TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — An Indian man who was laid off from his bank job during the pandemic is now very thankful for Taiwanese varieties of guava as he has been able to use the fruit to become financially independent.
Kapil Sharma worked as a bank teller in India when the COVID pandemic struck and soon found himself unemployed. Unable to find other job opportunities, he moved back to Shahijadpur, a village located near Sonipat City in the Haryana state of India to the north of Delhi.
Sharma decided to try his hand at agriculture in an orchard about one acre in size. When considering what to grow, he visited a biotech company where he saw 550 Taiwanese guava saplings which he purchased for a price of 160 rupees (US$1.93) each, reported CNA.
What caught his eye was the fact that the trees require less water as India frequently suffers from prolonged dry spells and high temperatures. The firm then trained him to grow the trees, which included both the white and pink varieties.
Before planting, he also learned organic planting techniques from a local government agency. This included preparing his own organic fertilizer and using marigolds and plastic bottles to drive away fruit flies.
Sharma proudly presents slices of Taiwanese pink guava to local residents. (CNA photo)
He said he does not want his consumers to eat "toxic stuff." His orchard also generates electricity through solar power.
In less than eight months, Sharma hauled in his first harvest, which earned him approximately 55,000 rupees. Word quickly spread in the area about the great taste of his exotic Taiwanese guavas, and he earned 100,000 rupees from his second harvest.
Sharma told the news agency that "Taiwanese guavas changed my life" and asserted that he might not have been as successful with other crops. He pointed out that Taiwanese guavas are superior to other types because they do not fall off the trees as easily and those that do can be converted into guava vinegar.
He has since expanded his operation to other crops such as sugarcane, lemons, and beekeeping.
When asked if he would like to go to Taiwan to observe its agricultural technology, Sharma said that he would really like to go as he attributed much of his success to Taiwan. Sharma was then cited by the news agency as saying, "I want to go there and kiss the land."