Orchids in the Air and 120 kg of Mangosteen per Tree

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Dear Reader, What are the two core qualities needed to succeed in a job, a craft, or even studies? For me, they’ve always been patience and consistency. Patience to wait for the results of your hard work, and consistency to show up every day regardless of your mood. And when the rewards finally arrive, they don’t trickle in; they pour. Lohith Shetty , a farmer in Karnataka, tended his mangosteen plants with patience and consistency for 15 years. Year after year, the harvest grew, and this season each tree has produced around 120 kg of fruit. He told my colleague Anu that the plants bear fruit only in the fifth year, and that the output increases as the trees mature. When mangosteen prices hit Rs 650 per kg this season, Lohith’s best-performing trees were carrying fruit worth nearly Rs 78,000 each. With a lifespan of 50 to 100 years, mangosteen trees are among the most profitable crops for farmers, and Lohith is more than happy that his efforts are paying off. To read our earlier newsletters, click here Akshata and Amar Padwal’s entrepreneurial journey also involved immense patience. Akshata, a Mumbai-based content creator, moved to Junnar after marriage. Her husband, Amar, a film professional, was keen to start a business to multiply his income sources. He chose oyster mushroom farming, but soon, the Covid lockdown left them with unsold produce and high debts. When restrictions began to ease, the duo converted a small cowshed into a mushroom farm and later expanded with a loan, Akshata told me. Today, their 3,000-sq-ft enterprise generates Rs 3 lakh monthly, with 75% profit margin. They also earn from mushroom dehydration and vermicompost made from used substrate. Amar was also the script supervisor of the Amazon Prime series ‘Panchayat’ and continues his film assignments alongside farming. My colleague Riya wrote an interesting and informative piece on growing orchids in the air. Pushpak Sahu , an AI engineer, quit his job at PwC and began growing the exotic flower using aeroponic techniques in a polyhouse. The plants are grown on elevated tables in a biochar medium (made from wood charcoal) instead of soil. The nutrients are supplied to the roots using foggers. Still in their early days, the plants are yielding flowers worth Rs 30,000 per week. Pushpak says the annual revenue will hit Rs 45 lakh once the plants mature in another two years. There is a huge rush of students and farmers to his farm to learn about soil-less orchids. Do read this one. Riya also wrote a piece about five plants that can turn your terrace into a beverage garden. She has suggested that terrace gardeners take a break from vegetables for a season and plant tea, coffee, lemongrass and other plants. Want to know how? Read on! Happy Reading! Warmly, Rashmi Karnataka farmer harvests 120 kg of mangosteen per tree, sells at Rs 650 per kg From a cow shed to Rs 3 lakh a month: How this Maharashtra couple built a profitable mushroom business AI engineer quits MNC job to grow orchids in the air, earns Rs 30,000 a week 5 plants to turn your terrace into a tea and coffee garden