MP vintners beat social hurdles

For the Rs 1.18-crore winery project, Titri farmers have planted wine-quality grapes over 20 hectares.

Wine was taboo in Titri village of Ratlam district in Madhya Pradesh. But Motilal Patidar and 15 other farmers of the village have changed that.

They, inspired by farmers in neighbouring Maharashtra, not only have planted wine quality grapes but are ready to build their own winery.

They have planted their first wine quality grapes in 20 hectares for the Rs 1.18 crore project and loans have been taken from Bank of Baroda. It will give us our first 50,000 litres of wine next year, says Motilal Patidar.

Patidar, who has studied up to class eight, is confident, especially after the long struggle he and his friends had to wage, in getting the state to draft a wine policy before they get their application to set up a brewery cleared.

"In February we will have our first crop and our village of 1,500 will soon be competing with wine brands in the country and abroad," said Patidar.

It took even Patidar and his friends some time to beat down the stigma attached to growing daru, the wine quality grapes like Cabernet and Shiraz.

That is till 2000, when they were growing only table variety grapes in 250 hectares.

But soon neighbours in Maharashtra convinced them wine is not liquor but a food item. And a winery will certainly yield more returns.

Select farmers including Patidar started making frequent trips to neighbouring villages of Maharashtra from 2001 to learn how to grow vines and brew the liquid gold. During 2003 when their vineyards bloomed, they dispatched their first application to set up a winery. It was dismissed.

Later the government came out with a policy on food and wine and Titri farmers immediately set up their winery called Patel Wines and Food Processing Industry.

Jitendra Patidar one of the farmers and the only villager with a degree went to Sangli and got a diploma in wine technology. He is now leaving for California to gain expertise in the field.

Others have different reasons for joining hands. Says 50-year-old Jamuna Lal, who has completed school and has been cultivating grapes since 1983: "Grapes fetch Rs 10-20 per kg while the wine quality grapes will fetch us Rs 30 per kg. Vine cultivation is easier and requires less irrigation and no chemicals.

Amrit Patidar, 32, joined Titri winery group a year ago. He has dedicated a hectare for the venture. "I joined the Titri winery group so that farmers of my village Naya Rupakhera can also start growing wine grapes. As many as 65 families of my villages will have additional benefit since soya, cotton and other coarse grains do not fetch good yield since water level is going down in the area," he said.

Meanwhile, Titri is getting calls from farmers in Harda and Dewas districts where they are now switching over to vines.

"They want to know about wine quality grape cultivation," said Patidar.