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Develops two new seedless grapes varieties
Grapes having sugar content more than 18 brix and 16mm size are produced in Indian farms! These are cultivated at Sonaka Farm owned by Mr. Dattatraya N. Kale. The farm is located at Nannaj village, Taluk North Solapur, Maharasthra. He has developed two new varieties of black grapes from the clone of Sharad seedless grape variety. These varieties are Sarita seedless and Nanasaheb seedless. His grape vines spreads across 25 acres. Recently he has started the nursery to sell the grafts of his developed seedless grape varieties.
Speaking about the innovation he says, “I observed in my farm that the grape bunches in one particular clone of sharad seedless grape vine had bigger size berries. This clone was crafted through the natural mutation process. I monitored it closely for three years then was sure the clone was different and distinctive than the rest of the grape vines. Hence I started developing it and slowly could widen it to a complete new variety. I got it registered and named it after my Mother Mrs. Sarita Kale.” It is seedless black grapes. The berry size is elongated having 1.5 inches height and 17mm width. The sugar content is between 18-20 brix.
Sarita seedless was then grown widely in the farm of Mr. Kale. Couple of years later it also had a different clone where the berry size was oval and size was as big as 25mm. It was again spotted by the watchful eyes of Mr. Kale. “I repeated the process one more time and crafted a new variety named as Nanasaheb Purple Seedless, after my father Mr. Nanasaheb Kale. It is an amazing grape variety having the flavour of litchi and sugar content is more than 24 brix. The grape has high pulp content and its outer cover is very thin. The cover is purple but the pulp is white in color,” he adds.
Farm of Mr. Kale also has green grape cultivation. It is Sonaka green seedless grapes. “This variety was developed by my father in 1980 from Thompson Seedless. I took the legacy forward by developing Sarita and Nanasaheb seedless black grape varieties,” he asserts.
When asked about the farming inputs used in the grape garden he says, “All our grapes are residue free. We do use the chemical based farming inputs but within the limits as prescribed by the agricultural universities. We strictly follow the MRL level (Maximum Residue Limits) as stated by European Standards for entire cultivation,” claims Mr. Kale.
Grapes are harvested from January 20th to March 20th. These are exported as well as sold in domestic market specifically in South India. “We export close 70-80% while rest is sold in India. All transactions takes place through traders,” he shares. Trading for exports is price transparent and hassle free but when it is sold within India farmers faces price corruption. “The fruit trader will not personally visit us for the purchase instead sends his agent. This agent spoils his employer name and closes the deal at low price with farmers. The trader would fix the price decently but the agent keeps his commission and purchases the fruits from us at much lower price. He wants to fill his pocket as much as he can, creating a bad name for his employer (the trader). Things are worse when the economy is on the set back.” Hence Mr. Kale prefers to interact directly with the traders instead of agents to avoid the money manipulation from the agent.
Diversification and expansion is must from any business therefore Mr. Kale too expanded his operations by setting up the nursery to sell the grafts of his developed grape varieties. It is named as Grafed Nursery. “The grafts are prepared with immense care and precaution so that survival rate is close to 100% and fruiting starts on the right time. Grafting needs good humidity so I use foggers to create the desired humidity in the nursery,” he shares. He is also producing and selling black raisins developed from Sarita and Nanasaheb seedless grapes.
In future, he wants to increase his area of cultivation and have direct sales. Also he wants to reach out many farmers with his grapes grafts. He concludes saying, “Just like any other business farming too has problems but surely the solution too exists. I focus on finding the right solution and then profits are sure to be earned!”
Contact details:
Sonaka Farm
114/1, Sneh Residency, Murarji Peth,
Behind Hotel City Park, Solapur- 413001
Phone: 9420306000
Email: kaleketu@yahoo.com
Grapes having sugar content more than 18 brix and 16mm size are produced in Indian farms! These are cultivated at Sonaka Farm owned by Mr. Dattatraya N. Kale. The farm is located at Nannaj village, Taluk North Solapur, Maharasthra. He has developed two new varieties of black grapes from the clone of Sharad seedless grape variety. These varieties are Sarita seedless and Nanasaheb seedless. His grape vines spreads across 25 acres. Recently he has started the nursery to sell the grafts of his developed seedless grape varieties.
Speaking about the innovation he says, “I observed in my farm that the grape bunches in one particular clone of sharad seedless grape vine had bigger size berries. This clone was crafted through the natural mutation process. I monitored it closely for three years then was sure the clone was different and distinctive than the rest of the grape vines. Hence I started developing it and slowly could widen it to a complete new variety. I got it registered and named it after my Mother Mrs. Sarita Kale.” It is seedless black grapes. The berry size is elongated having 1.5 inches height and 17mm width. The sugar content is between 18-20 brix.
Sarita seedless was then grown widely in the farm of Mr. Kale. Couple of years later it also had a different clone where the berry size was oval and size was as big as 25mm. It was again spotted by the watchful eyes of Mr. Kale. “I repeated the process one more time and crafted a new variety named as Nanasaheb Purple Seedless, after my father Mr. Nanasaheb Kale. It is an amazing grape variety having the flavour of litchi and sugar content is more than 24 brix. The grape has high pulp content and its outer cover is very thin. The cover is purple but the pulp is white in color,” he adds.
Farm of Mr. Kale also has green grape cultivation. It is Sonaka green seedless grapes. “This variety was developed by my father in 1980 from Thompson Seedless. I took the legacy forward by developing Sarita and Nanasaheb seedless black grape varieties,” he asserts.
When asked about the farming inputs used in the grape garden he says, “All our grapes are residue free. We do use the chemical based farming inputs but within the limits as prescribed by the agricultural universities. We strictly follow the MRL level (Maximum Residue Limits) as stated by European Standards for entire cultivation,” claims Mr. Kale.
Grapes are harvested from January 20th to March 20th. These are exported as well as sold in domestic market specifically in South India. “We export close 70-80% while rest is sold in India. All transactions takes place through traders,” he shares. Trading for exports is price transparent and hassle free but when it is sold within India farmers faces price corruption. “The fruit trader will not personally visit us for the purchase instead sends his agent. This agent spoils his employer name and closes the deal at low price with farmers. The trader would fix the price decently but the agent keeps his commission and purchases the fruits from us at much lower price. He wants to fill his pocket as much as he can, creating a bad name for his employer (the trader). Things are worse when the economy is on the set back.” Hence Mr. Kale prefers to interact directly with the traders instead of agents to avoid the money manipulation from the agent.
Diversification and expansion is must from any business therefore Mr. Kale too expanded his operations by setting up the nursery to sell the grafts of his developed grape varieties. It is named as Grafed Nursery. “The grafts are prepared with immense care and precaution so that survival rate is close to 100% and fruiting starts on the right time. Grafting needs good humidity so I use foggers to create the desired humidity in the nursery,” he shares. He is also producing and selling black raisins developed from Sarita and Nanasaheb seedless grapes.
In future, he wants to increase his area of cultivation and have direct sales. Also he wants to reach out many farmers with his grapes grafts. He concludes saying, “Just like any other business farming too has problems but surely the solution too exists. I focus on finding the right solution and then profits are sure to be earned!”
Contact details:
Sonaka Farm
114/1, Sneh Residency, Murarji Peth,
Behind Hotel City Park, Solapur- 413001
Phone: 9420306000
Email: kaleketu@yahoo.com