A central government scheme — Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin), or VB-G RAM G — has turned around the fortunes of Santaji Bhoite, a farmer from Antarwala village in Jalna district, Maharashtra, by enabling him to establish a sweet lime orchard that now serves as a steady secondary income source. With financial assistance channelled through the scheme, Bhoite planted 600 sweet lime saplings on his farmland and has been harvesting the crop for the past two years.

How Bhoite Accessed the Scheme

After learning about the VB-G RAM G scheme, Santaji Bhoite applied to the Block Development Officer in Jalna in the prescribed format. He submitted supporting documents including a letter seeking work under the scheme to the Gram Sevak, a copy of the Gram Sabha resolution, his Aadhaar card, and a bank passbook. Once the process was completed, he received the scheme's benefits and began developing the orchard on his land.

What the Scheme Covered

Under VB-G RAM G, Bhoite received assistance for all key orchard-establishment activities — pit digging, sapling planting, manure application, and weeding. He also received a subsidy of ₹40 per plant for all 600 saplings, directly reducing his input costs. Bhoite said that without this government support, establishing a fruit orchard at this scale would not have been financially feasible for him.

Production and Income

Over the past two years, Bhoite's orchard has yielded approximately three tonnes of sweet lime annually, generating a good income for his family. This year, he had anticipated production of five to six tonnes. However, an unidentified pest attack and excessive rainfall caused considerable damage to the orchard — a challenge that affected several fruit orchards across the region this season.

Weathering the Losses

Despite the setback, Bhoite harvested his crop ahead of the rains and secured a competitive market price for his produce. He said the income generated from the orchard has proved beneficial for his family even in an adverse year. Bhoite thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the central government for farmer-support schemes, and urged fellow farmers to explore available government programmes and claim benefits for which they are eligible.

Broader Significance

Bhoite's experience illustrates how targeted rural livelihood schemes can help smallholder farmers diversify beyond traditional crops and build climate-resilient income streams. According to him, combining government support, diligent farm management, and the right crop choice can meaningfully raise agricultural incomes. He believes sweet lime cultivation holds similar potential for other farmers in the region who make effective use of available schemes.