Shirdi: Think of the Pravara belt in Rahata taluka and you visualise sugarcane farmlands till the horizon. In fact it is because of the large scale sugarcane production that Asia’s first cooperative sugar factory Vitthalrao Vikhe Patil Cooperative Sugar Factory was established here. But deviating from the set pattern was farmer Ganesh Vishnupant Nibe from Kolhar village, who diversified into banana cultivation on the same fields where he once grew sugarcane, and now sells the produce that flood Iran markets.
“How much I earn is not what matters. It is important to acknowledge the different thinking and achieve success to an extent that people abroad discuss about a small farmer from a village, says Nibe, who sold about 27 tonnes of bananas to a businessman which he sold in markets of Iran. Ganesh earned Rs 20 per kilogram, nearly double the local market price.
In 2013, Ganesh's journey began when he planted bananas on three acres of his land on the banks of the Pravara river. When all the surrounding fields had sugarcane, he chose to diversify. Since banana plants are uprooted and new ones replanted every three to four years, in the last 12 years, he has followed the process twice or thrice to ensure that productivity is not hampered. "Timely interventions, varietal upgrades, and modern irrigation techniques helped me achieve success," says Ganesh.
This year, he planted nearly 4,500 saplings of the G-9 variety from H.U. Gugle Company and spaced those scientifically as per the measurement of 6x5 feet spacing. For better yield and fruit quality, he used a blend of cow dung and other fertilizers. He says timely application of pesticides, fungicides, and micronutrients contributed to growth of the fruits while drip irrigation ensured water efficiency as banana plants are water-sensitive.
The results were impressive and for all to see.
With bumper harvest which were different from the usual bananas, Ganesh posted photos of his yield on social media and that caught the attention of a trader from Nevasa. The trader visited his farm within no time and was so impressed that he procured 27 tonnes of bananas for export, while Ganesh sold another 23 tonnes locally at Rs 11/kg. This was half of the produce that fetched him over Rs 8 lakh. Another 50 tonnes are still to be sold.
“In 12 years, I spent nearly Rs 15 lakh on banana farming and earned a net profit of Rs 35 lakh. Is it not something to be happy about?,” asks Ganesh, who has become an example of how diversifying with the right technique, application of water and fertiliser can also help farmers achieve more success.
"I tried learning about improving my crops and also used social media for better outreach. I would be happy to see more farmers like me, not stick to one regular crop but experiment with other fruits," Ganesh says with a sense of satisfaction.
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