Dates are mostly cultivated in hot and humid conditions of Middle Eastern countries like Africa, Dubai and Qatar. Even in India, they are grown in Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra. But surprisingly, dates are also grown naturally in the Tamil Nadu region’s soil.
Farmer Moovender has embarked on date cultivation on a roughly two-acre plot in Udayapatti village, situated within the Alankanallur region of Madurai. Transitioning from his job in the private sector, he aimed to establish his own business. Collaborating with his brother, they established a plantation land containing 95 three-year-old date trees to enable date production on their own land.
Employing solely natural fertilisers like goat dung, cow dung, jaggery and curd, Moovender recently witnessed a remarkable harvest, with each tree yielding three to four bunches of dates for the very first time.
Four years back, Moovender purchased a persimmon sapling for 4 thousand rupees and nurtured it. However, he has since invested a significant sum of Rs 2 lakh in its maintenance. A delighted Moovender expressed his anticipation of reaping profits of up to Rs 2 lakh from the yield that he has obtained this year.
He added that date fruits typically start yielding at around three or four years of age, and by the time they reach seven or eight years, the profits from the yield can range from Rs 7 lakh to Rs 8 lakh.
In the initial stages, maintaining the date trees posed some challenges, but Moovender found support from his wife Amuda and Sasodar. He shared that the process of yielding began after transferring pollen from the male tree to the female tree using a few flowers.
Unlike the processed dates available in stores, Moovender’s dates belong to a berry variety. He emphasised that consuming them in their natural state, without the addition of any chemicals, processing, or juicing, can offer significant health benefits.
Moovender acknowledged that selling produce can be a challenge, even when every farmer has a crop. For their first harvest, they are focusing on selling to family friends and people in the local town area. As the yield increases in the future, they plan to explore more effective selling strategies.
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