Jharkhand's pearl farming revolution

The focus on freshwater pearl cultivation in Jharkhand leverages the state's natural water resources while providing a sustainable livelihood option that can be scaled from small backyard operations to larger commercial ventures

- PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

Jharkhand is rapidly emerging as India's freshwater pearl farming hub, with the state government and Centre implementing comprehensive training programmes and infrastructure development to transform this niche sector into a major livelihood opportunity for rural youth and farmers.

The transformation gained momentum when the Centre notified development of Hazaribagh as the first pearl farming cluster with ₹22 crore investment under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) in collaboration with the Jharkhand government.

What started as a pilot project in 2019-20 under the state plan has now evolved into a structured ecosystem focusing on skill development, with specialised training centres established across the state to teach farmers the intricate art of pearl cultivation.

Training takes root

The Purty Agrotech Training Centre, established in Ranchi in 2024 using corporate CSR funds, has emerged as the nerve centre of this training revolution. The facility has already trained over 132 farmers from across the state in advanced pearl culture techniques, with these trained farmers now cascading their knowledge to others in their respective districts, creating a multiplier effect.

"Training is the backbone of successful pearl farming. We are focusing on round pearl culture as it fetches more returns compared to designer pearls," said Budhan Singh Purty, a mechanical engineer from NIT Jamshedpur who runs the training centre and has become one of the state's few surgical experts in round pearl cultivation.