Mangosteen Engineer and Custard Apple Maverick

Dear Reader,

Making shifts in generational patterns requires courage and conviction. These patterns can relate to behaviour, beliefs or occupation. And it’s never easy to convince a generation or two to reboot.

However, Shridhar Divekar took the risk of shifting his family from cultivating sugarcane to custard apple – all three acres in one go. His folks weren’t sure if the gamble would pay off. But it did.

Today, this MBA farmer from Daund taluka of Pune district in Maharashtra earns Rs 6 lakh per acre, more than double what sugarcane fetched. Shridhar told my colleague Riya how he achieves an average of 22 kg of fruits per tree. She has detailed his success strategy. Do look it up.

My colleague Anu spoke to Biju Narayanan, an engineer, who uses high-density farming to cultivate mangosteen over three acres in Kannur, Kerala. To maximize earnings from his land, he intercrops it with coconut and sells the produce at Rs 350 per kg from his farm instead of going to any market.

These stories show that education matters in every field, including farming. And oftentimes, it can be the differentiating factor between profit and loss.

Anu also put together a piece on five seed savers who conserve and sell native vegetable seeds. Our emphasis on native seed saving stems from the fact that they are the source of food. Native seeds are naturally pest-resistant, require less water and are climate resilient. By saving them, we can ensure food security for our future generations.

Our Sunday story is about Sainji, the corn village of India in Tehri Garhwal, Uttarakhand. Every family here cultivates corn and it is used as food, decoration, and a source of income.

Happy Reading!

Warmly,

Rashmi

MBA farmer doubles income by shifting from sugarcane to custard apple farming; clocks Rs 6 lakh per acre

This engineer grows mangosteen with coconut, sells exotic fruit at Rs 350 per kg

Five farmers who save and sell native vegetable seeds to promote biodiversity

Sainji: The corn village of India