ગુજરાતી
English
Read all the benefits of watermelon in summer
Ahmedabad,
32-year-old young farmer Shivam Hareshbhai Patel of Sankhej village in Kheda has started a new venture of watermelon and sweet potato farming. His melons are fragrant and very sweet due to the high sugar content in them. He has changed his foreign form to the indigenous form. However, he cannot give any proof for this.
It is a foreign variety. Red watermelons are round. The sugar content in a normal watermelon is 6 to 7 percent. Shivam’s watermelon has 14 to 15 percent sugar. This is basically due to natural farming. In this regard, he got the quality determined by conducting laboratory tests at Anand Agricultural University. It has double the amount of sugar.
He has 10 bigha land. In which watermelon, sweet potato and other crops are grown. Strawberries are grown in two bighas and watermelons and tamarind in 8 bighas.
Market
Their market system is to deliver the goods directly from the farm to the consumer. Its price is Rs 50 per kg, which is packed in 10 kg bags. 25 percent of the goods are sold from the farm.
Yellow color
They also produce yellow watermelon. It is smooth dough. Juicy more. It also has an outdoor variety. Which is sold to people for Rs 60.
Income
There is an income of about seven lakh rupees from watermelon and tamarind grown in an organic way.
Characteristics
Sweet aroma. It is an outdoor variety. It is crisp. But Shivam claims that he has developed a modified variety of it in his farm. Now it has become a native variety. They are selling sweet watermelons.
The production of red watermelon is less but the quality is excellent.
Tatti
Tatti sells it for 100 to 200 rupees.
It contains 15 to 20 percent sugar.
We make tattoos with aroma and fragrance.
Wild Farming
Subhash Palekar has been doing organic farming since 2019. I have studied BE Mechanical. For the last seven years, he has been cultivating strawberries, watermelon and tamarind in horticultural crops through natural farming. Shivam Patel wants to convert his farm into a jungle model farm.
Tree plantation in Gujarat
According to the estimate of Gujarat Agriculture Department, watermelon and sweet potato cultivation is expected to be done in 12 thousand hectares in 2025 and production is expected to be 1.50 to 1.70 lakh tonnes.
On an average, 70% sugarcane and 30% watermelon are cultivated in 10060 hectares in Gujarat. Cultivation is done on 5 thousand hectares of sandy soil of Banaskantha. Half of which occurs in the direction itself. Good farming is done in Sabarkantha and Jamnagar.
Research
Navsari Agricultural University
This research has been done by Navsari Agricultural University. So 100 percent of watermelon can be used. Earlier 40 percent had to be thrown away. Watermelon is produced at a cost of Rs 200 per quintal. 65 thousand per hectare at the rate of 30-40 tons in 90 days. A profit of 1.10 lakhs was obtained. Now, if you make juice, candy or other products from it and sell it, you can earn a lot of money.
Candy
Candy is made from the pulp of watermelon peel. Sugar is added equal to the weight of watermelon peel. 0.2 percent citric acid, 1500 ppm. potassium metabisulphate is added. Then, cut the watermelon peel into pieces and add TSS syrup to it. Leave it for 72 hours until it reaches 70 degrees. Then wash the candy and dry it at 60 degrees till it contains 17 percent moisture and pack it in 400 gauge bags. Normal temperature is maintained at 37 degrees Celsius for 6 months.
Potassium pyrosulfite is a white crystalline powder with a pungent odor. It is used mainly as an antioxidant or chemical disinfectant. It is chemically similar to sodium metabisulphite, with which it is sometimes used.
Watermelon Amrit
Navsari Agricultural University has developed a novel process for making watermelon juice. In which 25 percent watermelon juice, sugar and citric acid are added and its TSS is increased. After maintaining 16 Brix and 0.3 percent acidity, it contains 1 percent pectin and 100 ppm. By adding sodium benzoate, filling it in a glass bottle, sterilizing it at 96 degrees Celsius for 5 minutes, acceptable quality standards can be maintained for 6 months at normal temperature of 37 degrees Celsius.
Watermelon juice
Navsari Agricultural University has developed a method of making watermelon juice. TSS of watermelon juice is 10 Brix, acidity 0.3 percent, pectin 1 percent and sodium benzoate 100 ppm. By filling it in a glass bottle and sterilizing it at 96 degrees Celsius for 5 minutes, it can remain at normal temperature of 37 degrees Celsius for 6 months, and can meet acceptable quality standards.
Watermelon juice candy
To make a candy that provides relief from heat, 2 cups of watermelon juice and half a teaspoon of sugar are mixed and filled in an ice cream mold and kept in the freezer for 8 hours, then it is opened and served.
Murabba
The white inner peel of 1.5 kg watermelon is grated. The green top peel is removed. Blanch the pieces. Can be cut into 1 inch pieces. Put it in water and when it boils take it out. Cut into pieces and soak in 1.5 kg sugar for two hours. Cook it on high flame in ghee. When the syrup becomes like a string between two fingers, add cardamom powder and nutmeg to it.
