Meet Haneef, a dropout turned crorepati farmer

Sangareddy: He dropped out of studies after completing Intermediate in 2000 at age 17. He did odd jobs for a couple of years before trying his hand at horticulture farming in 2002 at age 19. He now has 20 agriculture labourers working for him, and makes a neat Rs 1 crore profit per annum at age 39.

Meet Mohammad Haneef, the dropout-turned-farmer, who has stunned seasoned farmers in the district with his success story. Haneef not only owns eight acres of land at Mambapur village in Gummadidala mandal of Sangareddy district, but has also taken another 20 acres on lease to cultivate different types of vegetables.

Speaking to Telangana Today, Haneef said the produce from the 28 acres earns him a monthly profit of Rs 8 lakh that translates to Rs 1 crore per annum. “Gummadidala was known for vegetable cultivation,” Haneef, a native of Reddypally in Alladurgam mandal of Medak district, said, adding that he was in search of job after discontinuing studies. His father was involved in petty business to earn a livelihood.

“I wanted to support my family. With that single objective in mind, I took two acres of land on lease in 2002 at Mambapur to cultivate leafy vegetables,” he said. Straight on, Haneef started making profits and has never looked back since then. He ploughed back the profits he made and bought eight acres at Mambapur over the years. Apart from adopting modern farming practices such as pandal cultivation, mulching and drip irrigation, Haneef expanded his cultivation to 28 acres.

Stating that over 20 labourers work round the year at his farm, the horticulture farmer said his sister, brother-in-law, and other family members own two stalls at Rythu Bazaar where they sell their produce to get the best possible rates.

It is little wonder that Sangareddy District Collector M Hanumantha Rao chose Haneef to motivate and inspire Dalit Bandhu beneficiaries who are being given every opportunity to financially empower themselves by starting businesses with the Rs 10 lakh they get under the scheme. Haneef was in the district collectorate on Wednesday to deliver a lecture to the beneficiaries and he suggested that some of them take up horticulture cultivation.

District Horticulture Officer P Sunitha said she always asked aspiring horticulture farmers to visit Haneef’s farm to learn about his practices. Stating that Telangana was still dependent on imports for 70 per cent of vegetables, Haneef said there was great potential in horticulture farming. He also added a word of caution stating that agriculture demands more commitment than any other profession. “We need to spend a lot of time in our farm, besides ensuring proper marketing for our harvest that is key to success,” he said.

 

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