Archive · 5 Jan 2026
From Parched Fields to Prosperity: Doubling Farmers' Incomes
In a place called Beed in Maharashtra, India, farmers were struggling because of drought.
A man named Mayank Gandhi started a project called Krishikul to help farmers grow fruit trees instead of traditional crops.
The farmers' income increased more than ten times in a short period.
The project planted millions of fruit trees and helped farmers get better prices for their produce.
The government and banks also helped by providing money and support.
The project shows that with the right help, farmers can earn much more money and improve their lives.
The authors hope that the government will support this idea and help farmers all over India.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi aimed to double farmers' real incomes by 2022-23, but the achievement was less than 50%.
The Global Vikas Trust (GVT) initiated Krishikul in Beed, Maharashtra, to shift farmers from traditional crops to fruit crops, resulting in a more than tenfold increase in per acre income.
GVT planted over 6.7 crore fruit trees across 43,000 acres, benefiting roughly 30,000 farm families in 5,000 villages.
The project recharged the water table, provided subsidized saplings, and offered credit facilities with a first-loss default guarantee to farmers.
To further increase farmers' incomes, GVT aims to control the entire value chain, from production to marketing, ensuring farmers get a larger share of the consumer's money.
- Who
- Farmers in Beed, Maharashtra, and the Global Vikas Trust (GVT)
- What
- A successful initiative to increase farmers' incomes by shifting to fruit crops
- When
- The initiative was evaluated in 2024, with results showing significant income growth
- Where
- Beed district in Maharashtra, India
- Why
- To address the economic condition of villages and double farmers' real incomes
- Author
- Ashok Gulati & Ishita Mandla, ICRIER
- Year
- 2024
- Location
- Beed, Maharashtra, India
- Initiative
- Krishikul under Global Vikas Trust (GVT)
- Income Increase
- More than 10 times per acre
- Farmers Involved
- 30,000 farm families
- Area Covered
- 43,000 acres across 5,000 villages
- Fruit Trees Planted
- 6.7 crore