In 2017, Dr Kandasami Saravanan quit his job as a soil scientist at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, where he worked for seven years.

Back at home in Somankottai village of Tamil Nadu, he created a lush green haven of moringa oleifera on four acres of land.

Departing from conventional practices of waiting for the trees to bear drumsticks, he opts to quickly harvest its leaves.

“During peak production, the price for drumsticks reduces to as low as Rs 5 per kg. But its leaves are in much higher demand in the international market. So, I decided to switch to moringa leaves farming,” he explains.

Dr Saravanan uses no-till cultivation and implements organic farming practices using goat manure and farmyard waste. He has also installed drip irrigation to ensure crops are grown without any wastage.

To maximise production, he uses a new technique called bundle mulching, in which crop residues such as dry leaves are stacked along the crop rows to suppress weed growth.

After harvesting and shade-drying the leaves, he processes them into value-added products such as moringa podi, leaf soup, and powder.

Selling at over Rs 800 per kg, the former soil scientist has successfully tapped into international markets in the USA, Canada, Europe, and several Gulf countries.

Every month, he manages to earn a net profit of up to Rs 40,000. He shares, “Farmers can fetch up to Rs 1.25 lakh annually just by selling their leaves. If they venture into value addition, they can earn up to Rs 2.5 lakh to double the profits.”

Dr Saravanan, who went against his family to invest nearly Rs 1 crore in cultivating the farm, now feels that he is reaping the fruits of his struggles. “When you really do what you love, you feel rewarded at the end,” he says.