Stories of people who quit their jobs to pursue agriculture and now earn millions are common. However, agricultural experts argue that one should not grow everything; crops suitable for the soil and those that provide income must be chosen.
In this case, the story concerns farmer Sagar Yelpale from Maharashtra, who changed his crops and now earns an annual income of 80 lakh. Previously, he grew pomegranates, but the income from this crop was insufficient.
He began cultivating the edamame tree (Sahjan), gradually expanding his plantings. Initially, he started with one acre, but today his farm covers 18 acres, generating a turnover of 1.15 crore rupees and a net profit of about 80 lakh rupees per year.
According to the 30Stades report, Sagar from the Solapur district did not achieve these changes overnight. After finishing his studies in 2012, he started working on 10 acres of his father's land, continuing the traditional cultivation of pomegranates. Nevertheless, due to rising costs and unpredictable weather, the harvest was gradually becoming less profitable.
Speaking about his decision to seek alternatives, Sagar noted that growing pomegranates had become too expensive an endeavor. Increased humidity or sudden intense heat contributed to the growth of diseases, and the cost of chemicals constantly rose. A profit of 3 lakh rupees per acre consumed about 1.5 lakh rupees for agricultural needs.
He stated that he focused on generating income before harvesting, starting to look for options with lower risks and more stable income. In 2017, after learning about professional edamame cultivation through a friend, he found an option that required small investments, yielded quick profits, and was resistant to changing weather. He started an experiment on one acre.
For the experiment, he purchased 400 grams of edamame seeds for 4000 rupees. After improving the soil with well-rotted manure, he sowed the seeds in January 2017 and harvested them after five months.
He recalls starting the harvest in June 2017. From one acre, he harvested about 10 tons over five months. The average selling price was approximately 25–30 rupees per kilogram, and he earned over 3 lakh rupees.
The successful first season gave him the confidence to gradually replace his family's pomegranate orchards with edamame cultivation instead of making drastic changes. He reported that his parents had 10 acres of land, and he added another eight acres. Today, Sagar's farm covers 18 acres and has about 12,000 edamame plants, mainly ODC-3 and ODC-4 varieties. As the plantation matures, the annual yield per tree has increased from about 25 kg to 50 kg, bringing the total annual production volume to 180–200 tons.
To control costs, Sagar focused on soil health. He built a biogas plant that produces 200–300 liters of slurry daily, which is directly fed into the fields. According to him, this slurry improves soil condition, reduces fertilizer costs, and the resulting gas is used for cooking at home.
Growing the crop was only half the battle; finding reliable buyers proved to be equally important. Over the past few years, Sagar has established a strong network of wholesale dealers, and now most of his harvest is sent about 400 kilometers away to Hyderabad, where almost all the produce is sold.
Speaking about demand, he revealed that he initially exported the bean pods to Dubai, but now the demand in Hyderabad is so strong that all his harvest is sold there. Prices fluctuate throughout the year, but the business remains profitable. He noted that in winter, when supply is limited, he gets about 200 rupees per kilogram, while in summer prices can drop to 25 rupees per kilogram. Overall, the average annual profit is about 50 rupees per kilogram.
