Karnataka - Bidar   

Encouraging farmers to augment their income

Indian Ambience Vineyard Private Limited at Tadola village in Basavakalyan taluk.

BIDAR: Sanjay Wadikar, Regional Transport Officer at Jalgaon in Maharashtra, who hails from Tadola village in Basavakalyan taluk of Bidar district, has established a winery in the taluk to help farmers augment their income through grape cultivation.

His initiative, Indian Ambience Vineyard Private Limited, started functioning from March 2009 at Tadola village on the National Highway 9 passing through Basavakalyan.

Mr. Wadikar told The Hindu on phone that he wanted farmers, especially in Bidar district, to take up grape cultivation to enhance their income as there was global market for wine.

“I started cultivating wine grapes in Basavakalyan eight years ago and got good returns. On learning about my success story, several farmers took up grape cultivation in the taluk.”

Mr. Wadikar said: “The success I achieved in wine grape cultivation prompted me to venture into wine manufacturing and encourage other farmers to take up grape cultivation.”

Chief officer of the winery Keshappa Biradar said the winery paid about Rs. 50,000 for a tonne of superior quality wine grapes such as Cabernet, Shiraz and Merlot. To instil confidence among farmers, the company was planning to enter into an agreement with grape growers to buy the produce for 10 years, he said.

Mr. Biradar said, “There is a proposal to set up a wine park adjacent to the winery to promote wine.”

Vishwanath Zille, Deputy Director of Horticulture, Bidar, said, “Not many have evinced interest to set up wineries here. But Mr. Wadikar’s initiative needs to be appreciated.”

He said that area under wine grape cultivation in Bidar had increased over the years. The authorities of the winery in Basavakalyan should encourage more farmers to take up wine grape cultivation, he added.

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