Success Story: How Nihal Singh Achieved Up to ₹70 Lakh Annual Turnover from 20-Acre Pomegranate Farming Using Biological Products

Progressive farmer Nihal Singh, a resident of Bawatara village in Sayla tehsil of Jalore district, Rajasthan, made farming an important part of his life after a long career in banking. After retiring as a Chief Manager from the State Bank of India, he became directly involved in pomegranate farming. He has been cultivating pomegranates for nearly six years and currently manages an orchard spread across around 20 acres with approximately 5,000 plants. Initially, he used a combination of chemical and biological inputs, but after gaining experience with soil conditions, input costs and crop management, he gradually moved towards biological farming.

In a conversation with Krishi Jagran, Nihal Singh shared his experiences related to pomegranate cultivation, Rajasthan’s climate, irrigation, pest and disease management, nutrition, biological inputs, production, costs and marketing. Here is a detailed look at his farming journey.

From Banking to Farming

Nihal Singh says that he had been connected with farming earlier as well, but his job did not allow him to devote much time to agriculture. During that period, his son looked after the farming activities. After working as a Chief Manager at the State Bank of India, he became increasingly interested in farming after retirement.

For around six years, his family has been involved in pomegranate cultivation along with other crops. After retirement, he decided to devote more time to farming and focused on developing pomegranate cultivation in a scientific and systematic manner. During this period, he also began gathering information about biological farming and different biological products.

5,000 Pomegranate Plants Across 20 Acres

At present, Nihal Singh has a pomegranate orchard spread over approximately 20 acres, with around 5,000 plants. The orchard contains plants of different ages, including six-year-old, five-year-old and nearly three-year-old plants.

According to him, commercial production in pomegranate generally becomes better from the third year, although some farmers begin harvesting from the second year. He sourced tissue-culture plants from Nagpur and says that the plants showed good initial growth, with relatively fewer disease-related problems.

He harvested his first crop after the second year and has completed five harvests so far. The current crop is his sixth.

Pomegranate Farming in Rajasthan’s Climate

Weather is one of the major challenges for pomegranate cultivation in areas such as Jalore. Temperatures can become extremely high during summer, while winter temperatures can fall considerably. Therefore, selecting the right crop cycle and managing the orchard according to local climatic conditions is important.

According to Nihal Singh, the crop cycle in his area begins in June. Weather conditions gradually change after that, with temperatures beginning to decline. Harvesting starts after December and continues in different stages for around three months.

He believes that the June crop cycle suits the climate of his region. As temperatures gradually decline after the rainy season, conditions become more favourable for plant growth and fruit development.

Managing Plants During the Summer Rest Period

The pomegranate crop enters a rest period after March. According to Nihal Singh, the orchard should not be completely neglected during this phase. Maintaining the plants’ nutritional requirements is important so that they remain healthy when the new crop cycle begins in June.

He believes that healthy plants are better able to deal with diseases. Therefore, even during the rest period, he pays attention to plant health, nutrition and regular orchard monitoring.

Low Soil Carbon Was a Major Challenge

Soil health has been an important issue in Nihal Singh’s farming experience. He says that the carbon content of the soil in his fields was around 0.25-0.30%. According to him, this affected the soil’s water-holding capacity and made it difficult for plants to efficiently utilise the nutrients being applied.

To address this issue, he began focusing on the use of organic matter and biological inputs. According to his experience, maintaining soil moisture and ensuring the availability of essential nutrients to plants helped improve the condition of his orchard.

Pest and Disease Management in Pomegranate

Nihal Singh describes pomegranate cultivation as a technically sensitive farming activity in which regular orchard monitoring is essential. Based on his experience, pests such as caterpillars and thrips, along with blight and various fungal diseases, can affect the crop.

Fruit fly can also become a problem in pomegranate. According to him, fruit flies lay eggs inside the fruit, which can eventually cause the fruit to deteriorate. Some fungal problems can also lead to black marks appearing on the fruit surface.

Nihal Singh regularly walks through his orchard to monitor the condition of plants and fruits. Depending on the nature of the problem, he tries to use biological management methods. When required, he also uses chemical sprays. He says that, in some cases, he prefers applying sprays to the external parts of the plants rather than applying chemical inputs directly to the soil.

Drip Irrigation for Better Water Management

Water availability, quality and depth are major challenges in the Jalore region. Nihal Singh says that his tube well extends to around 900 feet, while water is available at a depth of approximately 700 feet.

Under such conditions, making efficient use of every drop of water becomes essential. He has adopted drip irrigation in his pomegranate orchard. According to him, pomegranate does not require excessive water, and over-irrigation can also increase the risk of certain disease-related problems.

Through drip irrigation, he provides moisture according to the plants’ requirements and tries to minimise water wastage.

Gradual Shift Towards Biological Farming

Nihal Singh’s transition towards biological farming did not happen overnight. Initially, he used a combination of chemical and biological inputs. According to him, around 80% chemical and 20% biological inputs were used in the beginning. Later, the ratio became approximately 50:50, after which he gradually increased the use of biological inputs.

He is now moving towards an almost fully biological system in his pomegranate cultivation. However, he also says that in certain situations, limited chemical sprays may still be used.

He mentioned using certain products from Glow Green Biotech, a company based in Surat. According to him, one product is used in the soil while another is applied as a foliar spray. Before using the products, he says he studied their contents and applications.

Focus on Plant Health and Fruit Size

According to Nihal Singh, after using biological inputs, he has observed good plant greenness and canopy development in his orchard. At present, the fruit size is around 150 grams, and he hopes to achieve fruit sizes of around 300-400 grams in the future.

However, these observations represent his personal farm experience and current conditions. Results can vary from one farm to another depending on soil, variety, weather, irrigation, nutrition, plant age and management practices.

Claim of Reducing Costs from ₹20 Lakh to ₹8–9 Lakh

According to Nihal Singh, his total expenditure on the pomegranate orchard was around ₹20 lakh last year, while his expenditure so far this year has been around ₹8-9 lakh. He attributes part of this reduction to using fewer products along with biological inputs.

He says that earlier he had to apply calcium, boron, iron, magnesium, zinc, NPK and other micronutrients separately. Now, he is trying to manage crop nutrition with a limited number of products.

According to his experience, this has reduced his input expenditure. However, these costs are specific to his orchard and management system, and expenses can vary for other farmers.

Potential Production of Up to 100 Tonnes

According to Nihal Singh, his 5,000 plants currently carry around 100 to 250 fruits per plant. Based on an average of approximately 125-150 fruits per plant and an average fruit weight of around 200 grams, he estimates a potential production of around 25-30 kg per plant.

Based on this calculation, he estimates the minimum potential production from the entire orchard at around 100 tonnes. Even if the market price is assumed to be ₹50-60 per kg, the total sales could be significant.

However, actual production and sales depend on factors such as weather, fruit quality, market prices and crop management. Based on his estimates, his annual turnover from pomegranate and other crops reaches around ₹60-70 lakh.

Selling Pomegranates Directly to Traders

For marketing his pomegranates, Nihal Singh uses both traditional markets and direct contact with traders. His region has major pomegranate markets that attract traders from across the country. Pasted markdown

He says transporting large quantities of produce repeatedly to the market involves both time and transportation costs. Therefore, several traders visit his farm directly, inspect the orchard and negotiate deals based on the quality of the produce.

According to him, he has not received a price below ₹50 per kg so far. He says prices of around ₹80, ₹100 and ₹125 per kg are generally available, depending on market conditions and quality.

Market and Premium Pricing Challenges in Biological Farming

One of the common questions surrounding biological farming is whether farmers can receive premium prices for their produce when the method requires additional effort and management.

In Nihal Singh’s experience, crop quality and direct market connections play an important role. He invites traders directly to his farm so that buyers can assess the quality of the produce themselves.

However, premium prices for biological produce are not automatically available in every market. Certification, buyer confidence, dedicated market channels and product quality can all play an important role in securing premium prices.

Message to Farmers on Biological Farming

Nihal Singh believes farmers should overcome misconceptions about biological farming and test the approach on a small scale before making major changes. He suggests that farmers should not immediately change their entire farming system but should first experiment with a few plants or a limited area.

He says he followed a similar approach himself-starting with an 80:20 chemical-to-biological input ratio, moving to 50:50 and gradually increasing the use of biological inputs.

This gradual transition gave him an opportunity to observe how changes in inputs affected his soil and plants.

Biological Farming Experiments Beyond Pomegranate

Nihal Singh’s experience with biological farming is not limited to pomegranate. He says he has also used biological products in crops such as castor, pearl millet, okra and brinjal.

In addition, he has planted fruit crops such as jamun, apple, cherry and guava. According to him, these plants have also shown good growth and greenness.

A Farming Journey Built on Experimentation

Nihal Singh’s journey from a banking professional to a full-time farmer reflects a gradual transition towards scientific and systematic farming. From managing a 20-acre pomegranate orchard with around 5,000 plants to adopting drip irrigation, monitoring pests and diseases, experimenting with biological inputs and developing direct market connections, he has built his farming approach through continuous observation and experimentation.

His experience also highlights the importance of adapting farming practices to local soil, water and climatic conditions. While the production, cost and income figures mentioned are based on his own farm experience and estimates, his journey demonstrates how farmers can explore new approaches, evaluate results and gradually adopt practices that suit their own conditions.