Shri Ashapura Farm & Nursery
H Hard work on the motherland always pays off. If we sow one, it gives a hundred grains…
This story is the story of a farmer who became the pride of the land of Kutch, who has prepared himself with full vigor and determination, and today, he is Guiding other farmers with this Experience. We are talking about Batuksinh Jadejaji, a resident of Moti Mau village of Kutch district of Gujarat. He set an example for the farmers of Gujarat that if there are hard work and genuine passion, then the land also spills gold.
This farming is my farming. But in the middle, there came a time that in Kutch there was a lot of drought and agriculture was very expensive. That’s why I went abroad in search of job in 1977. I was in Muscat in Oman. I did a lot of hard work there, I took my three brothers along with me after 5year when i was settled we worked in that company. I was there for eight to 10 years. Here in Oman, BatukJi was progressing and there his father wanted him to return to the native take care of his agricultural skills and fields. To fulfill his father’s wish, Batukji came to Kutch in 1985. My father was very fond of farming. We had very little land, around 3 or 4 acres. When I came here my father had already purchased 150 to 200 acres of land. I came and had my return ticket and visa too but he didn’t let me go. He told me that, now this farming has to be developed, you stay here. I stayed here, according to the era, I bought a tractor and leveled the rough land. For 8 to 10 years I worked very hard. But when we took out the average in farming, I learned that if we do such farming, then our children who are behind will not do farming. Because there was no profit in farming, just eating food. If there is a bank loan or a private loan, then farmers would not be able to repay the loan. This was a situation of farming. And this was not the case of mine only, each farmer around us was having the similar situation. Someone said right that success is not achieved in one day but if we decide firmly then definitely one day we get it. With this belief in mind, Batuksinhji went on a Gujarat tour. He says we were going to change a little bit about how we should do farming. That is why we roamed all over Gujarat. We will give the profits to the farmers with less usage of water and fewer work expenses. If there are profits, farming will last. Otherwise, what will happen that our children will sell land and go to the city for job. So the village will be finished. After traveling all over Gujarat, he focused on three important points. First, to remove the brokers from the middle. Where do farmers get killed that is in the market. You grow anything but when the crop is ready and we take it to the market, the crop that grown with our blood and sweat, and who decides its value is, a broker. And those who decide the price, we stand as if we have committed some crime. So this thing was also on my mind. Second, being a businessman yourself. If the farmers themselves grow and if we do not become traders then no one can save the farmers. So it should also be changed. Thirdly, to produce only cereal whose quality is demanded. You have to produce good quality, the world today, grow a good crop or anything, whether fruits or grains, but today the world are is not ready to eat pesticide crops. At that time I was thinking in my mind that we need to complete ORGANIC. Second, produce a good quality that the market comes to us. We should not go to the market. Taking these three things into consideration, he took a big step, on which he probably had to walk alone, that step was to adopt horticulture in the fields. If we make the quality good, then I alone will fall short I will need people. So why not gather the farmers of my nearby villages? I held a meeting at my farm, I am talking about 1994. 200 farmers attended the meeting. I explained that we will do such a thing. Which did not sit in the minds of some farmers, they said, “Hey Bapu, what are you doing?” What will we eat till the crop will come after three years? I told them, do not do this, do a little bit, interfere in the middle, you will get enough. Where the market will come? Who will take this much goods? They were thinking very narrowly. So I told them, if you produce good quality then the market will come to your home and will buy from your farm. Okay, but in the end they said, you do, we will see. They say, listen to your inner voice because what you accept is you become today or tomorrow. After listening to the voice of his inner soul, Batukji first adopted horticulture himself and register farm with national horticulture board & with Apeda. I had already thought that we have to do it, then my brother and I started with something little in 1949. For that, we brought a hundred saplings from TalalaGir, Vanthali. We planted it because I have completely seen what to do if we want to go to horticulture, how is our land, how is our water, how is the whole climate. I will do it if it is suitable. Then I chose the Kesar mangoes. At that time, brought a hundred plants, planted a hundred plants in our farm, then I took care of these hundred plants, after three years, it grew mango. When the fruit came, I thought how should the fruit be, is there any quality, what is the difference? Looked at its size, saw its bark, saw its full colour, what is the inner fibre like? How is the seed inside? How is the fruit mash inside? And what is the colour inside and lastly how does it taste? Because of that, from a hundred saplings we took 55 saplings out. I researched that, used some of our techniques. Then I made the mother plant. What was it then, BatukJi and his brothers together established their own business which is world-famous today as Shri Ashapura farms and nursery. I had a meeting with my brother and I told him to make our brand. From that time on we built our own brand. SHRI ASHAPURA FARMS AND NURSERY and registered its box, logo and started. Since that time, our Gujarat Horticulture Board is competing at different places every year. Farmers from all over Gujarat bring their mangoes and who has the best quality comes first among them. Thus, we took our mango in Amreli, then Kodinar. We stood in first place constantly for 5 years, every year stood first. Then, at 6th time by the Sardar Patel KrushiSanshodhan Award, Gujarat State, Modi sir who is now PM, was the CM at that time awarded and honored us with fifty-one thousand rupee check at Junagadh University as we first all over Gujarat. Then in 2004, Media had made our Mango fruit famous in the whole country, so a merchant from London having who has shop there named ‘kings berry’ knowing our Mango different from others came here and he roamed around my entire farm in 2004, tasted our mango and told that I want to feed your mangoes to the people of London. I said okay. For the first time at that time, I went to London in 2004. There too, there was so much demand from the people of London. They ate it and demanded it, And very good demand. Then every year I exported mangoes to London. In 2008 the Government of India and the Government of Gujarat sent me to Singapore. Why? For marketing of Kesar mango. Now I was the only person sent from Gujarat by APEDA and NHB auditorial Board. There were farmers from every state. I stood first in Singapore too. There was a big businessman who still has a huge ‘Mustafa market’ in Singapore; he praised my mango very much. And even today mangoes are being exported to Singapore, not ours but of Kutch are exporting. We are currently shipping to Oman. Also sending to Dubai, London. But at that time all the farmers refused, that we cannot afford it. Today my happiness is that when I sent the container from Mundra to Dubai by the sea in 2006, then the farmer realized that there is something right. Every small change is a part of great success and Batukji slowly made small changes in his farming and gave birth to a successful business. Ripe mangoes are very bad in the market nowadays, added chemicals, and added carbon. We do not put anything like this. I planted a mango tree in 1989 and till the date has not added any urea, DAP, or any fertilizer, never used that. Still, our mangoes are good. Cow dung, cow urine is all we put. But the farmer should not do this. If you want to go to a quality, then you should be clean and feed the world good things. So they also have good health. There is a religion of our farmer that we should feed good things and take the price that you want but it should be good. He prepared a testing system to maintain the quality of their Kesar mangoes. All the mangoes go through this system and then to the market. The mangoes that are being prepared right now, we are sending muscat. And those mangoes which being plucked from trees are those which are completely in a position to take off. From there, mangoes come in our pack houses. After that, we do the grading of mangoes. If there are any defective mangoes in the grading, then they go out in C-grade, and all the A-grade mangoes are exported. We have 12 pieces in a box. Which is completed by the packing process. Then we put it in the cooling. Here, six tons of goods remain together for five hours in pre-cooling processing. After five hours of precooling, we keep it in a cold store. It is put in pre-cooling because the mangoes come from the tree have a high temperature in it, it has heat. If we pack it as it is, it deteriorates till going to foreign countries. That is why the temperature is cooled down and then referred to as the low-temperature container. In today’s era, the quality of exports is very high due to the dangers of pesticides, bacteria, and viruses. Countries like Oman do up to 283 quality checks. But Batukji has proved in his farming in an organic way that today our farmers can successfully cross the entire criteria of export quality. Today, while taking lessons from the fame and hard work of Batuk Sinh Ji, farmers come from place to place to learn agricultural skills from him. Hard work on the motherland always pays off. If we sow one, it gives a hundred grains. But we have some ignorance. We do not have as much knowledge as we need. So that is why the farmer gets into a little trouble. In terms of medicines, manure, they are unaware of its adequate usage and they give twice as much. In one acre, they even use 3, 4, or 5 properties of urea. This is very difficult for mother earth because the strength and the natural modification in it get perish. We do harm it ourselves, that needs to be understood. If we want to save the environment in the country, then horticulture should be done compulsorily. Nowadays the government is also giving subsidies to many farmers. I know this because my subsidy is approved. So every farmer who comes to know from us does not have to go anywhere else, the online registration process is done and is also deposited in the bank online. I also have my visit book in which 15 to 20 thousand farmers keep coming in the year. they come from every state, but more from all over Gujarat. We advise them. I never asked any farmer his cast, he is a farmer that is enough. Whenever someone calls on the day at night, I give them the same advice as I am successful in that. Nowadays farming is not the same as before, today all the technical era has come. Israel is such a small country, if it exports goods to the world like in Europe, America, then our Gujarat is huge. So children should read when I came in, I taught my children. Today, they are all have complited their ghudula hon. This should happen that the farming system comes into the industry. Why? Systematically, make its market, which product is in demand in which country? Nowadays, there are many malls in big cities. Not just mango, every farming products. I tell the farmer that if you sow the Millet, grow it organically. Filter it and complete the process and pack it in 5 or 10 kg bags. Make its logo, name it, and then send it well. Whose money you used to get for 15 rupees would be 50. The world is still the same. Farming will prevail only when you walk through the industry system. So we tell the previous generation that at first, you read, only then you will understand it. Otherwise, someone will cheat you. And there is no need to do a job, 5 acres of farming is enough but should be done with the system. Cold store, pre-cooling, water treatment, gamma radiation, if it is done in Kutch, then all the exporters will open their office here. And if these exporters come here, then they will take the goods from the farmer directly. Marketing has to be done well, we have a port inside Kutch. If it becomes an international airport, then the Mango of Kutch, dates of Kutch, Pomegranate of Kutch, Banana, Papaya in Kutch are all growing in thousands of acres so that the farmers of Kutch can fill the national bank with dollars and the farmers of Kutch can also live well. Mr.Modi says that double income, but not double, I say it would be four times the income. But it should be done from the base, if you want to build a house, the base should be strong. On 150 to 200 acres of land, BatukSinghji put his life on the path of progress by planting 70 Kesar mango plants, today it has become an identity in Kutch. This is a living example of hard work and perseverance. If this passion remains, then the solution to the difficulties will also be solved, if this passion remains, then the problems will also be solved, what if the land is barren, water will also produce from there. Do not be disheartened, do not be afraid, my companion, With these nights, the golden tomorrow will also come out, With these nights, the golden tomorrow will also come out.