Bhagubhai Patel stands tall, hands on his hips, in the shade cast by his vivid green banana trees. “My income has doubled over the last two years,” says the 70-year-old, pot-bellied farmer. “Because we are doing so well my son left his clerical job and has joined the farming business,” he chuckles.
Just a few years ago, Patel struggled to cultivate even two banana crops in three years on his two-odd acres farm on the outskirts of Navsari in southern Gujarat. Poor farming techniques, pest attacks and postharvest losses would affect the quality and quantity of his crop. Besides, he didn’t even know how to package the bananas for export given their short shelf life, explains Patel.
Since joining hands with Desai Fruits and Vegetables (DFV) in 2016, his fortunes have reversed. The Navsari-headquartered venture imported best practices from the Philippines and helped Patel to change his growing habits. As a result, his productivity per acre more than doubled—he now grows three crops in two years—proportionally upping his income and creating a new, international quality banana.
As he speaks, a labourer deftly targets one of the banana trees’ uppermost buds, the size of two cupped hands. He pierces it with a says Desai, referring to Pioneering Ventures, a Swiss-and-Mumbaibased outfit that has been silently incubating and developing ventures across India’s agriculture and food supply chain for almost 15 years now.
The global population is expected to rise from about 7.5 billion to nearly 10 billion in 2050. The United Nations estimates that 70 percent more food will be needed by then, but it will have to be produced on just five percent more arable land. As sprawling cities gobble up farmland, climate change alters soil health and agriculture productivity reduces, supply is not keeping up with demand.
This story is from the February 28, 2020 edition of Forbes India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the February 28, 2020 edition of Forbes India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Home-Cooked Meal Is Now Greatly Valued
The pandemic has also brought with it an improved focus on hygiene, use of technology in dining, rise of cloud kitchens and resurgence in popularity of Indian ingredients
Paytm 3.0 - Reaching Near Breakeven In Two Years
As of 2020, Vijay Shekhar Sharma’s super app for financial services had run up losses in thousands of crores. Now, as digital payments gets yet another boost courtesy Covid-19, he’s hopeful of reaching near breakeven in two years
THE PANDEMIC HAS CAUSED WOMEN GREATER LABOUR PAIN
Covid-19 has shown that women are more likely to face the brunt of job losses than men, and find fewer opportunities when they want to resume. That apart, several have to deal with increased hours of unpaid work at home and even domestic abuse
LEADERSHIP WILL BE ABOUT SEEING THE BIGGER PICTURE
Leaders must not only guard their teams first during a crisis, but also deal with stakeholders with respect and dignity. And apart from pursuing business goals, they should remain committed to our planet and the environment
PHILANTHROPY SHOULD BE HUMBLE, BUT NOT MODEST
Apart from building a flexible and resilient framework for the future, philanthropists, civil society and the government must work in tandem so that every rupee is absorbed on the ground
INTEGRATED HEALTH CARE, TECH WILL DISRUPT SECTOR
While clinical research will get a boost, having a skilled workforce and public spending on health care will be challenges in the near term
DIGITALISATION WILL HELP IN VALUE CREATION
As the pandemic brings technology and innovation to the core of business and daily life, the next decade will see about 150 million digital-first families in India
Industry 4.0: Climate Revolution?
Augmenting sustainability alongside digital capabilities is an economic, competitive and global opportunity for India’s businesses, but regulations need to reflect intent
EV Dream Still Miles Away
Electric vehicles have remained a buzzword in India for years. But not much has moved on ground due to high upfront costs, range anxiety and charging infrastructure
Living Waters
A virus has caused us to scramble for oxygen but our chokehold on the environment is slowly strangling the very waters that breathe life into us. The virus is a timely reminder: We are merely consumers, not producers of life’s breath on this planet
