Successful Farmer: Not farming but gardening changed the fortune of this farmer, now he is earning huge profits

Successful Farmer: The agrarian landscape of Madhya Pradesh’s Nimar area is progressively shifting. Farmers are now shifting from traditional crops to income crops and horticulture. Among them is Khargone district farmer Vishnu Patidar. He had previously been making little money from crops, including wheat, gram, cotton, and sugarcane, but all changed when he established a garden of custard apples. His land now generates lakhs of rupees annually, and he has established himself as a role model for other farmers.

Vishnu Patidar, a farmer, said that he had long grown traditional crops, but they were expensive and yielded little return. A lot of labor is needed to grow crops like cotton and sugarcane, and if bad weather strikes, the whole harvest is destroyed. Losses were not uncommon in such circumstances. He then made the decision to go from farming to horticulture.

Three acres are cultivated with a custard apple garden

He said that he began growing custard apples on three acres of land around fourteen years ago. Custard apples are a crop that doesn’t need a lot of water or work. In the summer, irrigation is only necessary once or twice. The unique feature of this crop is that it is immune to weather variations such as storms and rain. It continues to produce fruit for many years after it is planted.

In three years, the trees begin to yield fruit

According to him, the custard apple trees begin to yield fruit three years after the seeds are sown. The garden continues to provide income for many years after it is finished. Other crops may be planted in the field’s unused area during the first three years and even after the trees have spread out completely. This brings in extra money as well. He is now relocating his old garden and establishing a new one during the wet season.

Seventy thousand rupees in profit in a single bigha

Additionally, Vishnu Patidar said that gardening is best done during the rainy season. Three years later, the custard apple trees begin to bear fruit. Flowers often blossom in May or June, and after Diwali, the fruits begin to mature. There is a strong market demand for the fruits, which are accessible for a month. One bigha generates around seventy thousand rupees in profit. This indicates that three acres, or around four and a half bighas, generate almost three lakh rupees annually.