ગુજરાતી
English
Dilip Patel
Ahmedabad, 30 April 2025
He has a record of motivating, guiding and helping to create 3 crore pomegranate tree gardens by 2017 and now a total of 10 crore trees by 2025. He is known as Dadam Dada.
Padma Shri Genaji Dargaji Patel 9925557177 is a farmer from Sarkir Golia village of Lakhani taluka of Banaskantha district of Gujarat.
He started pomegranate cultivation in Banaskantha in 2004. Since then Banaskantha has been a leader in pomegranate production. Now farmers of Kutch, Morbi and Surendranagar districts have overtaken Banaskantha in pomegranate production.
Genabhai has helped a lot in planting pomegranate trees in Rajasthan. Pomegranate gardens have now been established in Jalore, Barmer, Jodhpur and Jaisalmer areas. Apart from this, he has organized camps and also guided in Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.
In Gujarat, 6 lakh 30 thousand tonnes of pomegranate is produced in 43 thousand 526 hectares. Farmers are producing 14.50 tonnes of goods per hectare.
Several gardens have been built in Kutch, Surendranagar, Halvad and Morbi.
In Banaskantha, pomegranates grow in Vav Tharad Lakhani Deodar. That area has now become smaller.
An official of the Agriculture Department estimated that in 2023-24, there will be 12,227 hectares of pomegranate orchards in Banaskantha and 2 lakh tonnes of pomegranate will be produced there.
The highest number of pomegranate orchards in the whole of Gujarat are in Kutch. Where there are orchards in 20 thousand hectares and farmers have been producing 2 lakh 80 thousand tonnes of goods.
In Morbi, farmers are producing 63 thousand tons of pomegranate in 4515 hectares and in Surendranagar, 18 thousand tons of pomegranate in 1800 hectares.
Genabhai says that for a total of Rs. 80 to 125 per kg, farmers get a price of Rs. 125 sitting at home.
Farmers are troubled by flower withering, blight disease and plague. Due to which 30 percent of the production is being lost. If this disease does not occur, farmers can produce 20 tons of goods per hectare.
Plague occurs only when pomegranates are ready to be harvested. Plague outbreak is visible on the fruit 15 days before it ripens. If plague spreads, 50 percent of pomegranates will become useless. Pomegranates rot within a week. The older you are, the more plague you get. Moreover, as soon as the fruit starts getting sweet, plague comes. He estimates that about 20 percent of pomegranates are getting destroyed due to wind in Gujarat.
These 3 diseases increase when humidity increases.
After 5 years
Padmashree Genaji Dargaji Patel has five hectares of land. But his farm is like a university for pomegranate. So far 1 lakh 70 to 80 thousand people and farmers have come here. They always cultivate pomegranate. It is surprising to know that a farmer who cultivates pomegranate gets India’s highest award Padmashree. The Government of India has honored him for inspiring farmers. He is credited with growing 10 crore pomegranate trees in Gujarat and Rajasthan. He inspired farmers and helped them grow pomegranate orchards. That’s why people now know him as Dadaji Anar. The production of pomegranate in Gujarat contributes majorly to reducing the price of pomegranate due to high quality. This is the biggest achievement for any farmer. They are able to do the work that any agricultural university can do. He was awarded Padmashree in 2017.
He grows pomegranate on his five hectares of land. The use of organic manure produces red, shiny, large-sized and high-quality pomegranate fruits.
Genaji has polio in both legs. His village is located in a desolate area where there is a shortage of water. Still, he did what seemed impossible with drip irrigation. He bought pomegranate saplings from Maharashtra and planted them. Now pomegranates are grown in the fields around this village. Where there was a flood in the last monsoon and the pomegranate cultivation was destroyed. Farmers from Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab and Maharashtra come to buy pomegranates in December. He has received many awards. In 2013, he delivered a lecture at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad.
In 2010, the price of pomegranate was Rs. 25. 161 per kg. Due to continuous increase in production, today the average price is Rs. 2500. 66. Hectare started producing 9 tons, today they produce 26 tons. Other farmers have also been producing this much. Income has increased despite falling prices. Per hectare income is Rs. which has now increased to Rs. 14.49 lakhs. Rs. 17.16 lakhs and average profit has started to reach Rs. 1,00,000. Rs. 15.16 lakhs
Genabhai Patel has studied up to 12th standard. He went to Maharashtra in 2004 and got details of pomegranate cultivation and 6,000 plants. Today the situation has changed in 20 years.
How is farming done?
He uses organic manure in his farm. Vermicompost is provided every month. Panchamrit is made by mixing cow urine, cow dung, jaggery and gram flour. The use of this fertilizer will help the pomegranate tree to grow well. The flowering is extensive. The fruit is large, bright red. The quality of pomegranate seeds and pomegranate becomes excellent. A long bright strip has been put in the field so that birds do not come to eat the pomegranate. The bamboo supports are so big that the pomegranate tree has to be supported to keep it standing straight. To protect the pomegranate from birds and dew, it should be wrapped in a cloth or plastic bag. Being a desert, there is a lot of dew here. Due to which the pomegranates get dewy.
The fruit turns black and production reduces.
Pomegranate cultivation produces goods worth Rs. 10 lakh. 15 lakh per year. In which after deducting expenses, a profit of 2 lakh is obtained.
Brought change in the lives of farmers and agriculture
Farmer Genabhai Patel of Golia village located on the Pakistan border had polio in both legs. In 15 years, the definition of agriculture has changed with the inspiration of Gandhiji. The livelihood of about one lakh farmers has changed. The economic condition of the farmers has also changed. In 2010, the average price of one kg of pomegranate was Rs 25. 161. Production due to Pomegranate Dada
It has increased and the price has reached an average of Rs 100. 66 per kg. Production per hectare has increased from 10 tonnes to 20 to 26 tonnes. Farmers have reduced prices, yet their income has increased. Income per hectare was Rs. Which has now increased to Rs 14.49 lakh. Rs 17.16 lakh.
Companies buy their pomegranates. Pomegranate has not yet made its mark in the food industry of Gujarat.
One pomegranate is like a medicine for 100 diseases.
Lakhani Lakhani
Genabhai Dargabhai Patel inspired the farmers of Lakhani to cultivate pomegranate and today Lakhani Panthak is known as Anar Panthak. Golia village has come to be known as the village of pomegranates in the entire state. This village is located in a deserted area. There is a big problem of water. The entire Banaskantha district ranks first in the state. The village has 1500 bighas of land and 150 farmers. Everyone plants pomegranate. 20 to 22 tonnes of pomegranate is produced in one hectare. Pomegranate is grown in an area of 5,000 hectares in Lakhani taluka.
Society appreciated
By 2020, 40 awards had been received. Now he is over 50 years old. If any farmer asks for help in pomegranate cultivation, Genabhai immediately reaches in his car to help. He has received 9 national and 2 international awards. Padmashree Genaji was selected for the award at a ceremony held at the United Kingdom House of Commerce, British Parliament, London on 19 July 2019. Israel has also given him awards.
Using modern scientific methods, he installed CCTV cameras in the field and started moving around the field in a vehicle, leaving enough space for the vehicle to pass between two rows of pomegranate plants. (Google translation from Gujarati)
