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Desert Farming: Farmer Ashok Jangu of Alai village of Nagaur has made his mark in the country and abroad by doing modern and organic farming in barren land and salt water. He has 6000 pomegranate plants in his fields and sells high quality desi ghee (₹3200/Kg) and other products through a mini food park. He has set an example of water conservation by building a dam of 1 crore liter capacity.
Nagaur. Ashok Jangu, a farmer from Alai village in Rajasthan, has created history in the agricultural world by farming in desert and salt water land. Today, the fragrance of red pomegranates, organic food products and desi ghee is spread in his fields, on which even grass never grew on 55 bighas of land. His successful efforts have become a source of inspiration not only for the farmers of Nagaur but also for the entire Rajasthan that with strong willpower even barren land can be made fertile.
Today, his efforts have turned into a big network. He now, along with more than 500 farmers, sends organic products within the country and abroad. There is a mini food park in his farm, where commodities like ghee, pulses, oil, wheat, cumin are prepared with high standard packing. This mini food park controls the entire process from cultivation to sale.
The magic of quality and demand: triple the price
- The biggest identity of Ashok Jangu’s organic products is their quality and purity, due to which their demand is continuously increasing in the market.
- Their desi cow ghee is sold in the market for ₹ 3200 per kg, yet its demand is very high.
- Their other organic products are also 2-3 times more expensive than the normal market price, but due to the purity and high quality the number of customers is continuously increasing.
- Ashok Jangu has proved that even rural farmers can get higher prices in the international market if the products are pure.
6 thousand pomegranate plants and water conservation in the desert
Despite the challenges of salt water and desert soil, Ashok has planted around 6000 pomegranate saplings in 55 bighas of land.
Honors and Achievements: Global Recognition
- Ashok Jangu’s tireless efforts and success have been recognized at national and international levels:
- In 2019, the Rajasthan government gave him the award of Progressive Farmer and a cash award of Rs 1 lakh.
- In the same year, a reputed company of USA included him among the top-10 farmers of India.
- The story of Ashok Jangu proves that with strong determination, organic farming and innovative technology, even desert can be transformed into fertile land and farmers can write a new story of self-reliance.
