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Farmers Turn to Solar CCTV to Protect Pomegranate Harvests
Pomegranate farmers in Maharashtra are worried that thieves may steal their ripe fruit.
Last year, thieves took valuable Bhagwa pomegranates from several farms.
This year, many farmers have installed cameras to watch their orchards.
Some cameras work using solar power and can see at night.
The cameras can send live video and warnings to a farmer’s mobile phone.
Farmers can check their fields without staying outside all night.
In the past, farmers and villagers took turns guarding the orchards.
Cameras are especially useful in areas where walking outside at night may be dangerous because of leopards.
The cameras are being used mainly during the short harvest period.
Farmers in parts of Maharashtra are installing CCTV cameras to prevent pomegranate theft during the harvest period.
Some cameras use solar power, night vision, motion detection, mobile alerts and built-in storage.
The technology is replacing or supplementing traditional nighttime patrols known as “rakhan.”
Thieves previously targeted high-value Bhagwa pomegranates in Pune, Solapur, Ahilyanagar and Nashik areas.
Maharashtra’s pomegranate production for 2024-25 is estimated at about 1.25 million tonnes.
- Who
- Pomegranate farmers in Maharashtra, including growers in Pune and neighboring districts.
- What
- Farmers are installing solar-powered, night-vision and mobile-connected CCTV cameras to protect ripe crops from theft.
- Where
- Pomegranate-growing areas around Pune, Shirur, Sangola in Solapur district, Shrirampur in Ahilyanagar district and Deola in Nashik district.
- When
- The cameras are being used during the harvest window, which began in June this year; earlier thefts were reported in July and August.
- Why
- High-value Bhagwa pomegranates have been targeted by thieves, prompting farmers to seek alternatives to nighttime patrols.
Technology-Based Protection
Traditional Night Patrols
How orchards are guarded
Technology-Based Protection
Farmers are installing cameras that can transmit live feeds and motion alerts to their mobile phones, allowing them to monitor fields from home.
Traditional Night Patrols
Farmers and villagers take turns staying in or patrolling orchards at night until the crop is harvested.
Safety and convenience
Technology-Based Protection
Solar-powered and night-vision cameras reduce the need for people to walk through orchards after dark, particularly in leopard-prone areas.
Traditional Night Patrols
Night patrols provide a direct human presence, but require farmers or villagers to spend nights guarding the fields.
Timing and cost approach
Technology-Based Protection
Some farmers install cameras specifically for the short period when pomegranates are ripe and most vulnerable to theft.
Traditional Night Patrols
Traditional patrols can continue throughout the harvest period without relying on electronic equipment.
Key facts
- Crop variety targeted
- Bhagwa pomegranates, a high-value variety that is also exported.
- Production estimate
- Maharashtra’s pomegranate production is estimated at about 1.25 million tonnes in 2024-25.
- Camera features
- Solar power, night vision, motion detection, mobile alerts, live feeds and built-in storage.
- Traditional protection
- Farmers and villagers previously took turns patrolling orchards at night, a practice known as “rakhan.”
- Reported crop loss
- Farmer Rajaram Ovhal said he lost 800 kilograms of ready-to-harvest pomegranates in July this year.
- Retail trend
- A Shirur electronics retailer reported increased CCTV sales, especially solar-powered models, over the past eight to nine months.
Quotes
Sandeep Yelbhar
Pomegranate farmer who experienced thefts and installed two mobile-connected CCTV cameras
“Last year, there was theft at my farm and a series of them in the surrounding areas. When the pomegranates came to the stage where they were ready for harvest, I installed two CCTV cameras on my farm this year. This is the period when the risk of theft is highest. The cameras are connected to my mobile phone and also have motion detection. If there is any suspicious movement in front of the camera, my phone gives an alarm. Every two-three hours, either I or someone from my family wakes up and 𝘤𝘩”
indianexpress.com
“I have installed three CCTV cameras on my farm so that the pomegranate and grape crops can be monitored, particularly during the harvesting period. These cameras are solar powered and one of them has night vision.”
indianexpress.com
Sources
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