Aurangabad: Naresh Kumar, a farmer from Dev block in Aurangabad district, Bihar, has turned 125 acres of barren land into a thriving guava orchard, earning a net income of around Rs 1.30 crore. His work has drawn praise from Bihar’s agriculture minister, Ramkripal Yadav, who called him a symbol of the state’s horticulture revolution.
Kumar credits his success to training received from the Agricultural Technology Management Agency (ATMA), where he learned modern farming methods and how to access government schemes. With scientific techniques, determination, and the proper use of institutional support, he transformed previously unproductive land into a flourishing horticultural area. The Horticulture Directorate and the Soil and Water Conservation Directorate also played a key role.
He formed a group of 20 progressive farmers and leased the land at Rs 6,000 per acre. Under the Pradhan Mantri Micro Irrigation Scheme, he installed drip irrigation across the entire area, built polyhouses, and received a Rs 25 lakh subsidy for 25 acres through a cluster-based horticulture scheme.
Kumar planted the Taiwan Pink variety of guava using high-density farming methods. The orchards produced about 6,000 quintals, sold at an average price of Rs 3,000 per quintal. With total costs around Rs 50 lakh, of which Rs 35 lakh came from government subsidies, he achieved a net profit of Rs 1.30 crore. His story demonstrates how knowledge, planning, and government support can make even barren land profitable and sustainable.
