you come from. And a place that is warm and welcoming can become your home forever.

For the Munda tribals, who migrated from Bihar in the 1980s, Rantal in the Sambalpur district of Odisha is home. My colleague, Niroj, wrote about how the Mundas have transformed the region’s agricultural landscape by adopting organic farming. They produce their own manure, vermicompost, and biopesticides, and cultivate and conserve native paddy varieties.

Every two years, they exchange paddy seeds among themselves, a form of barter, to ensure that the soil is not depleted due to the continuous cultivation of one variety. They have cut costs, improved the health of the soil and the environment, and increased their incomes by selling native, organic rice at higher rates than chemical-laden varieties.

My colleague Riya spoke to Reeva Sood last week. At 67, this social worker-turned-agripreneur is a powerhouse. She has converted 35 acres of barren land into a flourishing farm of medicinal plants intercropped with dragon fruit.

Today, her work stands out because Reeva has set up India’s first dragon fruit juice plant in Una, Himachal Pradesh. She told my colleague Anu that the juice is organic and free of sugar and preservatives. It is sold under the Agriva Naturally brand.

Her startup’s monthly income from the sale of dragon fruits, their juice and saplings is Rs 4.5 lakh. Along with the earnings from medicinal plants, the figure is Rs 10 lakh per month.

Reeva exemplifies that women are excellent farmers; age is just a number, and barren land can be profitable. More power to her!

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My colleague Riya has also put together a story about five farmers who have converted drought-prone land into an oasis of exotic fruits. While most exotic fruits sell upwards of Rs 250 per kg, or Rs 100 per piece, most people don’t know that their cultivation is fairly simple and low-cost.

Exotic fruits like avocado, dragon fruit, dates and even olives can thrive in dry or sandy areas with minimal water. After the initial years, they give fruit for many decades with low recurring expenses. Do read Riya’s piece to know how these rocky or drought-prone lands are now solid profit centres for farmers.

Happy Reading!

Warmly,

Rashmi

How Munda tribals of Rantal are reviving Odisha’s indigenous rice varieties

67-year-old woman turns barren land into empire of dragon fruit, juice and saplings

Five farmers growing exotic fruits on rocky, drought-prone land and making lakhs