BENGALURU: From little date seeds, great things are born’ is a famous African proverb that reiterates the universal truth that all big achievers start from scratch. And a farmer from the little town of Gauribidanur in Chikkaballapur district, stands testimony to this. Two decades ago, the farmer Diwakar Chennappa, 44, heard a talk about the potential of growing dates in South India from Dharmapuri-based farmer Nizamuddin, during Krishi Mela at GKVK Bengaluru. Till then, he, like everyone else, was under the impression that the best dates are those that are imported from the Middle East.
Inspired by the talk, Chennappa visited Nizamuddin’s farm in Tamil Nadu and was surprised to see the latter’s success at growing dates. “I brought 150 tissue-cultured date palms and planted them on my two-acre land at Mudgankunte, Gauribidanur. The weather and soil conditions here are very similar. It took four years to get my first crop. The initial harvest was around 800-1,000 kg, but now I get 5 tonnes annually,” he told The New Sunday Express.
He does not sell his produce in markets or stores. Instead, he conducts harvest festivals twice between August and September and invites interested people. He also delivers to homes in Bengaluru based on the quantity of the orders.
The farmer, while purchasing the tissue-cultured plant was told by Nizamuddin to use good quality medicines and fertilizers. But Chennappa trusted his instinct and started to produce organic medicines on his own and it paid rich dividends.
He uses only organic solutions like neem, garlic and other herbs. He also pollinates the plants through the dusting method, a demanding task. Once the process is done, the fruits can be expected by August-September, and it is ready for harvest.
“I approached people to visit my farm land on harvest festivals. Around 300 to 400 people come and purchase the dates. I give it for Rs 310 a kg during festivals. In case, I get bulk delivery orders from Bengaluru, I charge Rs 350 a kg and deliver to gated communities or apartment complexes. I don’t depend on the middleman as I may get only Rs 180 a kg and the middleman may pocket the same amount for doing nothing,” Chennappa said.