Moringa and Dragon Fruit on the Rocks

Dear Reader,

Have you planned for your retirement? What would you do when there’s a lot of free time? I plan to finish counting the stars, travel to the eight states of India I have not visited, and impart cookery skills to youngsters who think cardamom is only green (and not black).

Joseph KS, however, put his time to much better use – he turned his rocky and unprofitable ancestral land into a paradise of dragon fruit. At 69, Joseph clocks an annual turnover of Rs50 lakh, he told my colleague Chandhini. His organic fruits, growing amid rocks, are also exported to the Gulf countries, and he trains other farmers to set up orchards. Do read this piece. It’s very inspiring.

Last week, I spoke to engineer couple Poonam Sharma and Naveen Patwal. Their story shows that in the middle of difficulty lies an opportunity. The duo incurred losses of Rs2 crore during the Coronavirus lockdown. Trucks loaded with button mushrooms were to leave their farm in Uttarakhand when the lockdown was announced on March 24, 2020.

Naveen told me how they corrected every mistake to build a business of exotic mushrooms and wild gucchi, clocking Rs15 crore today. The couple grows lion’s mane, king oyster, cordyceps, shiitake and many other varieties. They are also the first in India to grow the rare guchhi mushroom indoors. The story details their mistakes and learning, which makes it an interesting read.

I also spoke to Mahadev More, a farmer from the drought-prone Solapur district. Though he failed in class ten, his hard work and consistent efforts triumphed over his lack of education. He grows moringa over 6 acres and earns Rs60 lakh annually. Mahadev exports moringa powder to the US and Nepal and helps other farmers market their produce.

My colleague Anu spoke to two pre-teen entrepreneurs from a small village in Tamil Nadu. Santhiya and Anushka recycle wilted flowers into incense sticks, contributing to their family income. Their little venture also prevents pollution as waste flowers otherwise choke water bodies.

Happy Reading!

Warmly,

Rashmi

Ex-banker turns rocky land into dragon fruit paradise; clocks Rs50 lakh annual turnover

Engineer couple builds Rs 15 crore business of exotic mushrooms; first to grow wild gucchi indoors

This moringa farmer clocks Rs10 lakh per acre in drought-prone Solapur; exports powder to the US

Pre-teen entrepreneurs: Two girls in a TN village recycle waste flowers into incense sticks