 "Despite the lockdown, the Centre exempted a range of farm-related activities, resulting in rabi harvest of potatoes and wheat to start in the fertile belts of Western UP photo: Sanjay K Sharma")
Pomegranates and potatoes amid dunes? An idea that may appear just a mirage has been brought to fruition by farmers of Rajasthan. In the state’s several western desert areas where only dunes dotted the landscape until a few years ago, pomegranates and potatoes are now being produced on a large scale.
Barmer district, in particular, has taken the lead. According to the data from the state agriculture department, in 2022-23, potatoes were sown in 5 hectares in Barmer district and the production was 500 metric tonnes. Similarly in other districts which are deserts, 267 metric tonnes of potatoes were produced in Jalore, 245 metric tonnes in Jodhpur, and 666 metric tonnes of potatoes were produced in Bikaner.
Likewise, 156,844 metric tonnes of pomegranate were produced in 17,165 hectares in the state in 2022-23, according to the agriculture department.
Currently, Barmer has the highest production of pomegranates among the desert districts with 102,112 metric tonnes produced in 8,466 hectares. Jalore and Jodhpur are other districts where the fruit was grown in abundance.
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In 2021, 15 farmers of Budiwada village in Barmer district started it in 35 hectares and now more than 4,000 farmers are cultivating pomegranates.
“Farmers of Barmer are selling pomegranates worth lakhs of rupees annually,” local farmer Lala Ram said, adding that the farmers are selling pomegranates at over Rs 5,800 per quintal.
“Demand for Barmer's pomegranates is growing in foreign countries and the fruit is exported to many other countries including Nepal, Bangladesh, and Dubai,” he added.
According to agriculture experts, the young and educated farmers of Rajasthan are experimenting and abandoning the traditional crops in their fields.
Another farmer Vikram Singh of Taratara village in Barmer has become famous for producing potatoes, which are used in making French fries abroad.
Singh said the first time he cultivated potatoes; the production was 400 tonnes. Potatoes used to make French fries were grown for the first time in Rajasthan. He said earlier there was no irrigation facility in Barmer, and watering the fields was very expensive. Now, with government subsidies in the agricultural sector, farm ponds are built in the fields, and young farmers are not shying away from experimenting with new crops.
“I took a risk and took up potato cultivation, which has inspired many nearby farmers. It is possible that now potatoes will also be produced in abundance in this area. Big companies provide their seeds and provide full assistance in farming,” Singh added.
