A farmer from Bangalore makes a living by exporting bottle gourd

Farmer Karigowda, who owns a 3.5-acre farm in Karlapura Palya, has shifted to an unconventional crop to meet foreign demand. Unlike traditional farming where fruits are left to grow large, here the harvest is gathered at a young age, when each bottle gourd weighs approximately 500 grams.

The crop sowing is usually carried out in June and July, while harvesting lasts from September to December. The first harvest begins approximately 70 days after planting. At the peak of the season, the farmer gathers about one tonne of produce daily. Brokers collect the goods directly from the farm and ship them to Qatar, freeing the producer from the need to handle export independently.

The produce is sold at around 50 rupees per kilogram, generating about 50,000 rupees in revenue per day, or approximately 14–15 million rupees per month. Over the 90-day harvesting period, gross sales reach around 45 million rupees. This amount is gross revenue, from which expenses for seed, fertilizers, labor, irrigation, packaging, and other costs must be deducted.

Previously, Karigowda's family traditionally grew corn, tomatoes, and eggplants, but finding a fair price on the domestic market was a difficult task. The application of technologies such as drip irrigation, mulching, and modern agricultural machinery helped change the approach to farming.

Now the farmer does not limit himself to a single crop. Out of the bottle gourd season, he grows tomatoes and eggplants, which he sells at the market in Hosur in Tamil Nadu for about 45 rupees per kilogram. Such diversification helps reduce dependence on a single market and distribute income.