This story is from January 8, 2020

Agra teacher harbours pearl in her farm field

Agra teacher harbours pearl in her farm field
Ranjana Yadav
AGRA: Over 50 years after singer Mahendra Kapoor immortalised Gulshan Bawra’s song ‘Mere Desh Ki Dharti, Sona Ugle, Ugle Heere Moti’ in 'Upkar' movie, an Agra-based teacher is living up to those words. At least partially. Meet 27-year-old Ranjana Yadav, who grows and harbours pearls in her farm field.
While pursuing MSc in Forestry five years ago, Ranjana came across the concept of pearl farming, which is not so popular in Gangetic belt of Uttar Pradesh.
The idea clicked and she decided to start her own startup to grow and sell pearls.
Agra1

A bio-chemistry teacher at private college in Agra, she took a crash course training of pearl farming at Bhubaneswar-based Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture. On return, she first grew about half a dozen pearls on her rooftop in bathtub over a period of 10 months. Each pearl fetched her Rs 350 to Rs 400 apiece in Hyderabad-based jewellers' market.
“Initially neither my husband (Vimal Yadav, a government teacher) nor my in-laws believed in the concept of pearl farming as a startup. So I mooted the idea to my father Suresh Chandra Yadav, who allowed me to use his land to dig out artificial pond and grow pearl from the mussels which I bought from Ahmadabad. Once the shells are fed, they are hung on to a nylon net for a period between nine to 24 months. Last year in October, I sowed 1,400 freshwater mussels with an investment of Rs 65,000. It will fetch me good returns by July," said Ranjana, who is the first entrepreneur in her family.

pearl

“Freshwater mussels are the organic hosts and their pearls can grow up to 10 times bigger than those made by saltwater oysters, naturally. Because mussels contain no shell bead nucleus, freshwater cultured pearls are pure. Each one can produce multiple pearls with each production cycle. Plus, the entire freshwater pearl cultivation process requires much less advanced surgical skills for full cultivation than ocean pearl cultivation. This helps make these pearls easier to cultivate and less expensive than other pearls," she said.
“These shells are like my babies and every day they need care for at least four hours. Harsh winters or scorching heat of summers increases their mortality rate by 90%. I have to change their water and check their health before I leave for my college, said Ranjana who is mother of twin daughters.
Every day, she travels five kilometers to her father’s farmhouse to look after her investment growing in pond. Ranjana has also trained nearly 16 farmers in Hathras where she has installed her second setup for pearl farming.
author
About the Author
Arvind Chauhan

Arvind Chauhan is an experienced journalist with a demonstrated history of working in the newspapers industry as well as for the social media wing as digital content creator. He has covered subjects like railways, aviation, defence, energy, health, real estate, minority affairs, women and child development, crime, customs, telecom, district court, district administration, roads and infrastructure, armed forces tribunal, and regional politics across Uttar Pradesh. He began his career in Lucknow, and has done reporting in West Uttar Pradesh. He has won the Times Scribe Award four times including for busting fake news, and extensive coverage on Covid orphans. He graduated with a journalism degree from Times School of Journalism and BA (Honors) in English from Lucknow University.

End of Article
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA