800 Seeds and Saffron

Dear Reader,

I once met the owner of a big land parcel in Karjat, Maharashtra. He was developing plots on that land for sale. The work involved demarcation, making access roads, laying water pipelines, etc. One day, a real estate firm asked him to sell the project to them, promising crores of rupees, twice the market rate then. He refused to sell. 

When he was narrating the story to me, I asked him why he did not sell and pocketed those crores. He replied, “Today, I have work every day; there is a mission in my life. What would I do with money in the bank and nothing to do all day? It is important to have a mission and passion.”

I saw this passion once again when I spoke to Aftab MB last week. With a diploma in mechanical engineering, he worked in Dubai and Oman to provide well for his family and children’s education. Now, at 55, after discharging his responsibilities, he is living his passion for conserving organic vegetable seeds. 

Aftab has over 800 types of seeds, which he sells at nominal rates to farmers and gardeners across India. He aims to protect plant biodiversity and promote organic farming. His collection includes over 270 varieties of brinjals, 20 types of radishes, tomatoes (100) and 70 varieties of chillies including Carolina Reaper, the world’s hottest pepper. Do read his story because it is interesting, informative and organic :-) 

My colleague Niroj wrote an inspiring piece about converting over 1500 ha of barren land in tribal-dominated Koraput in Odisha into lush green fields. The transformation is due to the joint efforts of the MS Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) and the Indian Institution of Soil and Water Conservation (IISWC). 

Over 3,000 tribal farmers now grow organic millets, pulses, and other crops on land that was barren until a few years back. The creation of water harvesting structures like ponds and check dams and organic farming has increased farmers’ incomes by about three times.

Last week, I spoke to Sujata Agarwal, a housewife-turned-urban farmer. She began growing saffron in a 100 sq ft room in 2022 and now earns Rs24 lakh annually from that small space. How? While she sells saffron at Rs10 lakh per kg, Sujata earns over Rs14 lakh by making a serum from petals after harvesting the spice. With easy access to information, there is no dearth of entrepreneurship ideas today!

My colleague Aruna has penned our Sunday story. She spoke to Aravind Thippanaik, an MBA from IIM-Bangalore. He juggles management consultancy with sculpting and finds joy in both pursuits. Based in Goa, his body of work under the banner ‘Clay Lab Goa’ features busts of people and animals that evoke compassion towards Mother Nature. 

Happy Reading!

Warmly,
Rashmi