A Haryana-based mechanical engineer is changing our perception about pearl farming — that it can be done only near the sea. MUSBA HASHMI catches up with VINOD KUMAR YADAV who talks about how he came up with the idea and how to spin a career in pearl farming
One associates pearl farming with coastal regions. But a Haryana-based mechanical engineer has proved that where there is a will, there is a way. Meet Vinod Kumar Yadav, a resident of Jamalpur village in Haryana. He has become a talk of his village due to his innovative business idea of pearl farming in a small patch of farmland — one-fourth of an acre — of the — four acre of ancestral farmland that his family owns.
Yadav left his job to pursue his dream. “I worked for four years in an automobile company but I was not satisfied with myself job. I was not getting enough time for me and my family. I was not enjoying what I was doing and soon boredom set in doing the same work for eight-10 hours daily. I always wanted to discover and create new things and do something unique,” Yadav tells you.
Yadav is the first pearl farmer from Haryana. He started this venture back in 2016, when he accidentally read about pearl culture on the social media. He was amazed when he found that one can culture pearls on their own. like most people, he believed that pearls can only be grown in and around the sea and the only information he had about pearls was that they were found in shells. But after reading the article, his interest peaked and he spent a few hours watching videos on how to farm pearls. That’s when the idea struck.
Yadav decided to quit his job to take up pearl farming full-time and turn it into a profit-making venture. He started searching for a training centre in India and got to know about the only Government-run pearl culture institute— Central Institute of Fresh Water Aquaculture in Bhubhaneshwar, Odisha.
He took a one-week training from the institute in May 2016 which cost him Rs 6,000. A month later, in June, he started a small-scale pearl farming with 1,100 seashells in a 10×10 feet tank and got 62 per cent success on first attempt.
“I did the marketing for my pearls and went to meet various jewellers. Initially, I went through some difficulties in developing a market for my pearls because it is difficult to enter an existing market. To survive, I sold my pearls even in those markets where I would get a lower price. But I had an advantage, my pearls were of good quality. I started supplying them to cities like Surat, Rajkot, Kolkata, Mumbai and Jaipur. I managed to do a business of Rs 4 lakh from the first batch.
“This encouraged me and I knew that I would be able to sustain the business. Since then, the demand for my pearls has grown and I get a lot of orders now. In India, the production is low because people don’t have the patience to wait for a year. Also, these are live species, some of them die due to unfavourable conditions so there is a risk in it. I do it because the investment is less and one does not need to spend hours looking after them daily. Once everything is settled then you just need to supervise and give half-an-hour daily. It can be done as a part-time business also and the end-results are worth it,” Yadav explains.
So how does Yadav do it so far away from the seaIJ Pearl culturing is done in a fresh water tank where the seashells are put in a net and left in the tank for 12-14 months.
After the tenure, a pearl develops inside the shell. Before the pearl is taken out, the shells are left untouched on the ground for few minutes, the shells then open themselves and the pearl is taken out.
Yadav’s business has expanded since 2016 and he now works on a project of 5,000 shells. As there are no rivers or dams near his village where the shells can be found, so Yadav buys them from the local fishermen who collects them from rivers in Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra, at a price of Rs 7 to Rs 10 per shell. The size of the shells is between 8-10 cm and the quality is judged from their lustre. The more lustrous the shell is, the better is the quality of the pearl.
To build contacts with fishermen, Yadav visited places like Meerut, Aligarh and Bulandshahr. “I used to speak with locals and gradually began to develop contacts with them and they introduced me to fishermen. I usually produce designer pearls which means there is a design engraved on it. It can be a religious sign or simply a decorative design. The price depends on market demand. The pearl with a Cross engraved on it does not sell for as much as a pearl with Bajrang Bali, Om and lord Ganesh which are always in demand and fetch a higher price. If there is an increased demand in the market for pearls, which is usually during festivals, I sell my pearls between Rs 500 to Rs 800 per piece,” Yadav says.
But all has not been hunky dory for Yadav who faced many challenges while setting up the business. Even though Yadav started the venture on a small budget of Rs 70,000, the difficulties came up when some shells died. This was because of unfavourable water conditions in the tank. These are fresh water species which can’t survive in salty water. The pH level of water should be between 7.0 to 9.0 and the water temperature should be below 30° Celsius even during peak summer months when the temperatures touch 46° Celsius. They are extremely temperature sensitive. This problem doesn’t arise during winters. But then winters are more or less disappearing from this region and taking care of shells is difficult and challenging to prepare food for them. If the tank is not cemented, there is no problem as the water then circulates on its own.
The problem arises if the tank is cemented. That’s when Yadav has to put an aerator (device used to add oxygen to the water) in the tank so that there is proper oxygen. “Cemented tanks have to be fitted with aerators for proper supply of oxygen. Ones which are cemented need fish in it. The movement of the fish results in water circulation and proper oxygen supply in the tank,” Yadav tells you.
These little parameters are difficult to understand and it takes experience to get hold of the procedure. There were times when Yadav wanted to quit but something prevented him from doing so.
The fact that he has a strong will was an advantage. In the end, it was his choice and decision. He was motivated and excited to complete the project and this thought kept him going.
It’s been two years since Yadav started his venture and though he has come a long way, there are still miles to go before he can rest since he is planning to expand his business by exporting pearls. He is also training young buffs who are interested in making a career in pearl farming. People from all over India come to seek training from him on pearl farming.
Many of his trainees have started with their business and are now working with him. Their pearls are sold by him on a 10 per cent commission basis. He has other business ideas too — ornamental fish farming — work on this project will start soon.
“I have a lot of other ideas related to farming. I will start working on them very soon. All of them are unique,” he tells you. In spite of having received success in his business a few villagers are still sceptical of his decision and look down upon him because they feel he doesn’t have a stable job. They feel that this business is only temporary and will not take him far due to the risks involved.
It is a risky venture because the shells may die and one can lose a lot of live shells resulting in not only financial loss but also the time invested in it. The riskiest time is when the shells are bought from the fishermen and the time taken to put them back into the mother tank that Yadav has created. This is because the river has a different water balance and temperature while the tank that Yadav has created has a different water and temperature. The shells will need time to adjust to this difference. This is when they are at their most vulnerable.
Besides the risk involved in the venture, his neighbours would make fun of him by saying: “Haan, itni chhoti si jagah mein moti ugte hongey’IJ But things have changed since then. The same people now look him with respect in their eyes and appreciate his efforts and the fact that Yadav is making money out of it.
“There is almost 50 per cent increase in my income from what I used to earn from farming. The income depends on the number of shells that are kept for culture but on an average I am earning Rs 50,000 to Rs 60,000 per month now. All this wouldn’t have been possible without the support of my family and especially my brother who encouraged me from the time when I pitched the idea to him.
“He is in Army but he never expected the same from me. He gave me space to decide on my career and what I wanted to do in life. All of them stood with me throughout and supported every decision of mine. They even supported my decision of leaving the job and encouraged me to do what I love.
“I am very grateful to God for giving me such a supportive family,” Yadav says and has never regretted his decision of quitting his comfortable which was paying him Rs 50,000 per month and starting his venture which teaches him new things every day.
“I am still in the learning phase and new things that come in my way. The benefit of this farming is that there is no scope of any damage to the product like it is in other agriculture produce. If we sow wheat or mustard there are chances that they can be destroyed or damaged due to bad weather but it is not the case in pearl farming.
“Moreover, if we are not getting a fair price for the pearl, one can wait for another couple of months and sell the pearl at festive time when there is demand and one can command a good price for the pearl,” Yadav says who is not married.
He has a message for all the young people who are interested in pearl farming. First, everyone should complete their education as it is must to start anything. Second, always take proper training for it from an institute and then start with a small scale business with less species so that you do not suffer a major loss if the venture fails to take off.
Third, after gaining experience, gradually expand the business. Four, pearl farming can be done on a terrace or in the backyard of your house. For this you just need to set up a small cemented tank anywhere in the house and you are good to go.
“This business venture requires a lot of patience and so the ones who are looking forward to it should be full of patience. The first time you start with it you need to invest a lot of time, work hard and take proper care of the shells then once they become adaptable to the water conditions and the nucleus is implanted in it, then simply supervision is required to check the water temperature and feeding process,” Yadav explains.