महाराष्ट्र

Alok Aggarwal is now the founder and CEO of TridentAgro. This corporation has several banana farms throughout Maharashtra. TridentAgro also works with around 20,000 farmer brothers who harvest bananas.

Almost everyone enjoys consuming bananas. Bananas contain several minerals, including vitamin C, dietary fibre, vitamin B6, and manganese. Bananas are grown in practically every corner of India. Many farmers in India have earned millions through banana growing. But today, we'll talk about one such personality. This man quit a solid career overseas and moved to India to start a banana farm. Within little time, he has built an enterprise worth crores of rupees. Currently, it also supplies bananas to overseas nations.

Alok Aggarwal grew rich from banana exports.

For your information, the farmer's name is Alok Aggarwal. He is a native of Mumbai. Previously, Alok worked in logistics for banana export in Switzerland. Farmer Alok Aggarwal learned everything he needed to know about banana export and import. Following this, he quit his work and relocated to India, where he launched a banana company. Let us inform you that in the year 2015, he founded TridentAgro. Following that, he began exporting bananas to India through this firm.

Also  read: Complete information about banana growing.

The firm also grows bananas through contract farming.

The unique feature is that this firm also grows bananas through contract farming. In addition to exporting bananas, Alok Agarwal manufactures chips and snacks. In addition, they create various banana goods. Currently, his firm has an annual revenue of Rs 100 crore.

Alok Aggarwal built a buisness worth one billion.

The essential point is that after launching the firm, Alok Aggarwal began educating farmers in the Pune region in banana farming, which resulted in a large rise in banana production. He also explained to the farmers how to raise high-quality bananas. Also, how are they preserved to ensure their long-term safety? He spoke to the farmers for the first time about the necessity of fruit care. This is why, thanks to the farmers' hard work and Alok's determination, he built a firm worth Rs 100 crore.

For your information, let you know that Nandurbar district is considered to be the largest papaya producing district in Maharashtra. Papaya orchards in more than 3000 hectares of area are vulnerable to this virus. Due to this, the hard work of the farmers and the cost of lakhs of rupees has been wasted. The farmers demanded compensation from the government.

After ruining soybean cultivation, the outbreak of yellow mosaic virus is currently being seen on papaya cultivation. Because of this, papaya farmers are in great distress. The virus has affected papaya orchards in more than 3,000 hectares in Nandurbar district alone, ruining the hard work of farmers and the cost of lakhs of rupees. The mosaic virus has been seen destroying the papaya crop after soybean in various districts of Maharashtra, including in Nandurbar district. A lot of papaya orchards in the district are on the verge of destruction due to mosaic virus.

The government had helped soybean farmers damaged by mosaic virus

Just as the state government had promised assistance for the losses suffered by soybean farmers due to mosaic virus. At present, similarly, papaya farmers are also expecting cooperation from the government. Maharashtra is a major fruit producing state. But the problems of its cultivators are not taking the name of lessening. This year, farmers have not received any special price for grapes. The price of oranges has fallen due to Bangladesh's policies affecting exports. Now papaya is being hit by nature.

Also read: Soybean crop destroyed due to Kewra disease outbreak among farmers

What problem has emerged in papaya cultivation?

Due to viral diseases on papaya, the leaves of its trees fall quickly. The leaves at the top shrivel, because of this the fruits are damaged by sunlight. Traders refuse to buy such fruits, papayas in more than 3000 hectares area in the district have been found to be highly affected by this mosaic virus. However, different types of measures are being taken by the farmers to control it. But, the crisis on papaya does not seem to be over. Therefore, the farmers are demanding that the district be declared drought and immediate help should be announced to all the farmers.

Also read: Farmers should do this work, otherwise papaya cultivation will be ruined

Need to establish research centre on papaya

Nandurbar district is considered to be the largest papaya producing district in Maharashtra. Each year the papaya crop is affected by various diseases. But, there is no papaya research centre in the State to conduct research on papaya. For this reason, it is imperative for the central and state governments to start a papaya research centre in Nandurbar and control the various diseases affecting papaya, so that the hard work of the farmers does not go to waste.

What are the symptoms of yellow mosaic disease?

Yellow mosaic disease is mainly found in soybeans. This causes yellow spots near the main veins of the leaves. These yellow spots appear in a scattered state. As the leaves grow, brown spots begin to appear on them. Sometimes heavy infestation causes the leaves to shrivel and wilt. Because of this, production gets affected.

Also read: ICAR explains soybean pest and disease control measures

Yellow mosaic disease prevention measure

The Agriculture Department has described the solution to uproot diseased trees and bury them in the ground or put blue and yellow nets to completely eliminate yellow mosaic disease. Due to this disease, productivity decreases by 30 to 90 percent. Due to this, the Agriculture Department has appealed to the farmers to take precautions in time.

Maharashtra is a major onion producing state of India. Here production of onions is done on a large scale. Here, onions are cultivated three times a year. Nashik, Pune, Solapur, Dhule and Ahmednagar are considered strongholds in the state for onion production. At present, Rabi season onion planting has started in Maharashtra. Farmers cultivate maximum onion in the state and here Asia’s largest onion market is in Lasalgaon, Nashik. Generally, cultivation of onions is done only once a year in different states. But it is nothing like here in Maharashtra. Three crops are done during a year in the state. Here it is produced in Kharif, post-Kharif and in Rabi season. Onions are a cash crop in Maharashtra. A majority of farmers here depend on its cultivation. Farmers get maximum production of onion in the Rabi season. 

When is the sowing of the second season of onion done?

The second season of  onion is sown in the month of october-november , which is currently being done in the state. It gets ready in between January and march. The third crop of onion is Rabi, which is sown in December-January. At the same time, it is harvested from March to May. 60 percent of total production of onion in the state occurs in Rabi season only. 

Onion is produced in large quantities in these districts of Maharashtra.  

Onion is cultivated most in Jalgaon, Dhule, Ahmednagar, Satara, Nashik, Pune and Solapur districts of Maharashtra. At the same time, farmers cultivate this crop in Marathwada district of Maharashtra. Nashik is famous for producing onions not only in Maharashtra but all over India. Out of its total production in India, 37 percent of onion is produced in Maharashtra and 10 percent of the onion production in the state is done only in Nashik.

What should be the soil for onion cultivation?

According to agricultural scientists, onions can be cultivated in different types of soil. But, excellent yield is obtained only in soils like clay, sand, loamy, gar and brown soil. To get high yield in onion cultivation, there should be good drainage facilities in the field.

What type of land should it be?

To prepare for the cultivation , first plowing of the land should be done three to four times. Also, add rotten manure to increase the amount of organic matter in the soil. After this, divide the field into small plots. Planting should be done on a 1.2 meter wide strip at a height of 15 cm from the land surface. 

How much fertilizers should be used?

Onion crop requires a large amount of nutrients. Manure and fertilizer should be used in onion crops on the basis of soil test. Rotten cow dung manure should be used in the field at the rate of 20-25 tonnes per hectare from one-two months before planting.

Great onion varieties and pruning time.

Bhima Shweta: This variety of white onion is already approved for Rabi season, this variety gives an average yield of 18-20 tonnes in Kharif while it gives an average yield of 26-30 tonnes in Rabi.

Bhima Super: This red onion variety has been identified for production in the Kharif season. It can also be grown as a late crop in the Kharif season. This variety gets ripe in a time interval of 95-100 days. Its production is approximately 20-22 tonnes per hectare.

Talking about the right time to prune onions, the right time to remove onions from the fields is when the moisture in the plant gets exhausted and its bulb starts coming up almost on its own.