Umerkote: Dibakar Behera of Umerkote town in Nabarangpur district, though an engineer by profession, used to keep his childhood passion for horticulture and orchard farming burning. After retirement, he found enough time and used it on pomegranate farming which brought him resounding success. He is now earning Rs 6-7 lakh per annum from this fruit farming.
Moreover, he has also created scope of earning for seven families. His success story has given a ray of hope for other farmers in the area who have been struggling to make both ends meet from traditional paddy farming. His lush green pomegranate farm spread over three acres at Badabasini village is said to be an object of envy for many. But for this passionate farmer, the well-grown farm is the outcome of his steely will and indefatigable efforts which he has been investing in his farmland every day. After retirement as an assistant engineer, Behera was browsing social media for information about commercially viable farming that can fetch him a good income.
During Covid times, he joined ‘Bharatiya Chasi Sangh’ and later came in contact with a Gujarat-based professor BT Gore, who provided him training and guidance online about pomegranate cultivation. Significantly, the advantage of pomegranate farming is that these plants are drought-proof and can survive even with little water. “I procured pomegranate saplings from Surat and planted them on three acres of farmland. There are 1,050 plants in the farm.
After a year of nursing and proper care, these plants started bearing fruits,” he added. A plant bears 25 to 30 pomegranates and produces fruits twice/thrice a year. “In the first phase, the farm yielded 15 quintal pomegranates. One can earn Rs 6 to 7 lakh per annum from a 3-acre farm. The fruits are grown organically and no fertilizer is used. The yield has good demand in the market too,” he said. He sells his produce to some dealers in parts of Nabarangpur and neighbouing Chhattisgarh. Besides, he is engaging five to seven local labourers per day in farm activities. He said that if anyone is keen to learn about pomegranate farming, he would provide technical know-how to them.