Thinking Different:

 
For people in the Nagar region, Papaya has always been a fruit to be purchased from the market, There was not a single farmer who planted papaya till very recently. However, unlike others, a family chose to do papaya farming and it has paid rich dividends to them, thanks to National Horticulture Mission. Horticulture is yet to find its roots firmly in this part of the country and Papaya farming is something beyond imagination. 

In the Nagar region, people have seldom done papaya farming; It is a fruit to be brought from the market. For the arid, dry lands of the Shrigonda taluka, turning to horticulture in itself is a big challenge. Members of the Dake family took upon the challenge and they thought differently about how to overcome it. They decided to go in for horticulture, but instead of the mainstream fruits they preferred to do papaya. And this ‘thinking differently’ has enabled them convert their dry land into a productive one with impressive results. The man behind the idea is Digambar Dake, an agricultural science degree holder, who has worked in government’s department of agriculture and has the exposure of various schemes of the department. He along with Sangeeta Digambar Dake and Sarasvati Uttam Dake whose lands, are contiguous at village Belvandi in the Shrogonda taluka, have done papaya farming in region where sugarcane, onion and similar other cash-crops was the order of the day. Once the decision of papaya farming was taken, Digambar Dake approached the National Horticulture Mission (NHM) officials for guidance.

 Dake has two pieces of land, measuring 10 and 7 acres respectively. Both did have just one well as source of water. However, Dake built a lift irrigation scheme on a river that flow nearby to draw water. He had to level the land too after which Taiwan 786 variety of papaya was planted. Dake has preferred a mixed pattern for irrigation and fertilizers. The watering of the plants is done with the help of drip system. 4.5 tonnes of manure (dung) per acre is provided and pesticides are sprayed every 8 to 10 days. Bitter oil is also applied as a preventive measure. He also provides micronutrients, called viralani, and ensures that each tree gives at least 60 fruits. Dake kept his eyes and ears open while doing all this. This is how he learnt that if the expanse of land, upon which papaya is planted, is widespread, mere spraying of pesticides is never enough. Therefore, he started giving doses of soluble pesticides. 

Circle Agricultural Officer N.K.Kothare was helpful in this regard. Although papaya is in continuous demand, one needs to keep a regular supply too. Dake relied on the Mumbai market and now-a-days traders come to his fields to finalize deals. The fruits are sold at Rs 5/- per kg. The variation in the rate is in the range of Rs 3/- to Rs. 7/- kg. Dake’s farm produces 30 tonnes of papaya a year and thus he earns Rs. 1.5 lakh at the minimum. Dake was provided a grant of Rs. 82,000/- from the NHM, while he invested Rs. 35/- lakh as his own contribution. His family works on the farm and during the period of cutting, they have to take help of 8 labours. However, at the end of the year the net profit earned by Dake stands at Rs. 60,000!