Sameer Dombe of Daund, Maharashtra, quit his job and took up agriculture. Through family fruit farming, he did an annual business of Rs 1.5 crore. He adopted a new method of cultivating figs and selling them in supermarkets. Even during the lockdown, he earned well from online sales.
Sameer Dombe of Daund, 90 km from Pune, quit his engineering job and built an annual business of Rs 1.5 crore from fig farming. Sameer has achieved success by moving away from traditional methods and selling figs through supermarkets and online mediums. His family initially opposed his decision. But Sameer proved everyone wrong with his determination. Even during the lockdown, he earned lakhs through online orders. Sameer also advises other farmers to return to farming. Let us know about Sameer Dombe's journey to success here.
Initially there was no support from the family
Sameer Dombe is a mechanical engineer. He left a job of Rs 40,000 per month and returned to his family's traditional business of farming. This was a big decision for him. His family did not expect this. His parents were worried that farming would not get him a good match. In the society, only a boy with a good job and salary is considered eligible for marriage. But, Sameer remained firm on his decision. He decided to carry forward his family's centuries-old tradition of fig farming. No one in his family supported his decision. Even his friends did not support him in this. Everyone thought that Sameer would not be able to succeed in farming. But, Sameer proved everyone wrong. Today he is doing a business of Rs 1.5 crore annually by selling figs.
Marketing strategy did the job
Farming was not new for Sameer. His family was already involved in farming. He had good knowledge of farming techniques. He started cultivating figs in 2.5 acres of land. But, instead of selling the figs directly in the market in the traditional way, he packed them in 1 kg boxes. One of his friends advised him to contact supermarkets. Sameer talked to a supermarket and started selling his figs under the name 'Pavitrak'. After getting a good response, he signed an agreement with three more supermarkets. Soon his figs reached big cities like Pune, Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru. By giving his contact number on the packet, customers started contacting him directly. This started getting him bulk orders. To fulfill these orders, Sameer formed small groups. In this way he was able to reach more customers and his profit also increased.
This was the reason for choosing figs
The area of Daund is hilly and is suitable for fig cultivation. Water seeps through quickly here and the level of evaporation is also moderate. Being 10 km away from the highway, Sameer's farm gets clean water easily. There is a lot of potential in the fig market. It has not yet fully developed. Sameer took advantage of this opportunity at the right time. He also trained many people in fig cultivation. There is a lot of demand for good quality figs in the market. But, it is not supplied on a large scale. Sameer filled this gap.
Products are also available online
Gradually, Sameer increased the area of his farm from 2.5 acres to 5 acres. He also set up a food processing unit. 'Pavitrak' brand fig jam is now available online as well. During the lockdown, Sameer contacted many customers. He took suggestions from them. He benefited from connecting directly with customers. He started taking orders through WhatsApp. Even when supermarkets were not buying fruits during the lockdown, Sameer's sales continued. During this time, he earned Rs 13 lakh through online orders. Sameer advises everyone, especially employed farmer sons, to return to farming.