: Bihar Man Returns to Village To Start Pearl Farming; Earn Lakhs Employs Migrants #IndiaNEWS #Bihar While farmers in Patna and its surrounding regions of Bihar usually grow maize, pulses, lentils,

Bihar Man Returns to Village To Start Pearl Farming; Earn Lakhs Employs Migrants #IndiaNEWS #Bihar
While farmers in Patna and its surrounding regions of Bihar usually grow maize, pulses, lentils, cereals and rice, a 28-year-old man from the area has decided to head in a different direction. Nitil Bhardwaj from Murera village in Champaran district is earning lakhs from pearl farming.
Nitil belongs to a family of traditional farmers, but went to work in a multinational company in Delhi. He started working in early 2017 as a computer professional, and would earn around Rs 30,000 a month.
Around the same time, his father came across a news article on pearl farming, and learned how it could be a profitable business. He shared this idea with Nitil, who thought the idea was both attractive as well as unexplored in Bihar. Sometime during his leave later that year, he gave it more serious thought, and decided to pursue it.
Nitil signed up for training in Madhya Pradesh at Bomoria Pearl Farm, and worked with the management there for a few months. Once he had picked up the necessary skills, he returned to start pearl farming in his village. The risk paid off in the first attempt itself, and Nitil earned Rs 75,000. He started the ‘Bhardwaj Pearl Farm and Training Centre’ to employ six migrant workers who had lost their job during the COVID-19 lockdown.
The potential to earn lakhs
Pearls from Nitils farm
Nitil says that undergoing training at the pearl farm convinced him that full-time employment would not help him earn a decent income to support his family. “I did not want to enter mainstream farming, and hence decided to try this new alternative. In 2018, I quit my job. In my village, I decided to dig a pond on one acre of my family’s land by seeking government subsidies provided for pearl farming,??? he tells The Better India.
He adds that in 2019, he planted 400 oysters in the pond. “Ideally, an acre of a pond can accommodate around 25,000 to 30,000 oysters. But I started small, as the risks involved are then less,??? Nitil says, adding that he invested Rs 25,000 and grew oysters for 8-10 months, which earned him Rs 75,000.
“Each oyster demands an investment of around Rs 40. One oyster can produce two pearls, and each of them sells at an average cost of Rs 120. The oysters can remain planted for months at stretch — which helps improve their quality. A good quality pearl can fetch Rs 200 a piece. But I decided to harvest them at minimum incubation and scale-up immediately,??? Nitil explains.
In 2020, he planted around 25,000 pearls, from which he expects to earn Rs 30 lakh. He has earned Rs 3. 6 lakh so far, and says the income will keep pouring in until October 2021. Additionally, Nitil has been using the pond to cultivate fish through aquaculture.

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