Visit 'Land of Plums': Chiksana Village in Rajasthan That Yields Delicious Berries Round the Year

This village provided livelihood to around 125 farmers since 1999 and earns profits worth Rs 1 lakh per year through plum gardening.

Bharatpur (Rajasthan):Villages in India are known for their unique specialties. The Chiksana Village is famous not only in Rajasthan but in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Delhi because of its tasty plums. As per the Deputy Director of Horticulture, Agriculture Department, plum gardening has employed about 125 farmers of this village for the last 25 years.

Janak Raj Meena, Deputy Director of Horticulture, Agriculture Department, said that since 1999, apples and plums have been grown in the Bharatpur city, 20 kms away from Chiksana. Currently, around 125 farmers are involved in plum gardening across 400 bighas in the village.

Compared to traditional farming, plum yields greater money with profits soaring as high as Rs 1 lakh per year, about two to 2.5 times more than traditional farming. Meena also said that the plums are in handsome demand, not only in Rajasthan but also in Uttar Pradesh's Agra, Mathura, Madhya Pradesh and Delhi.

Traditional farming in the fields in Chiksana does not yield good money as the groundwater in the area is salty, Meena stated. In such a situation, the farmers tested their luck by growing plums as in the case of plums, salty water does not have any negative effect. It rather enhances good and sweet crops.

Meena said that plum fruits are not just tasty but also has several medicinal properties as it is a rich source of Vitamin A, C, Potassium and Calcium. Regular consumption of plums provide relief in teeth and bone diseases and improves digestion process.