Success Story: Left the job and started lemon farming, earning profit of up to Rs 5 lakh

Success Story: The ‘Lemon Man’ is really Anand Mishra, a forward-thinking farmer from Kachanava village in Uttar Pradesh’s Raebareli region. Many individuals who are considering a career in gardening or farming find inspiration in his narrative. Anand Mishra spent 13 years working for a global corporation after earning his bachelor’s degree in business administration in the city. However, he had the audacity to resign from his position and pursue farming in 2016. Farmers from nine states have already joined him, and he provides them with instruction and lemon cultivation seedlings.

Farmers who follow Lemon Man Anand Mishra’s growing style are making around Rs 5 lakh per acre. Please provide a detailed account of this progressive’s success in such a scenario.

Love of Farming and Starting

Progressive farmer Anand Mishra said in an interview with media reports that he had a passion for gardening since he was a little boy but was unable to pursue it because of his work. His enthusiasm for gardening grew even more once he made the decision to quit his job and move to the hamlet. At first, he wasn’t sure which gardening or crop to undertake. He conducted study, visited several regions, and collected data on farming in order to do this.

Ultimately, he believed that gardening might provide a respectable living. In Uttar Pradesh, growing fruits like bananas, guavas, and amla was common, while growing lemons was less common. He considered using this shortcoming as a springboard and made the decision to grow Thai lemons. He also learned about the manufacturing and use of lemons for this. He then began their gardening after purchasing lemon plants.

Expertise in Growing Lemons

According to Anand Mishra, growing lemons is simple in areas that also grow crops like wheat, rice, and sugarcane. Dhaincha and sunai may be grown and added to the soil as green manure if the soil is less fertile. Ten feet long by twenty feet broad is the ideal spacing between lemon plants, which may be planted in July. One acre may accommodate around 200 plants.

For over 30 years, a lemon plant has produced quality fruit. Fruit should only be picked after three years for optimum development, even if some plants begin to yield fruit in that time. A plant begins to yield 20 to 25 kg of fruit after three years, and after seven years, it may yield almost one quintal. In the market, it costs between Rs 30 and Rs 100 per kilogram.

In his orchard, Anand Mishra has planted seven or eight different types, including Thai Lemon, NRCC 7 and 8, Balaji, Shahi Sharbati, Kagji Rasbhari, and PDKV Bahar. In order to get fruits all year round, he suggests that farmers grow more than three types. According to him, grafted lemon trees shouldn’t be planted as they produce larger fruits, which isn’t a need for lemons.

Lemons are Needed all Year Round

Lemons are in high demand all year round and keep better in storage than other fruits. According to Anand Mishra, merchants now visit the area and purchase lemons from him.

Obstacles in the Way of Achievement

For Anand Mishra, this was not an easy route. People began making fun of him when he quit his job at a multinational corporation to pursue a career in gardening. Because they believed that a young guy working in an air-conditioned room would not be able to succeed in gardening, even his family members were against it. However, ‘Anand’ persisted. According to him, success is certain for everyone with huge ideas and a strong desire to work outside of society.

Lemon Farming’s Expenses and Earnings

According to Anand Mishra, he himself grows lemons on two acres of land. However, he is affiliated with farmers from nine states in the nation. They give them seedlings and agricultural instruction. The return from one acre of lemon growing is around 5 lakh rupees, while the expenditure per acre might reach 60–70 thousand rupees. He said that the initial outlay was little and that it would be recouped in a year or two. The cost then drops by 70 to 80 percent.

A Source of Motivation for Farmers

Because of his zeal, Anand Mishra is known nationwide as “Lemon Man.” According to Anand Mishra, he aims to alter society’s limited perceptions of gardening and agriculture rather than only using gardening as a source of income. He claims that while farming requires a lot of labor, it also leads to success and self-satisfaction.

In this context, we may state that the tale of forward-thinking farmer Anand Mishra serves as motivation for anybody aspiring to work in the agricultural industry. He demonstrated that anybody can succeed in any area with dedication and hard work. His decision to quit his profession and pursue farming has served as an example for many other farmers as well as for himself.