How a remote rain-shadow village turned sugarcane into a state-wide business

The escape came, as it often does, through one bold decision. “An enterprising young man from the village left for Mumbai in search of work. What he found was an opportunity hiding in plain sight. The sugarcane from Purandar was unlike anything the city had tasted,” said Waman Fadtare, 87, a villager who still runs a sugarcane juice shop in Mumbai.

“He began selling small, bite-sized sugarcane pieces called ‘ganderi’, packed into bags, and they sold fast. By 1936, the first fixed juice shops had appeared in Mumbai. The idea was simple: rather than walking door to door, set up one place, extract the juice, and let the customers come,” added Waman.

Reason behind the name

The shops were named after Kanifnath Maharaj, a revered saint of the Navnath Sampradaya, whose ancient temple sits on a hill in Bopgaon. Devotees climb to its narrow cave entrance, the gabhara, to seek blessings. “Naming the business after the saint was an act of faith and identity – and many believe it brought prosperity along with it,” said Manoj Fadtare, another villager.

Word spread beyond Bopgaon to neighbouring villages like Saswad, Chambali, and Bhivadi. Families moved to cities, set up stalls, and built a self-made industry. “Today, all 550 households in Bopgaon have at least one juice shop operating somewhere in Maharashtra. Some families run nearly 30 shops. And around 500-600 acres in the area remain under sugarcane cultivation, feeding this entire network and also sourced from Nashik and other districts,” Manoj added.

Glass of juice comes at a cost

The work runs through peak summer heat – the busiest season, and the harshest. The extraction machines are powerful and unforgiving. Pramod Fadtare, president of the Maharashtra Rasvanti Sanghatana, said that, “Around 50 people from the village have lost fingers to the machines while operating over the years. Add to that the challenge of rapid spoilage, juice oxidises and turns brown within minutes, along with attracting insects and frequent power cuts that can shut down a stall without warning.”

And yet, no one from Bopgaon speaks of giving up. In a state where agrarian distress and farmer suicides have been a grim, recurring headline, this village took a different road, one paved with hard work, enterprise, and self-respect.

Looking Ahead

The community has also begun addressing waste responsibly. “Bagasse, the fibrous pulp left after crushing, is now composted, reducing hygiene concerns and making the business viable for cleaner, more regulated spaces,” said Vijay Fadtare, a sugarcane juice shop owner.

That brings the village to its current demand. “With help from political leaders, including the late Ajit Pawar and Sharad Pawar, we have secured licensed space at ST bus stands. But we also want dedicated stalls at railway stations and airports, where footfall is high and the business can grow further and will create opportunities for the farmer community across the state,” Pramod added.

And there is also another worry. “Most individuals of the upcoming generation are not interested in running juice shops anymore. Many youngsters from the village are now pursuing careers in IT, CA, and other professional fields. It is good for them, but who will carry this forward?” said Vijay. Without succession, a century-old community enterprise risks fading quietly into the background.