Farmers prefer Sonchafa over mogra farming for higher incomes

Sonchafa is grown in seven varieties, but no flower blooms year-round. The focus of Velankar was on the dense yellow type, and he developed a grafted variety, now known as Velankar Chafa. Generally, seed-grown plants take up to 12 years to flower, but this variety is able to bloom in just two years’ time.

The plant starts blooming as a shrub; later it turns into a vine, and its fragrant flowers last for days in water. It can be grown in almost all kinds of soils with little care. Velankar had worked hard in the promotion of this variety in the state, encouraging farmers to grow this variety. Currently, his 20-acre nursery has about 3,000 mother plants that have been producing 10,000 grafts every year.

Cultivation of Sonchafa flowers has strengthened the economic conditions of local farmers. They prefer this flower due to better profit. In Arnala village, the 1,100-member cooperative society has been growing it as their main crop because a single plant gives 150–200 flowers each day.

Farmers have been earning lakhs in the peak season of Sonchafa. However, unpredictable weather poses a lot of challenges for farmers. But Velankar’s innovative techniques have made Sonchafa a reliable source of income for the farming community.