From Farmland to Foreign Lands: The Success Story of Two Women

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Even though they could have easily lived a comfortable life with their husbands who had government jobs in the city, these two women chose to stay connected to the soil of their farm. With hard work and the strength of their joint family, they not only farmed but also realized their dream of exporting grapes.

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Manisha and Savita each have two children. Manisha's husband works for the MSRTC, and Savita's husband works for MSEB. Their third brother-in-law is a professor, and his wife is a teacher at a Zilla Parishad school. Their father-in-law was also with the MSRTC, but after his sudden death from a heart attack, Manisha's husband got a job as a clerk on compassionate grounds. Since all the men in the house had government jobs, the family was financially stable. Despite this, these two women took the responsibility of farming on their own shoulders. Once, the whole family went to a relative's place in Sonari to see a vineyard. They were very impressed by the neatly arranged vineyard. When they came home, they made a unanimous decision and planted a vineyard. However, a difficult situation arose in 2022 when Manisha's husband got a job in Mumbai on compassionate grounds. This was because the vineyard had been planted in 2018, and neither woman had much experience with it. While her husband was confused about whether to continue farming or leave for the job, Manisha told him firmly, "Go for your job without worry. No one is going to dig up the farm; we will handle all the responsibilities."

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This was a difficult time, but both women accepted the responsibility. When they couldn't find laborers, they worked in the fields themselves. They sought guidance from experts. Gradually, they learned the work of the vineyard and flourished it with their hard work. They say, "Sometimes we had to work so hard that we would be drenched in sweat. But now we are so used to it that we don't feel tired." Today, they are completely skilled in managing the vineyard. Since 2020, they have been exporting grapes through Sahyadri Farms and have also become members of the company. This family, who initially sold grapes in the local market, has been exporting them through Sahyadri Farms for the last six years. Interestingly, both women, with their hard work, produced a record 12 tons per acre in 2022-23 and exported 100% of their grapes. Today, they have 2.5 acres of Thompson and 1.5 acres of Crimson grapes. Their total land is 7 acres, and they currently have cauliflower on the rest. Their hard work is evident in the exports of the past few years. In 2022, they earned ₹18.16 lakh from 25.23 tons. In 2023, they earned ₹22.96 lakh from 29.44 tons, and in 2024, they earned ₹13.48 lakh from 15.50 tons. In 2025, their income was ₹16.70 lakh from 20.38 tons.

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Many people often ask them, "Everyone in the family has a job, so why bother with so much hard work?" To this, the "Lady Jai-Veeru" duo smiles and replies, "There is no alternative to hard work." Now, people from the entire taluka come to see their vineyards and seek guidance. The true strength of this family is their joint family. All three men in the house have government jobs, but the women were also given opportunities. Their sister-in-law was given full freedom to study, and today she is a government school teacher. In reality, both these women could have gone to the city with their husbands and lived a relaxed life. But they chose the path of struggle. Their belief is, "Staying together increases strength, leads to financial progress, and makes the family strong." Today, the Jadhav family is financially strong and advanced in agriculture. This was possible because of the creativity, hard work, and sacrifice of Manisha and Savita.

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