Farmers in Bihar are slowly stepping away from traditional crops like paddy and wheat and turning toward fruits that the state's fields had rarely seen before. One striking example of this shift is unfolding in Baikunthwa village in the Nautan block of West Champaran district, where farmer Shishir Dubey has opened a new path by cultivating mosambi, the sweet lime. What makes it remarkable is that only a handful of farmers in Bihar have dared to grow this fruit so far, and those who have are seeing returns far beyond what they expected.
Planted Six Years Ago, Now at Peak Yield
According to Shishir, he began planting his mosambi orchard about 6 years ago. The trees started bearing fruit last year, and this season the fruiting has reached its peak. The interesting part is that mosambi is actually a subtropical fruit, meaning it prefers a climate that does not get too hot. Despite that, it has grown beautifully in Bihar's tropical, high-heat climate.
The Advantage of Belonging to the Citrus Family
Mosambi belongs to the lemon and citrus family, and that is precisely what makes growing it easier. Shishir says his orchard faced no pest attacks, and no cattle grazed on or damaged the plants. As a result, the risk involved in tending the crop stayed remarkably low.
Three Acres, 750 Plants and Hopes of 12 Tonnes
Shishir has carried out this cultivation on a total of 3 acres of land, where around 750 saplings were planted. Over the past 6 years, all of them have grown into full trees, and each tree has borne up to 40 kg of mosambi. He estimates that this season he can harvest close to 12 tonnes of the fruit from the entire orchard. Since the fruit is still rare in Bihar, fruit and juice traders buy it straight from the field at rates of up to Rs 80 per kg.
Earnings Set to Rise Further
Shishir points out that as the trees grow bigger, the quantity of fruit on them will keep increasing, and a single tree's yield could climb to as much as one quintal per tree. That alone gives a sense of just how much more profitable mosambi cultivation can be for a farmer compared with any conventional crop.
One Thing to Keep in Mind While Buying Saplings
Shishir also offers an important tip. He advises that while buying saplings, farmers should make sure the variety is from Thailand. He himself planted only the Thailand variety of mosambi. According to him, this variety tastes far sweeter than the local desi kind, which fetches both stronger demand and better prices in the market.
