Pearl farming, a lesser known practice, but certainly a lucrative business, unfortunately, hasn’t caught the fancy of Indian entrepreneurs as yet. Predominatly so, due to lack of awareness and technology.
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In the absence of any takers willing to breathe life into the pearl producing oysters, India, which was once known to produce the finest ‘oriental pearls’, imports pearls worth $ 4 million every year now.
After pearl fishery was stopped in India four decades ago, as a step to put a check on the depleting resources of natural pearls, production of pearl came to an apparent halt while countries like China, Japan, Australia, Tahiti and Indonesia, the biggest producers and exporters of pearl, took to pearl culture in a big way. In fact, pearl culture is one of the main cultivations in China and Japan.
Of late, the practice of freshwater pearl farming has been gaining belated acceptance in India. A few have come up on the horizon. And leading the pack is, Ravikiran Bhatt, a pearl farmer and the only pearl consultant in India, from Malavalli, a village in north Karnataka.
He ventured into this business three years back and was the only pearl farmer in the whole of Karnataka back then. “In three years I have come a long way. From a farmer to a consultant, I have a client base of 28 clients across several states of India and foreign countries like Maldives, Malaysia, Singapore, etc.”
Ravikiran, Chairman, Ravikiran’s Freshwater Pearl Culture Research Centre and Yashas Consulting Services, accidently landed up in this business when an astrologer told him that pearl farming could open the doors to fortune for him. Enthused by the astrologer’s prediction, he went to China to learn the technique of pearl farming. He got his degree in MFSc in pearl farming, from the Freshwater Fisheries Research Center CAFS (FFRC), Wuxi, Jiangsu, China.
He also visited the Central (CIFA), Bhubaneshwar and the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI), Kochi and got the necessary training from experts. Additionally, he gathered information from the internet and gained knowledge on various methods of pearl cultivation in detail.
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| “In three years I have come a long way. From a farmer to a consultant, I have a client base of 28 clients across several states of India and foreign countries like Maldives, Malaysia, Singapore, etc.” Ravikiran, Chairman
Ravikiran’s Freshwater Pearl Culture Research Centre |
With all the information in his kitty, he started experimenting. And after a couple of failed attempts he finally tasted the long-awaited success. Today, he is sitting pretty on an annual turnover of Rs 40 crores, which is a magnificient figure considering he started with just Rs 4 lakh three years back.
For the figures it generates, freshwater pearl farming involves a relatively simple procedure that can be easily replicated by anyone, anywhere. The biggest advantage being that entrepreneurs can start this even within the territories of their houses.
Replicating Nature
A natural pearl is formed when some form of irritant lodges itself into a mussel (freshwater oyster). To protect itself from the irritant, the mussel secretes a fluid to coat the foreign element. And over a period of few months or a year or two, layers of coating are formed on the irritant and thus a lustrous pearl is formed.
Pearl is basically calcium carbonate deposit within the soft tissue of shelled oyster.
However, pearl formation procedure is different in cultured pearls. In freshwater pearl farming, mussels are nucleated through surgery which initiates the process of pearl formation.
The process starts with collecting mussels from river, which are then put under pre-operative care to help the mussels adapt to the new environment. The mussels are then operated upon and nucleus is implanted between its soft tissue. Subsequent to the surgery, mussels are put under post-operative care, also called the ICU stage.
Post recovery, mussels are put in a pond, where they are tended to while pearls take shape inside the shell.
Depending on the type of mussel, pearl formation can take anywhere between a few months and several years.
The last stage comprises harvesting pearls. Pearls are extracted from the mussels, which are washed, cleaned and certified by gemmologists before they are sold.
Elements of concern
Erratic or extreme climatic conditions-Mussels could perish under extreme weather conditions. Untimely rains could destroy the pearl breeding mussels.
Depleting quality of water- Due to increase in the number of industries and industrial waste which is often dumped in the water bodies without proper treatment, the water quality is depleting.
Unsupportive Banks- Despite the fact that pearl farming comes under agriculture, banks do not provide loan for pearl farming. And it is always a challenge for a farmer or an entrepreneur to procure loan for the same.
Marketing Obstacle- This is one of the most crucial challenges faced by a farmer. The domestic market is mostly consumed by artificial hyderabadi pearls, which makes it difficult of an entrepreneur to sell his cultured-pearls in the country. Pearls produced in India have to be thus exported. But again, there are no middlemen in India for exporting the produce. “Government should establish agencies to help pearl farmers market their pearls,” says Ravikiran, who helps farmers to market their pearls in the absence of any proper marketing chain.
Technologically outdated- Technology is very crucial to pearl farming, as it helps in improving the quality and increasing the size of the pearl, which in turn helps fetch better price for the nugget. But, unfortunately, India lags far behind in pearl farming technology. “Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture, premier research Institute on freshwater aquaculture in the country, has been trying to develop world-class technology for pearl production which can help farmers, but hadn’t had much luck,” says Mr Suresh Kumar, a pearl farmer from Bangalore. Lack of technology and unawareness about the existing technology is the reason why entrepreneurs often give up on the idea of pearl farming.
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Investing in the Invaluable
Cultivation of pearls involves capital investment and recurring expenditure. While capital expenditure includes buying or taking a land on lease, constructing a pond, plant and machinery, etc, recurring expenditure entail buying nuclei, which is generally imported from Japan, labour charges, harvesting charges, etc.
Deciding Factor (ROI)
Pearl farmers can get as much as 200 per cent return on their investment depending on the survival rate of mussels. Ravikiran says, “In India the survival rate of oysters, under most favourable conditions, is as good as 80%. But to be on the safer side, it is better to go with the assumption that 50 per cent of mussels may not survive till the end.”
However, as long as the mortality rate is less than 50 per cent, one can expect to make approximately 200 per cent of net profit. Which is not bad at all!
But what makes the business of shiney pearls super-attractive is the fact that pearl farming is exempted from tax as it falls under the agriculture sector. This essentially means farmers needn’t pay any tax on their sale proceeds. However, the government does impose tax on export of pearls.
Pearl farming, despite being a commercially viable and profitable business venture, farmers aren’t coming forward. Ravikiran explain’s, “the reason why not many farmers are taking up pearl farming is because it is not supported by government. This makes it risky.” According to him, our poor farmers are apprehensive as, in the absence of government’s support, they don’t have anyone to fall back on in case the project fails.
He stresses that the government should make loans easily available to aspiring pearl farmers and should as well start a training institute to impart training to the hugely illiterate population of farmers on techniques and technology.
By promoting pearl culture, not only can the government play an instrumental role in uplifting the financial condition of the pearl farmers, given the high profit margin in the business, it can also help increase “India’s contribution to global pearl production which in today’s date is less than a per cent” says Ravikiran.
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written by Prasad Hegde, August 01, 2011
I would like to contact you regarding training of pearl cultivation. Can you give me your Phone no.
Please mail me.
Regards
Prasad Hegde
written by damanbajwa, July 31, 2011
i am from punjab ,and i am doing bcom 3rd , sir i am very interested in want to know about pearl farming , one day i read an article about pearl farming, from that day i want to know about pearl farming .my father have farms and want that they do pearl farming , please sir tell me about pearl farming .
written by vinothkumar.s, July 22, 2011
written by s vijay, July 20, 2011
8883331777
8870119933
written by Rajesh Mohanty, July 18, 2011
Please send me some info to start with. I will do the rest of the groundwork.
Thanks
Rajesh
written by kaishwer, July 14, 2011
written by sunil choudhary, July 12, 2011
written by RameshBabu, July 10, 2011
ravikiran.pearl@gmail.com
written by RameshBabu, July 10, 2011
written by v k singh, June 13, 2011
i want to know that pearls and fish both can be cultivated together in same pound ?
with regards
hopefully
v k singh/ sambalpur /orissa
written by D patel, May 25, 2011
Reading the whole article above seems like an interesting new venture for me
Would you b able to send me more information on the project
Regards
D
written by maheshbhat, May 15, 2011
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written by Lebron James Headphones, May 10, 2011
written by durga prasad, May 09, 2011
written by Lohhith.C.N, May 07, 2011
PI provide the infomation on Fresh Water Pearl farming in detail.I too belong to Karnataka and I'm interested in the same business. Pl mail me to lohi09@gmail.com
lohhith.
written by Abhijeet, May 06, 2011
I would like to know more on this as i have land in Dist-Sindhudurga, State : Maharastra. Could you please mail me some more information
Thanking in Adv.
Abhijeet Tawte
Email ID : abhijeet.tawte@gmail.com
written by sahadev, April 26, 2011
I am from Andhra pradesh, i like this project but what is the minimum investment, what is the time frame for getting income and also send me the typical project reports
written by Pollyanna Fu, April 20, 2011
written by Yogesh Nilekar, April 12, 2011
thnks a lot
written by Rakesh Raushan, April 07, 2011
Many congrats for your grand success in the business you are dealing.
Could you plz. let me know the basics of this pearl cultivation business like its startup costs, machinery/equipment and kind of atmosphere required specifically for pearl cultivation.
Rakesh mob. 9713695341
written by Rajaramanna, April 04, 2011
ravikiran's email id is ;;;; ravikiran.pearl@gmail.com
written by raja neelam, March 22, 2011
soon i will contact you ji .
written by varghese nair, March 16, 2011
written by AJAY KUMAR AGARWALLA, March 13, 2011
THANKS/REGARDS
AJAY
written by narresh, March 05, 2011
i would like to know the project cost,i am from andhrapradesh,please send the project details to me.
written by durgaprasad, March 04, 2011
written by Theresa L. Cunningham, February 26, 2011
written by Theresa L. Cunningham, February 26, 2011
written by preeti kapoor, February 25, 2011
written by Harish Vakiti, February 19, 2011
We are also looking to Set up these type of industry in Andhra Pradesh Sector and Spl in near to HYD. Which i already send to your email my proposal and request.
We are waiting for your replay ...
written by Narvir Singh , February 18, 2011
I want to start peral farming in Jammu (J&K) , i have agricultural land and other required set ups there , request your help and guidance regarding the same .
My contact details :- Narvir Singh , M 09004414243 and narvirsingh@gmail.com .
Rgds for the day ,
Narvir Singh
written by DEBAS, February 17, 2011
I am very interested to work with you, I want to start this business in entire WB, can u call me on-8972380729
written by Lovleen taluja, February 16, 2011
Congratulations bro....
i just want to make a business plan for my project as i m doing MBA...plz help me up to share this knowledge about pearls business as u have expertize and knowledge in dat..plz share knowledge with me...
my contact no is +91-9872455693 or my email id is lovleentaluja@yahoo.co.in
i shall be very thankful to u bro....take care..
written by Tapas, February 07, 2011
We do supply prawn seed also...
Me a passed Graduate in Industrial Fish and Fisheries are in the business.. to supply best quality seed at very cheaper price...
You can contact me at my mobile/email...
(M): +9829098599
Email:
tapasdv@gmail.com
written by ketan chandarana, January 28, 2011
and i also like to know about pearls? so please , can you help in that subject?
written by Manish Jain, January 27, 2011
written by Aravind Babu, January 25, 2011
Congratulations on your success. I would like to learn from your knowledge and be part of such initiative.
Please contact me on taravindbabu@gmail.com or 09866702678
written by rasheed M M, January 23, 2011
it is very informative and neat article, is there any sutiable area or climate and where can get raw material n required equipments?
written by Geet G, January 21, 2011
Ravi
Bravo for selecting such an extraordinary idea ,Can u plz share ur Knowledge wid me as i feel its different n interesting too.
u can mail me at pkaurani@gmail.com or can call at 011-4103576
All d best.
Geet.
written by Surjeet Gureja, January 20, 2011
Congratulations on your success. I would like to learn from your knowledge and be part of such initiative.
Please contact me on surjeet.gureja@gmail.com or 09650288400.
Thanks
Surjeet Gureja
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I want to know that can I get training regarding pearl farming.Please send me your contact details.
Regards
Prasad Hegde