Puri: Who would have thought that a patch of land in Puri district would turn into a grape orchard? The district has a very hot climate and grapes usually need cool climate to flourish. So this development has come as a surprise to many.
However, 40-year-old Ghanasyama Behera has achieved the impossible. Behera, who is a service holder, first planted a grape tree sapling in 2018 on an experimental basis. The result took him by surprise.
“One of my neighbour’s had given me the Australian grape sapling as he was leaving this town following his transfer,” Behera informed.
Behera planted the sapling in his garden and took utmost care of the plant like his own child. And before his eyes, he saw the number of saplings increase and lo behold, he had a grape orchard.
Behera knew that the weather in Puri district is not conducive for the development of a grape orchard. However, he tended to the saplings with utmost care. He always used natural manures like those made from cow dung, cow urine, jaggery, gram flour and mud to enrich the soil. He kept spraying the plants with cow urine or buttermilk to prevent infections from pests. All these products are a good source of protein for the tree. When the vines started growing, Behera made a trellis, so that the trees got proper support to grow.
He expected nothing from the grape trees. However, the ultimate result was a pleasant surprise for Behera as the trees started delivering fruits. When he first saw a bunch of 20 grapes in one tree, he could not contain his happiness. “The results completely surprised me, but I was very happy,” Behera said.
When the locals became aware about this development, they started frequenting the grape orchard to take pictures. On his part Behera did not make commercial use of the fruits. He distributed most of the grapes to children in his locality and kept some for domestic consumption.
Buoyed by the success of his experiment, Behera now encourages other farmers to grow grapes as it requires low investment and helps in earning good profits. The trees bear fruits twice a year. The first flowering starts in February and the harvesting period is June while the second one is from August to December.
PNN