Money does grow on trees

When Arvind Narayan Thanekar, 54, received a handsome amount as part of his voluntary retirement benefits, he was keen to make it grow. He s...

When Arvind Narayan Thanekar, 54, received a handsome amount as part of his voluntary retirement benefits, he was keen to make it grow. He sought advice from various quarters, weighed his options — and then ran into volunteers of the Konkan Vikas Prathistan, an NGO promoting agriculture in the Konkan region of Maharashtra.

That was two years ago. Today, the former employee of Punjab National Bank owns a vast banana orchard, a plant nursery and a farmhouse — stuff of his dreams when he was asked to retire.

Thanekar is only one of the

scores of urban Indians who are increasingly considering investments in land and its bounty a safer option to conventional destinations. Alongwith former colleagues Suresh Wagle and Chandrakant Kalambe, they are part of a group of 10 retired bankers to cultivate commercial orchards in Konkan.

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‘‘I have invested Rs 3 lakh in farmland and planted some 550 banana plants. There is also a nursery section with indoor, outdoor and ornamental plants,’’ says a rapturous Thanekar.

‘‘I have also started a vermiculture pit and intend to use the farmhouse as a resort. Besides, the plants from my nursery are sold to farm houses in Murbad, Kasara, Ambarnath and Titwala,’’ he adds.

Coming to the aid of Thanekar and his venture colleagues — none of whom had any prior first-hand experience with largescale farming — was the Konkan Vikas Action Group, the knowledge bank of the NGO.

‘‘The idea,’’ says Prathistan general secretary Sanjay Yadavrao, ‘‘is to help people invest their money wisely in agricultural ventures. We guide them through lectures, field trips and interaction with experienced farmers. From what we have seen, these retired people are truly enjoying their farming experience.’’

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And the enthusiasm is catching. The Prathistan, dependent completely on word-of-mouth publicity, has about 2000 registered members and is currently working on 200 orchards. It has a guidance centre at Udyog Bhavan in Dadar, where meetings are held every Tuesday to apprise existing new and existing members of opportunities.

‘‘We tell them about land acquisition, water, soil and fertiliser management, crop selection etc,’’ says Yadavrao. ‘‘We also make available technology and manpower.’’

Like Thanekar, most first-time farmers are keen on investing in fruits, but spices and medicinal plants come close. Commercial vermiculture pits, too, are a big rage.

‘‘We also help them build farmhouses and show how to turn them into money-spinners,’’ says Vinod Tawade, Prathistan chairman. ‘‘The new agriculturists can take in tourists who want to experience farm life. They can be provided food, lodging and sightseeing options for a fixed sum, this will help Konkan region get some revenue.’’

Whoever said money doesn’t grow on trees?