Water scarce Gujarat <i>talukas</i> switch to grapes

Godhra taluka of Panchmahal district, infamous for water scarcity, is witnessing an agricultural miracle for the last four years. Many farmers of Panchmahal district, known for its castor seed production, have started cultivating grapes and they are reaping good crops. The story doesn't end here as the successful experiment of grape cultivation by one farmer of Godhra has not only inspired many other farmers of the district but it has also inspired farmers of other districts like Sabarkantha and Vadodara to take grape cultivation. Before four years there was not a single farmer in Gujarat who could have imagined developing vineyard. Now there are as many as 50 to 60 farmers in these three districts having vineyards.

Now the farmers are reaping good returns as the per acre production is also on increase and there are export opportunities opening up. During the first year the per acre productivity of grapes was 2 MT per acre which has more than doubled now. The farmers are getting Rs. 45 per Kg and they have started sending grapes to Delhi, Rajasthan, and Mumbai markets. Moreover, agricultural scientists from Bhabha Atomic Research Centre along with scientists of 18 countries, who visited Panchmahal last year for a research on radiation effects on fruits, had expressed that Panchmahal has perfect environmental conditions to take good crop of grapes.

Talking to Business Standard, MB Dhorajiya, deputy director of Horticulture, Panchmahal, said:"Grape cultivation started in Panchmahal district with one farmer's successful experiment. Jayesh Amin, a farmer of Kathoriya village in Godhra taluka decided to shift from tobacco plantation to grapes in 2003. It was the first such experiment in the state. He converted 20 acres of his total 200 acres land into a vineyard. for the first year he got around 40 MT of grapes. This productivity continued to increase and last year Amin has registered 168 MT grape production from his 20 acres vineyard.

This has inspired at least 15 to 20 other farmers of Panchmahal to cultivate grapes. Inspired by this successful experiment in Panchmahal, farmers of other districts like Sabarkantha and Vadodara, have also started developing vineyards on their farms. Now there are atleast 60 farmers who have grape plantations in Panchmahal, Sabarkantha and Vadodara."

Dhorajiya added that most of the farmers who have taken grape cultivation are small farmers and have vineyards in one to three acres.

Jayesh Amin, while talking to Business Standard, said:"I have increased the acreage of my vineyard as it is giving me good results. This year I have added 70 acres in the vineyard so the total cultivation area of grapes in my 200 acre farm now stands at 90 acres. Last year's total production stood at 168 MT from 20 acres and I am expecting addition of 170 MT next year as for the first year the productivity remains less." Amin said that his produce is sent to Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata and gets Rs. 45 per kg.

Talking about the quality and uniqueness of the grapes grown in Gujarat, Dhorajiya said," Grapes grown in Gujarat have an edge over grapes grown in Nashik in Maharashtra as they have higher sugar content and the production season is one month early than compared to Nashik grapes. The Nashik grapes have 18 to 20 per cent sugar content while grapes from Gujarat have 21 to 24 per cent sugar content. Nashik grapes come to the market during February-March while Gujarat delivers grapes from December -January. We can deliver the produce one month earlier than the Nashik farmers."

"A group of scientists from Bhabha Atomic Research Centre along with scientists from 18 various countries had visited Panchmahal district last year for a research on radiation effects on fruits and they had advised Jayesh Amin and other farmers to continue with grape cultivation as they found that the environment conditions are perfect in Panchmahal and surrounding areas for grape cultivation," Dhorajiya added.