Raebareli: Anand Mishra, a young management graduate of Uttar Pradesh, ventured into the horticulture sector and started growing lemons. This really turned his career, and within a few years he became a famous man nicknamed ‘Lemon Man of Uttar Pradesh.’ Currently, he has been growing lemons in Kachnawan village. His work was applauded and received prestigious Chaudhary Charan Singh Kisan Samman.
Gradually, media persons thronged to his home. He said in the beginning he did the traditional farming, but it was a boring affair for him, so he switched to the horticulture sector. Mishra had a meeting with the District Agriculture Office, where he got the idea of lemon farming. He did a lot of research, and in the end he chose the juicy Thai variety for boosting his lemon production. The size of the variety is bigger compared to normal lemons.
The result was amazing, and the production goes up 20 times. Last year Anand harvested 400 crates (100 tonnes) of lemons, which were sold between Rs 40 and Rs 70 per crate. The production of this variety continues all over the year in his orchard; he earned Rs 7 lakh each season. He has been exporting his products, and it has provided employment to locals as well.
The lemon man urged farmers to grow tall grass to act as a manuring crop to increase carbon content in soil. After that, saplings will have to be sown in the east-west direction so that they can’t be uprooted even in a storm. He went on to say that the distance should be 10×10 feet between saplings and rows.
Anand has changed the tradition, and his positive thinking brings success. It means when life gives you lemon, then try to make it lemonade.
