Curated By: Business Desk
Last Updated: August 23, 2023, 16:42 IST
Jetharam began pomegranate cultivation in 2016.
Jetharam prepared his field by taking a loan of Rs 15 lakh. He also bought 4,000 saplings of high-quality pomegranate, called Bhagwa Sinduri.
Agricultural entrepreneurship requires resilience, hard work and sheer determination. A case in point is a farmer from Barmer, Rajasthan named Jetharam. He has set an example that agriculture has transformative power. In Bhimda village, near the Barmer border, small-time farmer Jetharam’s farm has flourished under his willingness to cultivate pomegranates.
Farmers in Rajasthan are known to cultivate crops like cumin, castor and Isabgol, which are less profitable crops. However, in many districts, a recent trend has been observed that the farmers have shifted towards pomegranate cultivation. In Barmer, farmers are earning in lakhs annually from cultivating this fruit.
Jetharam began pomegranate cultivation in 2016. He prepared his field by taking a loan of Rs 15 lakh. He also bought 4,000 saplings of high-quality pomegranate, called Bhagwa Sinduri, from Nashik in Maharashtra and planted them in his fertile field. His absolute commitment to his farming practices along with diligent efforts literally bore the fruit of his hard work. The pomegranates thrived and his first yield exceeded all expectations. Now, his produce is exported to cities in other states.
Ever since 2016, Jetharam never looked back. The quality of his fruits attracted buyers from local markets as well as big-scale retailers. This led to higher prices and better returns. Within some time, his income increased by 2.5 times which helped him repay his loan and further invest in his farm. Today, many of his fruits are shipped to Mumbai, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Delhi and Kolkata and even exported to Bangladesh.
What inspired Jetharam?
As per reports, the idea of growing pomegranate plants in his field first came to Jetharam after he saw these fruit plants in Budiwada, Gujarat. Later, he brought saplings from Nashik and began his hustle of cultivating these fruits which have yielded in financial success.
Successful farming
Today Jetharam has approximately 28 acres of land in Barmer. He continues growing his plants which produce 25 kg of pomegranate. According to him, in the second year of fruit farming, his income was Rs 7 lakh. In the following year, it was Rs 15 lakh and in the fourth year, it was Rs 25 lakh. By the fifth year, he was earning Rs 35 lakh.
