Palak
Kakasaheb Sawant, an auto mechanic-turned-farmer from Sangli district in Maharashtra, has successfully grafted 22 varieties of mangoes onto a single tree.
Farmers from various regions visit his farm to see this horticultural marvel firsthand.
His unique mango tree bears 22 different varieties of mangoes, including Sindhu, Dudhpedha, Sonpari, Dasheri, Taiwan, Amrapali, Alphonso, and Baramashi.
Sawant aims to graft 100 different mango varieties onto the same tree in the coming years.
His family owns 20 acres of land in the drought-prone Antral village, where farming is heavily dependent on the unpredictable weather, known locally as 'hangami sheti'.
He decided to grow mangoes, despite local farmers' skepticism and belief they only thrived in Konkan.
In 2010, he started a mango orchard with 10 acres of Kesar mangoes and 10 acres of other fruits. He harvests about 40 tonnes of mangoes annually.
Sawant runs a nursery, earning up to Rs 2 crore annually by selling about four lakh mango saplings priced between Rs 80 and Rs 500.
Sawant runs a nursery, earning up to Rs 2 crore annually by selling about four lakh mango saplings priced between Rs 80 and Rs 500.
Today, Sawant is a role model for other farmers in the water-scarce region, demonstrating successful and innovative farming practices.