Agriculture & Industry Survey

Agriculture & Industry Survey Vadamalai Media Group

July 2020 - 780

India’s Leading Business Magazine for Agriculture

Dr. Nitin Bhore

30 years of experience is expertise from experience and a knowledge base that would go beyond elephant size.

Ms. Kalpana Manivannan An urban farmer from Chennai, who gave more weightage to the why not and is now going head on to cut any traces of chemicals that may enter her household.

Ms. Usha Pinnamaraju A dietician by profession who cared to give her profession an edge by not just prescribing what food is good for one’s health but also to show them how to grow their own food.

Mr Navdeep Golecha Topped his university level examinations in the UK, secured a job at Royal Bank of Scotland and a few weeks later decided to get back to India. To make his decision right, one would think he would slip into his family’s real estate business.

Dr. Navanath Kaspate

Owing to low family income, education after Std 11 may have remained a dream for Dr Navanath; but, that did not stop him from scaling great heights. Today, he has done some path breaking work in agriculture by developing new varieties of custard apples.

CONTENTS 04

PUBLISHERS NOTE

05

EDITORIAL

06

NEWS

09

Upcoming Events / Archives

12

Talking to

16

Dr. Nitin Bhore

20

Ms. Kalpana Manivannan

24

Ms. Usha Pinnamaraju

26

Mr Navdeep Golecha, Natura Farms

30

Horticulture

32

Migrant Workers

34

Pork King

35

Pests

36

Statistics

40

Global Food Security

44

Foreign Horticulture

46

Question & Answer

50

personal view

ONLINE MEETINGS

* Dr. Navanath Kaspate * Mr Ravindhra Prasad

Consultant organic farming Terrace Farmer

Residue-free farming

Dr. Narayana CK, ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research

Farms count cost of homegrown workforce

World’s richest farmer faces chop to fortune Locusts are putting 5 million people at risk of starvation AGRICULTURAL INPUTS & COST Part - I Self Sufficiency in food is a good argument?

80% of Kenya’s horticulture exported!

3 I AGRICULTURE & INDUSTRY SURVEY I July 2020

Agriculture & Industry Survey

PUBLISHERS NOTE

Taking agriculture online

A paradigm shift and its time is here and now!

Work from home is the current slogan and how long we are to be confined in our home and how to unlock the blockade is an open question and nobody seems to have an answer.

T

he much-dreaded Covid 19 virus menace is here . We in India and the rest of the world are in the midst of this crisis. The only consolation, if we can call this time a consolation is that other more developed countries are equally in a bad situation and we have to all fall in line and co-operate with the government’s various steps that are also daily changing as the menace are changing daily.

Now, it is three months since. We are all in a lockdown whose time limit is unknown as we write. May be till the time when some new medicines come out and this as of now is very uncertain. How long the economic activity can be blocked?

There doesn’t seem to have any answer. Anyway, the reality is that we are all confined to our homes and the workplace culture has to change. And some work has to be resumed simply because the poor and the unorganised sector would be hard hit.

One positive outcome of this current crisis is that the new technology of digitalisation has helped an increasing section of the workplace into turning over to the culture of work from home!

Those who are in the IT sector have been pursuing this paradigm shift for some time and it is increasingly being tried. One sector is the IT companies and also the very many small companies and ventures.

Luckily for us at the Vadamalai Media this work from home culture has been a long time practice and readers and patrons, please note that at present that all our practice has been turned over to this new online technology.

Our two sites, agricultureinformation.com and Indiaschoolnews.com have become in effect two of our latest videoconferencing sites and as of now, our two on-going ventures. It is really heartening. That the two sites are fully drawing visitors in more than good numbers than we anticipated.

Of course it is too early in the day. At this point we feel it is only right that we have to enlighten our readers and viewers. That ventures, the various language magazines, two in English and one in each Tamil and Kannada languages have been our mainstay. For over many years, nearly half a century, namely, the one on education and the one on agriculture, namely, Agriculture and Industry Survey, have been our print venture. From our print ventures we are now graduating to the online ventures and as we go on we are confident we would take the online. Ventures to new heights of glory and service to the Indian people.

It would be considered imprudent if we say and claim that serving the largest public good has been our humble pursuit that this pursuit of public good only has taken us into two important Indian sectors, namely of education and agriculture, sectors that we are intimately connected with, as are basically placed in the agri/rural sectors and we are also comfortably placed. So, from now onwards we hope to reach out to larger sections. And wider reaches of social segments.

After all, the Indian social and economic segments are so developing that still about 52 percent of Indian people are dependent upon agriculture and village economies and also the rest of them almost the same per cent of the poor are rural migrants whose plight came to light after the outbreak of the Covid 19.

Our very agricultural economy is, as we must be knowing, is basically rural migrantsdependent. And all our agricultural revival and recovery plans and targets must be only based on this micro-level realities. And that is another world altogether.

Let our new realisation of this immense continent of Indian agricultural revival draw us together and a new commitment to our agricultural development. Draw us more and more new adherents to the last technologies that seem to be our only hope and a new faith!

Publishing Director

4 I AGRICULTURE & INDUSTRY SURVEY I July 2020

Vol. XXX No. VII JULY 2020 Founder Chairman V. Isvarmurti Managing Editor Kartik Isvarmurti

editor@agricultureinformation.com

Magazine Coordination A. Kavitha

kavitha@agricultureinformation.com

Website Coordination Rajani Jain

rajani@agricultureinformation.com

Dhanalakshmi S

dhanalakshmi@agricultureinformation.com

Contact Number and Email 9620-320-320

support@agricultureinformation.com

To subscribe visit the website www.agricultureinformation.com

Online Version

www.agricultureinformation.com

Office Address: Vadamalai Media Group C-2/286, 2 C Cross, Domlur II Stage Bangalore 560071 India

Published by Vadamalai Media Private Limited Regd Office: Pichanur, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu Printed, Published & Edited by Mrs. Shenbi on behalf of Vadamalai Media (P) Ltd. Published from C-2/286, 4th Main, 2-C Cross, BDA Layout, Domlur II Stage, III Phase, Bangalore - 560 071 and Printed at Print-o-Graph, No.124, Sultanpet, Bangalore. * Copyright-Vadamalai Media (P) Ltd.

Online Agriculture!

Editorial

How to revive the Indian agriculture?

To make farming profitable, we have written extensively. So, there is no point here in writing anything more. The ground level reality is that the returned migrant labour would now get back to the old haunts where they had learnt to. Earn three of four times the daily wage is. So, please don’t disturb this existing rural realities. Innovate new production techniques and let new innovations like producers farming societies and other contract farming practices come into a new life.

T

hese current economic scenarios is far from any certainty and predictability. There are many challenges, from the external challenges and the internal turmoil.

Of course, the economic and political issues, in the best of times or worst of situations are always very complex and complicated. That is why in an ironical sense both the politicians and the professional economists are always over-rated!

Now, coming to the current times we see that India as the world’s largest democracy as well as the fifth largest economy, also with the latest Chinese incursions and the prevailing Covid-19 Corona Virus Pandemic, is facing multiple challenges. Of course those who are in positions of authority, in politics and other responsible policy making spheres have special moral responsibility to play their roles with greater commitment. Now, we at Vadamalai Media and committed as we are to the nationally crucial agriculture sector, we have to write and comment with greater responsibility.

We are not in any position of political responsibility, though we feel that even otherwise, agriculture is a type of sphere where there are too many voices, both official as well as political that agriculture is one arts where everyone seems to be cut off from actual practical farming as their daily livelihood.

That its one very important reason, among others, to see that Indian agricultural policy making is so skewed. That the actual farmers, cultivator is always in an exploitative situation. Now, the current scene. As one senior agri scientist who participated in Vadamalai Media’s new online venture, www. agricultureinformation.com video conferencing “Discussion Group”’s daily event, that after the current threatening Covid 19 Pandemic, it is the agriculture sector, the farming activity is as active as the Covid Virus sector. Challenge!

Now, it is for the first time in India we, Indians themselves have realised that Indian agriculture at the all India level is very much dependent on migrant labour. On such a vast scale who and which expert, agri or non-agri who has said so far?

As far as we know none! Such is the dependence of Indian agriculture that once the Corona Virus hot and when many states announced lockdowns a storm, almost like flood havoc drove out such vast numbers, the rural migrants who flooded the fields of Punjab, Haryana and West UP, not to speak of other States, many in the Southern India, also saw this vast humanity flooding out to their rural hinterlands seeking an escape from this Pandemic.

As per latest statistics, lndia’s salaried population is only a small fraction of this total work force which explains why so many migrants had to move out of cities when the lockdown was announced on March 24. The International Labour Organisation (lLO) estimates that only 22% of India’s work force falls under the category of salaried employment and 78% of

people had no assured salary and was bound to suffer in such uncertain periods. In fact, we would say that it is an opportunity now that for people at large and also for cultivating public opinion on such critical issues like agriculture, the sector for which we are committed to realise that how important agriculture sector is for such national priorities like surplus food production and also still more seriously how agriculture with its bounty of providing a food surplus that is also very critical to survive in this increasingly uncertain world. We Indian people must also know that in the rest of the world, in the Middle East and also in some parts of Africa people pay a heavy price, as in Syria, Lebanon and other neighbouring countries, there is a food crisis right now and wars and political instabilities cause an immense misery and much heartburn for people with less fortunate leaders. The important point we want to further convey is that in India too we need to pay greater attention beyond agriculture, food production, we have to equally commit ourselves, the importance of politics, good governance and also the public opinion and public perception of the quality of our leaders, politicians and the political class, the political elite whose compositions, with corruption and undemocratic composition of our political party cadres and the sort of mentality developed by our leaders to run their party machines with such huge political denotations (the latest estimate is that the ruling party collected Rs 4057.40 crores and spent Rs. 1,371.82 crores, as per the research of the Association for Democratic Reforms). We have much more to say for the nature of our highly unequal and inequitable political structures in the name of democracy.

All these, not just the poverty and exploitation of the poor. So the point here is that India is much better in agriculture development issues but there are very many structural issues.

You can’t separate politics from economics and so vice versa.

Now, the latest announcement of the Prime Minister for free food and also direct payment into the hands of the poor to cut short the bureaucratic constraint is welcome. Let us hope the free food scheme works satisfactorily. As for the revival of agricultural economy, one important point here is that, as well know that the marginal farmers is in the majority. The average farm holding is less than two hectares per household.

Let the co-operative efforts plus other new initiates succeed.

There are other land reform laws still there and inhibit freedoms of farmers. In Karnataka they are making changes. We need farmers freedoms ensured. Don’t tie the land owners to some outdated land reform laws further. Bank loans to actual farmers must be liberally provided, so too the marketing reforms. There may be some disruptions. Disruptions are better for some time than present day anti-liberal mind set of populist politics!

5 I AGRICULTURE & INDUSTRY SURVEY I July 2020

News The Indian-American soil scientist studied at the Punjab Agricultural University and Indian Agricultural Research Institute before heading to Ohio State University, which has been his home for 50 years.

Son of the soil The importance of 2020 World Food Prize winner Rattan Lal’s work

R

attan Lal has done America, his adopted land, and India, his home country, proud by becoming the 2020 winner of the World Food Prize, which is considered to be the Nobel for food-related research. The prominent Indian-American soil scientist is the eighth person of Indian origin to win the USD 250,000 prize, which was established in 1987 by the legendary Nobel Peace Prize winner Norman Borlaug, whose pioneering work led to India’s Green Revolution in the 1960s.

The 75-year-old Lal has illustrious company. Past Indian winners of the prize include MS Swaminathan, who played a leading role in India’s Green Revolution, and Verghese Kurien, the ‘Father of the White Revolution’ and the man behind Amul and the dairy cooperative movement in India.

Professor Lal, the director of the Carbon Management and Sequestration Center at Ohio State University, bagged the award for his soil-centric approach to ramp up food production, which not only conserves natural resources but also tackles the menace of climate change.

While describing his “unbound joy and excitement” on getting the award, Lal said the “urgent task of feeding humanity is not fulfilled until each and every person has access to an adequate amount of nutritious food grown on a healthy soil and in a clean environment”.

The man and his mission Born in pre-independence India in what is now Pakistan, Lal’s family migrated to India in 1947. He studied in what is often regarded as India’s greatest agricultural research institute, the Punjab Agricultural University in Ludhiana.

He then did an MSc from Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, before heading to the Ohio State University, Columbus, US, which has become his home for 50 years. He has also served as research fellow and honorary professor in universities around the world.

Lal’s most recent research has focussed on soil carbon sequestration, climateresilient agriculture, and enhancing use efficiency of agroecosystems among other things.

According to his biographical note on

6 I AGRICULTURE & INDUSTRY SURVEY I July 2020

the Ohio State University website, he has mentored 112 graduate students and 54 postdoctoral researchers, and authored/co-authored over 2,437 research publications, written 22 books and edited/co-edited more than 75 books.

During his career that spans five decades, Lal has done pioneering work on farming techniques which not only prevent soil from losing vital nutrients but also put nutrients back in the soil.

In his own words, this is a “soil-centric” approach to farming, which has important implications for mitigating climate change and preventing deforestation.

Lal was mentioned as part of the World’s Most Influential Scientific Minds by Reuters in 2015 and 2016, and he is the 2018 winner of the Glinka World Soil Prize for his outstanding contribution towards sustainable soil management and protecting soil resources.

Praising Lal’s work, US secretary of state Mike Pompeo said: “He’s helping the earth’s estimated 500 million small farmers be faithful stewards of their land through improved management, less soil degradation, and the recycling of nutrients. The billions of people who depend on these farms stand to benefit greatly from his work.”

Source : timesnownews.com

Key Highlights •

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•

Professor Lal is the eighth person of Indian origin to win the USD 250,000 prize, which was established in 1987 by the legendary Nobel Peace Prize winner Norman Borlaug He is the director of the Carbon Management and Sequestration Center at Ohio State University, and bagged the award for his soil-centric approach to ramp up food production During his career that spans five decades, Lal has done pioneering work on farming techniques which not only prevent soil from losing vital nutrients but also put nutrients back in the soil

News

Fintech startup Jai Kisan banks

$3.9m to give India’s smallholder farmers access to cheaper finance

A

sk any shopkeeper, milkman, dhobi (launderer), or other merchant in India how many people owe them money for their services, and how much they’re owed. You’re likely to get two high numbers. In fact, it’s common across the board for Indian businesses to serve their customers on credit and keep tabs.

It’s true from the kirana kiosk selling cigarettes by the side of the street, all the way up to B2B enterprises selling equipment to farmers. “In India, merchant credit isn’t just a service – it’s an expectation,” says Arjun Ahluwalia, co-founder and CEO of freshly funded rural fintech startup Jai Kisan.

The problem is that the people at the bottom of the chain — such as smallholder farmers and other low-income rural workers — can’t always enjoy the same access to credit as those farther up, even though they’re often the most in need of it. Their financing needs tend to be much smaller but are seen as higher risk because they typically lack documentation on their business operations and cashflow; many don’t have a bank account or credit histories.

As a result, many financing providers prefer to steer clear of lending to farmers. And even when they do, they’ll lend via rural service providers such as agribusiness input vendors or farming equipment leasers, who typically attach their own mark-up to the loan.

“Most lenders want to give large tickets, to maintain their unit economics [when they’re traveling] out to the hinterland of country,” Ahluwalia tells AFN. “They also give [the capital] to a buyer or seller in the value chain, rather than giving it directly to the end customer. The reason is it’s significantly easier to give it to an equipment manufacturer rather than the farmer, because then they would have to do smaller loans and underwrite the farmers.”

This means that capital “sits at the neck of the bottle rather than flowing down,” he says.

Full-stack rural fintech It’s a problem that Jai Kisan is hoping to solve with its “rural fintech full-

stack platform,” which adopts a B2B2C approach to partner with intermediaries in the agricultural value chain so that they can lend to farmers at lower costs.

“We are able to get this capital down to end customers by digitally onboarding them. And we do this extremely cheaply,” Ahluwalia explains.

The Mumbai-based startup partners both with businesses that sell to farmers, such as input or equipment providers, and those that buy from farmers, such as agri-commodity traders and food processing firms. These partners act as sales agents for Jai Kisan and its lender clients, by offering finance as an add-on to the inputs they sell or by placing a tablet or laptop in their outlets that farmers can use to sign up.

“The partner is excited by this because, say you are an equipment dealer and [previously] took capital from the bank to lend it on to a farmer, you had to take that debt onto your books. We integrate those sellers and buyers for that loan origination to be able to happen on the spot,” Ahluwalia says.

Partners can then cut their markup, leading to lower interest rates for farmers and quicker turnaround times for all stakeholders. Jai Kisan can also act as a middleman between these partners and apex lenders, allowing it to cut interest rates to farmers even further by sourcing the best deals it can.

In the past six months, the startup has disbursed over ₹500 million ($6.56 million) in loans to over 5,500 borrowers across 10 states. It has partnered with three “blue chip” banks and five non-bank financial institutions, including microloan-focused Avanti Finance.

Arkam leads; first for Nabard Investors seem to be impressed; Jai Kisan has just raised ₹300 million ($3.94 million) in a pre-series A funding round led by Arkam Ventures. Also joining in the round is NABVentures — the VC arm of Indian development finance institution (DFI), the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard) — in its first-ever investment.

“Very few startups have the commanding view of a large, untapped space. Even fewer startups have the luxury of tailwinds in these challenging times,” said Arkam Ventures managing director Rahul Chandra in a statement.

“Jai Kisan is a rare combination of both of the above along with a unique business model that adds value to multiple participants of the agri-supply chain.”

Existing investors including Blume, Prophetic Ventures, and Better Capital also participated in the round alongside several other investors from the finance and agriculture sectors.

Jai Kisan plans to use its new funding to hire for roles across operations and tech, make its tech platform more robust to attract more DFIs and other lenders, and to leverage the customer data it has amassed to expand its offering beyond loans to other credit, insurance, and savings products.

It also wants to scale up geographically. Initially, this means expansion to more states within India. But the longer-term plan is to take its model to other markets in Asia and farther afield where the agricultural industry is dominated by lower-income, ‘underbanked’ smallholders. Jai Kisan co-founder and chief operating officer Adriel Maniego’s home country of the Philippines may well be the startup’s first international stop. He and Ahluwalia are former classmates from Texas A&M University in the US, where they later began careers in private equity and debt restructuring.

Source : agfundernews.com

7 I AGRICULTURE & INDUSTRY SURVEY I July 2020

News Urban joblessness at 31%, rural at 20%: India’s salaried population is only a small fraction of its total work force — which explains why so many migrants had to move out of cities when the lockdown was announced on March 24. The International Labour Organisation (ILO) estimates that only 22% of India’s workforce falls under the category of salaried employment while 78% had no assured salary and hence was bound to suffer during this period.

Among major economies, India also ranks at the bottom on another parameter with more than 76% of workers categorised as being in vulnerable employment. That is, people classifying themselves as ownaccount workers or contributing family workers. Such workers are less likely to have formal work arrangements and hence lack decent working conditions and social security. Also, in a lockdown, many such people (like a cigarette shop owner) would be rendered jobless.

CMIE’s weekly unemployment data is collated by a survey. The survey for the last week of March had to be ended abruptly because of the lockdown and is based on 2,289 observations evenly spread over rural and urban areas, it said.

IIT-Madras research team produces high energy bio-oil from agricultural and plastic waste Researchers at Indian Institute of Technology- Madras have developed a simple microwave process to produce biofuel oils with high energy values from two waste products -- agricultural waste such as rice straw and bagasse and discarded plastics.

The urgency in search of renewable fuels is driven by the environmental impact of extracting fossil fuel and volatility in oil prices, associated political unrest across the world.

Bio-fuel oils generated from renewable biological sources are considered a practical and pragmatic replacement for petroleum and petrochemicals.

The team was led by R Vinu, associate professor, department of chemical engineering, IIT-Madras.

The results of their work have been published recently in the reputed peer-reviewed journal Bioresource Technology and Fuel Processing Technology. The team included researchers like Dadi Suriapparao and Banupriya Boruah.

Elaborating on this research, Vinu said, “Biomass is the only renewable source of carbon on earth with immense potential for the production of energy, chemicals, and materials with zero carbon footprint on the environment. Agricultural waste products such as rice straw, sugarcane bagasse and wood chips, among others, can potentially serve as bio-oil producing biomass.”

One of the common methods to produce bio-oil from biomass is ‘pyrolysis’ or heat-induced breakdown of the biomass components into fuel components. However, bio-oil produced by the pyrolysis of biomass contains large amounts of oxygenated groups or ‘oxygenates,’ far greater than in fossil fuels. These ‘oxygenates’ result in lower heat-

8 I AGRICULTURE & INDUSTRY SURVEY I July 2020

ing value of bio-oils, compared to fossil fuels, and in addition, increase their acidity and corrosiveness.

Plastics that are rich in hydrogen, can serve as the hydrogen supplier to biomass in its conversion to low-oxygenate bio-oils. The use of plastics as supporting material in the pyrolysis of biomass would ultimately serve two purposes – it would produce bio-oils with better properties and also help in repurposing used plastic.

“We believe that microwave-assisted pyrolysis process is a sustainable and energy efficient approach for resource recovery from a wide variety of wastes such as biomass agri residues, plastic wastes including disposed single-use plastics and non-reusable face masks, and a mixture of these,” added Vinu.

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Online meetings @ www.agricultureinformation.com

Upcoming events July 13 11.00 AM Talk with Mr. Shoury Reddy Sigareddy on “Model fruit farming in 5 acres with 100 varieties of fruit trees”

July 20 11.00 AM Talk with Mr. Sopan Kanchan on “Varieties of grapes and problems faced both in growing and marketing”

03.00 PM Talk with Mr. Pralhad M. Bhilare on “My experience with strawberry cultivation for nearly 40 years” ****

03.00 PM Talk with Dr. N. C. Nainwal on “Walnut promotion in mountain state of India” **** July 21 11.00 AM Talk with Mr. Hemant Naik on “Sapota cultivation and marketing”

July 14 11.00 AM Talk with Dr. Arumugam Thangaiah on “High density fruit farming - A profitable venture” 03.00 PM Talk with Dr. Bindu Pillai on “Opportunities in freshwater aquaculture” **** July 15 11.00 AM Talk with Mr. Y Surya Narayana on “Experience of a successful musambi cultivation farmer” 03.00 PM Talk with Mr. Rajeev Kamal Bittu on “Profitable way to do community farming” **** July 16 11.00 AM Talk with Mr. Ram Mukhekar on “Organic Pomegranate farming”

03.00 PM Talk with Dr. Raja Shankar on “Potential of drumstick for health, export and value addition” **** July 22 11.00 AM Natural Farming- Is it commercially viable? By Shri. Hem Chand Verma.

03.00 PM Talk with Ms. Rupam Kumar on “My experience with creating a fruit forest” **** July 23 11.00 AM Talk with Mr. David Lobo on “Coconut farming - Hybrid cultivation for higher yield “

July 17 11.00 AM Talk with Dr Subramani KK on “ Papaya cultivation- profitable venture”

03.00 PM Talk with Mr.Venkata Narasimha Raju on “Mango fruit ripening - My 8 years experience of having done 5000 tons of fruit ripening” **** July 24 11.00 AM Talk with Mr. Vembar Nagaraj on “Best practices for installing solar fences”

03.00 PM Talk with Dr.Prashant Yogi on “Techno commercial dairy farming and sustainable gaushala management”

03.00 PM Talk with Dr. Padmakar Kelkar on “Solar power portable irrigation for farms”

03.00 PM Talk with Mr. Shivram B.N.Gaonker on “Khola chilly cultivation in hilly region” ****

July 24 11.00 AM Talk with Mr. Vembar Nagaraj on “Best practices for installing solar fences” 03.00 PM Talk with Dr. Padmakar Kelkar on “Solar power portable irrigation for farms” **** July 27 03.00 PM Talk with Mr. Vaidyanathan Sahasranamam on “Mobile based app for tomato disease identification” **** July 28 03.00 PM Talk with Mr. Manjegowda Shivanna Chandrabanu on “Protected Cultivation” **** July 29 11.00 AM Talk with Mr. Nitin Bhore on “Exotic vegetable cultivation in open field and in green shade” 03.00 PM Talk with Mr. Jyotirindra Dey on “Development of non-agriculture land by adopting latest farming method” **** July 30 11.00 AM Talk with Mr.Prashant Sehta on “High density multi fruit crop farming - technology and experience” August 04 03.00 PM Talk with Mr. Ajit Singh Batra, on “Tissue culture date palm production and farming” **** August 05 03.00 PM Talk with Mr. Vijay Bhaskar Reddy Dinnepu on “Mobile motor controller - IoT based irrigation solution”

To participate in these online meetings please visit www.agricultureinformation.com and click on BECOME PREMIUM MEMBER 9 I AGRICULTURE & INDUSTRY SURVEY I July 2020

Online meetings www.agricultureinformation.com

Meetings in Archive Online meetings are available only for Premium Members Talk with Mr. K. S. Jegannatha Raja on “ Plants and plantation of mango and wood apple varieties “

Mr. K. S. Jegannatha Raja of Rajapalyam Nursery Garden is a fourth generation farmer and his love for the regal mango is so strong that he is helping many varieties from going extinct. Mr. Raja spent most of his formative years in the lush green fields. His family own 10 acres of farming land, of which 1.5 acre is dedicated entirely to mangoes. Currently, they have more than 25,000 saplings of 15 types of mangoes. He has around 24 years of experience in grafting of Mango varieties and 7 years experience in grafting of Wood Apple varieties. Mr.Raja provides guidance on mango and wood apple plantation. To know more view https://bit.ly/3e45tQG

Talk with Mr. Soundararaja Veerasamy on “ Herbal processing and extraction technologies” Mr. Soundararaja Veerasamy, Consultant - Herba Extract is a Post Graduate Chemical Engineer and has 30 years experience in herbal processing industries. He is associated with export oriented herbal processing unit manufacturing and project executions in senior management level. He has undertaken consultancy assignments with number of small and medium scale industries on both chemical processing and herbal processing filed and traveled abroad for technology transfer and project execution.

Talk with Mr. Rishi Ram Prashar on ‘ Apiculture - Opportunities and Challenges ‘

Mr. Rishi Ram Prashar, Founder of Parashar Bee Farm is a Bee keeper and an Agriculture graduate, from Barna District, Kurukshetra, Haryana. He has about 14 years practical working experience in beekeeping, honey production, bee pollen, propolis and marketing.

He is also conducting training on Apiary and educating fellow farmers to start Bee keeping venture. Mr. Prashar says, “Bee keeping is mainly based on natural elements such as flowers, climate and Bees per unit area”.

Talk with Mr. Siddaraju K.A. on ‘Innovative Marketing - Directly connect Farmers and Consumers’

Mr. Siddaraju K.A. is the Chief Executive Officer Anekal Horticulture Producers Co.Ltd. says his organisation, comprising growers of a variety of vegetables including English cucumber is now selling its produce directly to consumers on streets of various localities in JP Nagar. They focus on localities as there are no restrictions. His organisation too is planning to further build on their direct marketing concept post lock down. He is into forming FIGs (Farmer Interest Group) and Developing a Company, finding new area of business development of FPO . Refer the article link https://bit.ly/2XBDQbg 10 I AGRICULTURE & INDUSTRY SURVEY I July 2020

Talk with Mr. Satyanarayana Choppavarapu on “ All about Melia Dubia tree cultivation “

Mr. Satyanarayana Choppavarapu , Managing Director of SANF Greenmens Pvt.Ltd. has 7 years practical experience in Melia dubia cultivation and integrated farming system. They are into supplying plants and also provide consultancy for melia dubia, sandalwood and bamboo plantation. To know more view https://bit.ly/2ySBr3F

Talk with Mr. Parashuram Patil on “ Advance Production Practices in Turmeric Cultivation “

Mr. Parashuram Patil, Scientist - Horticulture in ICAR-BIRDS KRISHI VIGYAN KENDRA, Belagavi has done M.Sc. Horticulture (Fruit Science) with NET qualified. His area of interest in agriculture is Horticulture (Fruit Science, Vegetable Science, Floriculture, Plantation, Spice, Medicinal, Aromatics and Post harvest handling of horticulture produce) organic farming issues.

Talk with Dr M. Vishwanath on “Cultivating flowers for domestic and export markets”

Dr M. Vishwanath is the Joint Director of Horticulture, Bangalore Division and Managing Director of International Flower Auction Ltd., Bangalore. This will be an online discussion about the potential of both export and domestic flower market. To know more view https://bit.ly/3creTV9

Talk with Mr. Parthasaradhi Nara on “Organic, natural farming & marketing organic produce”

Mr. Parthasaradhi Nara, Founder of Organic Anantha Products LLP is born and brought up in agriculture family. He has done M.Sc (Computer Science) and worked in IT sector for 11 years. He says because of his family background and issues in farming , he choose agriculture. His area of interest in agriculture is Organic Farming , Natural Farming and Sustainable Agriculture methods. To know more view https://bit.ly/3ccKpHo

Talk with Dr Barathi Nambi on “Commercial production of bamboo in India”

Dr. Barathi Nambi an Agricultural Scientist , Growmore Biotech Ltd. has done his doctorate in agriculture and has hands on experience in plant tissue culture and cultivation of 85 different species. He has been specialising in bamboo for the past 15 years for large scale cultivation, conversion of bamboo into different type of energy products such as Electricity, Bio-CNG, Charcoal, Bio-Ethanol, Bio-Petrol/Diesel. To know more view https://bit.ly/3druuFO

Talk with Mr. Ramchandra Appari on “Tree Transplantation How I have translocated more than 15,000 trees?”

Mr. Ramchandra Appari, Founder of Green Morning Horticulture Services Pvt. Ltd., has done Masters in both Entomology and Agri-Business Management. He has exemplified the unification of innovative ideas in the traditional method of landscaping with an objective to bring modern agriculture into the corporate sector and earning millions by paving the transformation in traditional landscaping. Green Morning Firm is continuously providing consultancy to farming communities through Haritha Nursery. The Nursery’s priority has been to grow indigenous, tropical, ornamental fruit trees, shrubs and climbers to replace the large numbers chopped down in Hyderabad City and surrounding areas. To know more view https://bit.ly/2zwzlGv

Talk with Mr. Veeresh Mahadeshwara Lingadal on “Red Sandalwood cultivation”

Mr. Veeresh Mahadeshwara Lingadal, Bhuvikas Farm and Nursery has 5 years work experience in agroforestry method in agriculture activities. His area of interest in agriculture is agro-forestry mainly mahogany tree, white sandal, & red sandal and horticultural crops.

His father Mr. Mahdeshwar B. Lingadal is the founder of Bhuvikas Farm and Nursery who are into supplying range of white sandal plants red sandal plants, lemon, african mahogany plants & l49 guava plants .

Talk with Mr. Siddalingappa Totappa Melagiri on “Grapes and Banana Cultivation”

Mr. Siddalingappa Totappa Melagiri is a BA Graduate and into agriculture for last 50 years and cultivates various fruits. At present he is cultivating grapes and banana. He says every year he visits various farms in Maharastra to know about the varieties of grapes cultivated and experience of other farmers.

Talk with Mr. Rajesh Singh Rathore on “Tissue culture teak plantation”

Mr. Rajesh Singh Rathore, Managing Director of Vatican Shona Agrotech Pvt Ltd., has practical experience from as a Farmer to Entrepreneur of tissue culture teak project, importance of drip irrigation and soil test. His area of interest in agriculture is financial planning for farmers, small investors and big investors through tissue culture teak plantation. During the meeting he would like to discuss on how tissue culture teak plantation project are best for investors, about ROI, process etc. and difference between tissue culture and normal plantation. To know more view https://bit. ly/30DNcX5

Talk with Mr. Robert de Bos on “Recent developments in protected cultivation of flowers and fruits in India”

Mr. Natarajan K is the Founder of Sri Amman Coirs and Sri Vinayaka Coirs, engaged in Coir Products. Mr. Natarajan says they have been doing agriculture for generations and he is into coconut farming and cultivation of seasonal crops. His area of interest in agriculture is Natural Farming and Poultry.

Mr. Robert de Bos, Director/Consultant , Bangalore Plants First Pvt. Ltd., holds a BSc. degree in Ornamental Horticulture and a MSc. degree in International Agriculture (Production and Marketing Management) from the Netherlands and UK. Has been in the horticulture/floriculture field for many years as a grower, trader and exporter of many crops, his opinion reflects almost five decades of horticulture/floriculture experience all over the world including The Netherlands, Spain, Colombia, Kenya, Uganda, Sultanate of Oman and UAE and India. To know more view https://bit.ly/3duHTwQ

Talk with Mr. Raveesh L on “Natural Farming and Soil Fertility”

Talk with Mr. Manoj Kumar “How to create mini and micro fruit forests”

Talk with Mr. Natarajan K on “Coconut Farming and Value Addition (Coir Products) “

Mr. Raveesh L from School of Natural Farming, Tumkur has been into Natural Natural Farming, Dairy, Honey Bees and Mushroom farming for the past 10 years. He says they are into agriculture for generations. His area of interest in agriculture is Natural Farming.

Talk with Dr K. C. Prashanthkumar, IFS, Deputy Conservator of Forests, Mysuru Division The topic of the discussion will be around the various Forest Dept. schemes to supplement farmer income and shore up the green cover. Refer the article in The Hindu https://bit.ly/3dpCQxq

Talk with Mr. C. M. Suvarna Kumar on “Market opportunities for sandalwood” Mr. C. M. Suvarnakumar , General Manager( Marketing) of Karnataka Soaps and Detergent Limited who are manufacturers of world famous Mysore Sandal Soap. Mr. Suvarnakumar says they are the worlds largest purchasers of sandal wood in the Country. To know more view https://bit.ly/3hoyRDN

Mr. Manoj Kumar of Fruitful Future is an electrical engineer and was drawn to Nature and environmental conservation early on by virtue of his association with Environmentalist Professor John C Jacob. The concepts of natural living, nature cure and natural hygiene inspire him. He has attended GSDP (Green Skill Development Program) in propagation of Bamboo at KFRI, Peechi. He has been collecting seeds, creating saplings, planting saplings for the last 22 years . His area of interest in agriculture is fruit forests, food forests, agroforestry, bamboo plantations, ....To know more view https://bit.ly/2LIhVtk

Talk with Mr. Nitin Goudar on “Rosewood cultivation”

Mr. Nitin Goudar , Sandalwood Plantation Consultant and Founder & CEO, Darvi Group has done B.Sc. (Forestry). They have been into developing agroforestry plots across South India, future agriculture scope and shift in conventional agriculture. His area of interest in agriculture is agroforestry and organic farming. To know more view https://bit.ly/379JMwt , https://bit.ly/2YaKmWP

To participate in these online meetings please visit www.agricultureinformation.com and click on BECOME PREMIUM MEMBER 11 I AGRICULTURE & INDUSTRY SURVEY I July 2020

Talking to

Dr. Navanath Kaspate

T

ell us more about this new variety of custard apple.

We have performed cross-pollination about 2 years back and we came up with a new variety. For this we had to analyse each custard apple variety because each variety has it’s own unique properties.

The specialty about the variety we developed is

that: 1. It starts reaping yield after the local variety fruit gets over in the market.

2. It has lesser seeds and looks more attractive than the local variety 3. This variety doesn’t crack open like the local variety. It can stay on the plant for up to 15 days and we can harvest it anytime within these 15 days. The local variety doesn’t give you that much of time, it should be harvested within 2-3 days.

Owing to this quality, the new variety can outlive transportation hassles and can be sold across the country.

We had applied for a patent for this produce in 2014 and though it took a great deal of time, we have now finally received a patent for this product. Unfortunately, we now realize that getting product patents is not of much value in our country. These things are not valued like it is in many countries around the globe.

How many varieties of custard apple do you cultivate?

We have 42 varieties. I have planted a new batch of 2500 plants.

Till date, the varieties I have come with can benefit farmers immensely. It has helped farmers to make profits in lakhs. There have been cases where people have made profits in crores.

What is it that pushes up their profit margins?

This variety’s characteristics itself! The local variety can fetch you about 5-6 tons of fruit during harvest, which gives you an approximate income of 1 Lakh. This new variety gives you an output of 12 I AGRICULTURE & INDUSTRY SURVEY I July 2020

Agriculturist Owing to low family income, education after Std 11 may have remained a dream for Dr Navanath Kaspate; but, that did not stop him from scaling great heights. Today, he has done some path breaking work in agriculture by developing new varieties of custard apples like the NMK-1 Golden.

Developing a new variety is generally undertaken either by universities or institutions like the Indian Institute of Horticultural Research. But in case of Dr N M Kaspate, it was his experience and the passion of a grower and the perseverance of a plant breeder that fetched him the Doctorate Degree.

Along the journey, education alone wasn’t the sole point of hurdle. “Initially we had shortage of water at our farm. Then, we dug out a bore well to sort the water issue. We started with three crops. I did grape farming till about 2011. We used to export grapes as well.”

In the Solapur district, Dr Navanath was the first to acquire the patent certification. He was greatly appreciated and recognized for his farming and export activities.

“We were farming custard apples quite well.

In 2011, I got a new variety of custard apple.

We gave it 10 years to see how it would do.

It went well and we launched a new variety called NMK1 Golden after 10 years.”

Talking to approximately 12 tons which can fetch you an income of about 12 Lakh because of its higher market value.

You can sell this variety at the rate of Rs 200 per kg approximately. Last year the rate went up to Rs 300 per kg. The local variety is Rs 50 per kg approximately.

Is there any particular technique that is used to grow this crop?

There is not much fertilizers used. I use the grafting technique. Just like how the

this variety of custard apple.

What is your role/achievements in the All Indian Custard Apple Federation?

I have been a part of the institution from its inception. This association doesn’t have many members -just about 12 members. We have representatives from Rajasthan, Maharashtra, MP and Chhattisgarh. It is difficult to meet owing to the distance at which each of the members are. Farmers don’t want to spend too much on this.

What benefits have you reaped through this association?

Any demand is easier to be put forward through a federation. Earlier we were part of another federation which had more than 300 members. It is now much easier for us because of this new Federation .

off springs of a couple are not all the same, the plants grown from the seeds of a fruit are not the same. I have demonstrated this to the farmers by taking 10 seeds from a single fruit and shown them that all the 10 plants turned out to the different. Hence I strongly recommend grafting over the conventional method of using seeds for growing saplings.

The variety we go for is much better than the local variety. We have such a huge demand for this produce that we have 7 managers working on our farm whom we have trained. There was a Ph.D student who once came and researched on

Which are the main locations where custard apple is grown?

Any area where you get a hot and dry climate. It can’t be grown in places where it snows.

What is the total production of custard apple in India?

There has been a spike in production over the last two years. Maharashtra is the leading producer of custard apple in our country. I am not sure about the total production across the country. In the earlier days, this crop was not grown in the fields. There used to be wild varieties which grew by itself. Now, owing to the market demand people have started growing it on their farms.

What about its export market?

Yes, the fruit gets exported to the Gulf market. I export the fruit too; but, through a third party, located in Mumbai. I don’t do it by myself.

I get a slightly higher rate if I give it to the middle men. I am not aware what profits they make.

How much produce do

you export in a year/month?

It is a seasonal crop and it is there to sell for two months in a year. So I do how much I can - it depends on the demand.

Apart from India, in which other countries is this crop cultivated?

It grows well in Australia. I had been there with about 20 people and was there for about 12 days. It also grows well in China. But, ours is the best variety so far.

What challenges have you crossed in this journey so far?

We give ample training to farmers using PPT and photographs. Only 2 or 3 types of pests like mealy bug and fruit fly affects this crop. We can control these pests also quite effectively. We were not able to control fruit flies for three years.

Then we consulted Vidyapeet and there we realized what its lifecycle is and how to control it. Now, we ace at it.

Any good-to-knows with respect to the cultivation of this product?

The best part about this crop is that you don’t need much water to grow it. In the initial 2 years you need to feed it with water for all 12 months. This gradually stops because you don’t need to supply the crop with water from Jan to June not even a drop.

You then need to water it only from June to Jan because by then the crop will start flowering. It needs no disturbance for a whole 6 months. In Maharashtra we don’t have much rains so we always suggest farmers to grow custard apple because they can make high profits with not much input. Custard apple is a crop that can fetch you great benefits. This comes from my experience. Whoever has come to us and started cultivating this crop is doing really well.

Are you open to give training to any farmer who approaches you?

Yes, absolutely!

CONTACT : Dr. Navanath Kaspate Company Madhuban Farm and Nursery.

NMK Agro Farm Pvt. Ltd. A/P: Gormale, City - Barshi - 413404 State Maharashtra Phone-7350500000 E-Mail nmkaspate@gmail.com

13 I AGRICULTURE & INDUSTRY SURVEY I July 2020

Talking to

Mr Ravindhra Prasad Agriculturist, S.Kota in Vizianagaram, Andhra Pradesh.

T

o feed nature natural things and expect the best natural produce in return is what natural farming is all about. For the output to be natural, input should also be the same. Add strategical farming into the frame and you get a sustainable model as well.

“My farm is located near S. Kota in Vizianagaram, Andhra Pradesh.

It is a farm resembling a valley near a forest. After my graduation in ’82, I secured a barren land, leveled it and cultivated it. Currently, on my farm I have banana, guava, yam and coconut. I practice nature cultivation and so I do not use any chemicals.

I used to employ tissue culture at one point in time in about 4 acres of land.

That I did without the use of any chemicals. Even that gave me satisfactory yield - around 18 tons per acre.”

What are your thoughts around farming?

I am an agriculture graduate. I was taught the conventional system of agriculture encourages use of chemicals.

It gives you a mindset that pesticides, fungicides and chemical fertilizers are essential to gather a great produce.

By practice and through experience, I have realized how futile it is to follow that system because soil is life.

We are also using bio fertilizers, which is bacteria and life. Fertilizers are nothing but salt to the soil. Now, potassium chloride, sodium chloride, etc. are all salts. Salt has a property to kill life by means of dehydration. So when we apply tons and tons of fertilizers there is a huge reserve of salt. This way we are killing soil’s life.

Our first aim should be to rejuvenate the soil and this we can achieve by

applying Jeevamrith to the soil. Using Jeevamrith, we rejuvenate the soil by supplying it with bacteria and giving it life.

This bacteria needs some conditions to flourish in the soil. And so, we should avoid chemical fertilizers and we should use green matter. Also, soil requires ample moisture, air and protection from sun. Hence we should go ahead with mulching and should ensure availability of air and moisture to the soil.

Given these conditions, the life in the soil multiplies and the soil gets fertile. Fertility means the amount of life available in the soil.

This is my thought and it has definitely worked in my favor. Today, inspite of not using fertilizer at all, I am able to get satisfactory results in banana plantation too. When we are able to re-

duce the cost, even dip in market prices seems bearable.

Even when it comes to plant protection, I use homeopathic methods for cultivation. We should treat the plant’s condition - not the symptom. For example, in Grand Nain, generally we face the problem of Sigatoka leafspot. The world over scientists feel there is inability. It is impossible to control this crop disease.

Sadly, we never seem to see the need to understand the root cause. The primary cause is the plant suffering from the lack of oxidation. The disease prevails in humid/water logged/rainy conditions. It is very similar to an asthmatic condition for the plant. The fungal infection attack is the secondary stage.

The fungi infects the already weakened plant. So, we should treat the condition - not the symptom. If we keep treating symptoms, we will never be able to control diseases. We can only control it by aiming to rectify the conditions in which the plant gets weakened.

Is natural farming fetching you profits?

Yes, last year I made an income of 25 lakhs of gross amount from 15 acres of land. I could keep my farming expense to nearly < 10 lakhs. So, I got a surplus of nearly 15 lakhs. We should aim at reducing cost of cultivation to ensure high profits.

For 5 years I used jeevamrith extensively and now I decompose material - Waste decomposer. This keeps my

14 I AGRICULTURE & INDUSTRY SURVEY I July 2020

Talking to farming expense to a minimum.

Do you recommend waste decomposition methods to other farmers as well?

Absolutely! The thought that we won’t realize proper yield without fertilizers is a mere myth. I have banana (Karpura Chakkarakeli), for which I reaped my first harvest within 10 months of plantation itself. This was when I was using Jeevamrith. It fetched me very good revenue. The second crop also gave me very good yield. Now, I am about to reap my third harvest.

How do you prepare the waste decompost?

We got culture material from Gaziabad. if you get one bottle, we can multiply it without recurrent purchase.

We mix it in 200 litres of water , apply jaggery. Every day we stir in this water mixture and within 5-6 days it is ready for application. Jaggery is the energy source here. Bacteria multiplies rapidly with jaggery.

What is the cost incurred in tissue culture banana vs. the revenue you have been generating?

I reduced the cost of cultivation drastically without applying a single grain of fertilizer. I definitely follow micro-irrigation in my entire 30 acres of land. I cultivated tissue culture banana on raised beds, which provides ample dryness and ventilation. I changed the spacing method to 8X5; i.e., reduced the population from 1400 to 1050; but the yield was superb. The cost I incur is mainly for procuring the seed material.

Also, I use only homeo drugs to control pests. The Grand Nain banana is the only variety that faces the boron deficiency issue. That is an issue with the variety not the soil. We supply boron to the soil to control boron deficiency.

I applied boron through homeopathy and regulated the deficiency. I also controlled Sigatoka Leaf Spot disease using homeopathy. This disorder occurs during the monsoons, or when the atmosphere is generally moody and cloudy and when the soil is high on water. This is when the Sigatoka Leaf spots multiply. I regulated this condition using homeopathic medicines.

All this also added to my reduction

in cost of cultivation by about 50%. I sold the produce at the rate of Rs 15 per kg.

Being in the agricultural sector for a long time now, what are the risks that you have been facing?

Agriculture is a sector that we can’t afford to avoid. Everybody needs food. We should make it profitable and should help farmers survive. We should improve our technology and solve the problems. We should reduce the cost of cultivation. We should have a strategy in place for agriculture. Also, we should go for high-value crops. Banana can fetch upto 15-20 tons per acre. Even at a minimum rate of Rs 10 per kilo one can get 1.5-2 lakhs per acre - raw sales.

On the other hand, with paddy, for instance, you don’t get such yield - you get only 2-3 tons. One ton for around Rs 15000 that would only fetch you around Rs 40,000-50,000. We should be mindful of producing high-value crops. Having a strategy and reducing cost of cultivation is a must.

That way we can move towards building our own market and creating our own brand. That is the way to sustain in the market and make a sizable revenue.

Other than banana, what other crops do you suggest farmers can grow using the natural farming methodology?

I cultivate guava and yam as well.

The guava I grow is branded - it is called Guava Sarmenium. The guavas I have cultivated previously known as Allahabad safeda variety was also totally organic, extremely good on flavor and taste as well. I created my own brand here in Vizianagaram The main advantage of ensuring natural farming products is that we can sustain it and be very relevant in competitive markets. I mean we can compete even in markets

which is saturated with guavas and still make ample profit as well. If the produce has the quality and the identity, we can make revenue even in the worst conditions.

What do you think is the future of Indian farmers?

The government should have a strategy in place. In my opinion, it should have a special wing to work out things that will work in everyone’s favor.

Currently, the scenario is that government considers the agricultural sector to be a burden, which is a wrong approach. The Government should take advantage of the different agro-climatic conditions our country is blessed with and take advantage of a lot of foreign exchange.

We can grow edible oil seeds and manufacture oils here. We can focus on organic cultivation and we realize our export potential with produce like guavas, mangoes, basmati rice, bananas etc. If we shift from conventional cultivation to organic cultivation, there is tremendous opportunities ahead.

Government should map out each and every piece of cultivable land in India and scheme out in which part of India what should be grown in specific seasons and make optimum profits.

Not just that, we can stop the import of products like edible oils and become even more self sustainable. But I don’t see enthusiasm for such holistic approach anywhere, at present.

CONTACT M.RAVINDRA PRASAD H.NO.2-114, T.BOWDARA S.KOTA MANDAL. VIZIANAGARAM DT. A.P. MOBILE NO.9441611222.

EMAIL : Rpmallina.mrp@gmail.com.

15 I AGRICULTURE & INDUSTRY SURVEY I July 2020

Consultant

30 years of experience is expertise from experience and a knowledge base that would go beyond elephant size.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;My childhood including college education was in Pune because my father was an HOD and Principal at the College of Agriculture, Pune. I was always attracted to fruits and vegetables cultivation and so plunged into the agricultural space. We are currently into commercial cultivation of fruits, flowers and vegetables.â&#x20AC;?

W

hat service do you provide as an agrihorticulture expert and consultant?

The important thing is the planning of the entire project. This includes the space you choose to grow the plant; the soil, water and climatic conditions of the place are highly important. The market should specifically be taken into consideration.

We plan multiple crops which are in demand and are high-paying cash crops.

We try to be different and choose crops that are normally not grown by a bulk of the farmers. Looking into the demand and supply, we give technical advice on cultivation of crops and aid selling it in the domestic and international markets.

We also give a total consultancy package on technological inputs, organic farming, use of pesticides, use of highyielding varieties, etc.

Dr. Nitin Bhore

Agri Horticulture Expert and Consultant Green Garden We educate and train the managers and workers who work on our farm. We develop a micro climate on the farm because our target is quality, production, consistent supply, pricing and delivery.

Please give us an example of a process that you have handled.

I have executed about 150 projects, till date, across 13 states in our country Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Orissa, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala.

On 50 acres of land you can cultivate exclusive exotic vegetables. We have Green Tokri which is also into organic cultivation of exotic vegetables as well as we also have one progressive farmer who is into commercial cultivation of fruits, Indian and exotic vegetables.

We grow 40-50 different types of vegetables - Indian and exotic on the same piece of land where the harvesting too happens simultaneously. We grow a lot of fruits like avocado, rose apple, star fruit, guava, pomegranates etc. as well.

In Tamil Nadu we have developed P Mitthu lal Lalas and Sons project, which is into processing. They have huge land in Erode where we have done a lot of work on fruits, coconuts and spices.

How do you provide consultancy services?

There are two projects: 1. Management of existing projects: We offer professional management services to the farms which are located in India. We

16 I AGRICULTURE & INDUSTRY SURVEY I July 2020

take up the existing large-scale farms to increase their production quality, marketing and improve the economic value of the crop.

2. Developing new projects: There are people who come up with new projects as well. Some people want to go into floriculture where we do tube roses, orchids, anthurium, gladiolus, etc. Some come to us with the plan of venturing into exotic fruits. Some say they want their customers to be 5-star and 3-star hotels and flights etc, Chinese restaurants and door delivery. We go for exotic vegetables and regular vegetables as well.

For both, we help right from scratch.

Since we start from scratch, soil development is very important and so we take about 3 months for soil development where we grow green manure crops and mix different kinds of manures, compost, poultry manure, bio fertilizers, micro nutrients etc. First you have to really take care of the soil, irrigation system, nutrient management,

Consultant integrated pest management and then take care of production, quality to bring healthy crops and produce.

Do you cultivate crops or do you only offer consultancy services?

We offer consultancy and cultivate crops as well on our own farm. For example, we grow broccoli, iceberg lettuce, cherry tomato, parsley, leeks, zucchini etc on a very large scale. There are 20-25 different types of exotic vegetables and 15-20 different types of fruits that we grow. The thing is that you grow anything in India - brinjal/cucumber/ tomato, etc. - please see that the quality is not tampered with. By quality I mean the fruit quality, color, nutrient value, flavor, shelf life, taste etc. should be top

notch. The sensory aspect of the product should be top level. There is then a huge market that opens up for you. We are very particular about all the details right from the quality of the seeds, selection of the variety, growing the seedlings, spacing of the crops, etc. There is nothing that we do haphazardly. We should have a thorough knowledge of the growing stage of crops, what the crop demands at each stage, etc. One has to monitor the entire crop right from the nursery stage till when it is harvested. If these things are taken care of perfectly, then sky is the limit.

What are some of the financially attractive horticulture products that you can suggest to the Maharashtra farmers?

Every state has 50% poor and 50% good farming. In Maharashtra, the southern and western side of Maharashtra is doing extremely well, whilst there

is a lot of scope for improvement in the eastern side. There are high-yield cash crops; whether it is dry/heavy rainfall climatic conditions, there are crops that can be grown for various climatic factors. Asparagus, edible bamboo shoot is not very much available in the market and it is in great demand. Then, there is passion fruit, star fruit, dragon fruit etc.

In flowers there is Marigold, Jasmine, Bird of paradise, helicona etc. When you take banana, most people grow the regular G9 variety, when there is a lot more varieties like the red banana, Elaichi banana, etc that are currently short in the Mumbai market. The choice is enormous.

I realized that if I wanted to be healthy, I had to grow my own food. And so, I

nel your produce from your farm to the end consumer. At the farmer level, only 5-10% farmers are doing well and thinking out of the box.

The rest of them continue with traditional farming and not ready to listen to scientists or experiment with technology. This is the space I try to bridge out the gap.

Today there are crops for which they can get financial assistance and can grow their income. They should chalk out what are the cash crops instead of sticking to the same old sugarcane, bajra, wheat, etc. There are cash crops that render medicinal values for the end consumer.

At the urban level, youngsters do not really know what to eat. Safflower oil is

started terrace farming in Chennai, Pune and Mumbai but even then, I found that all this is not giving me the benefit of healthy living. That is when I decided to move to my native place.

one of the best oils; flax seed is one of the best seed, etc. But they would rather take in chemical tablets. So, at the urban level, they need to be educated about importance of, for instance, 70gms of broccoli which is a preventive against cancer, etc. At the urban level, we educate them about healthy food.

How do work towards building awareness among the farmers and the consumers?

I conduct many seminars and workshops and give lectures. I take seminars in the urban and super cities. Awareness should be built everywhere.

It is not just about eating food. Today when I teach the farmers, I educate them about concept farming because today there are many who suffer from diabetes, cancer, heart issues, paralysis, hypertension, etc. There are so many food materials which doctors prescribe that these people must eat.

If you are very particular in growing crops effectively, there are many markets that you can target. You can chan-

What is your advice to professionals from other walks of life showing interest in the agriculture space?

I was working as a General Manager and National Head in Reliance Industries. I would always advice these people to be in touch with ground realities.

People from the IT sector look for information on Google. Google will never have a 100% sure shot answer. The internet gives you the basic information.

People should be consulting institutions for advice. In India these institutions have done an excellent research work. They need to get in touch with

17 I AGRICULTURE & INDUSTRY SURVEY I July 2020

Consultant the scientists working there and follow their advice. That is the correct path they need to tread to have a successful career in agriculture.

For this sector, marketing is not a big issue, it is the phase before it that they should work hard on. They should talk to people like me who have both academic and practical knowledge.

Which vegetable is grown in West

UP and how do you suggest they search for a potential market for any crop?

Delhi, Mathura and Agra are nearby areas. So, the market is not an issue when it comes to agriculture. We participate in the International Agricultural Trade Fairs whether it is held in Mumbai/Delhi/Bangalore/Hyderabad, etc. We take a stall and demonstrate all fruits crops and vegetables that we grow on our farm and the services we provide.

In 3 days there are approximately, 30,000-300000 people walking into an agriculture exhibition. Marketing effort is taken up by private as well as government organizations. Displaying your products there will fetch you at least 10 people who approach you who may end up dealing with you year-round. I think in UP you can grow broccoli, zucchini, cherry tomatoes, bitter gourd, ridge gourd, asparagus and have 3-4 harvests in a year and sell it at MP, UP and Delhi markets.

As an agriculture consultant, what are the difficulties you have faced when it comes to selling?

To collect data on crops from Agri-

culture Universities is very difficult.

Whenever I have approached these institutions to collect data on fertilizers or water requirement or crop productivity or technological applications, the answer that I always get is that it is in the pipeline. It is difficult to collect the right information - the data which relates to applications. It is frustrating that you have spent the money and time to go there, talk to the scientist, who may not be available or gives very little time, etc.

Another difficulty is that in India you have seed companies, fertilizer companies, pesticide companies, etc. but the right seed variety, pesticide or fertilizer is not available to the farmer when he is in need. In exhibitions, you will see many companies displaying their products; but, at the point of need, it may not be available. So, if I am doing a project at Cuttak in Orissa or Jharkhand, I have to take products from Pune.

There are many bogus products in the market. By bogus I mean, these products do not perform to the expected levels.

What are some of the requirements for a successful project?

The first requirement is to have a knowledgeable person on the farm. All over India, there is a big gap between the old generation farmers and the new generation farmers, who in reality have nil knowledge in agriculture because they have majorly only taken a degree in agriculture with no pragmatic knowledge.

The Delhi government recognized agencies have appointed me as an assessor to assess the students for agricultural knowledge for doubling farmersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; income. When we took the interviews, surprisingly, 80% of the people do not work on the farm. With just an agricultural degree, they will opt to become a police inspector, collector, director etc.

That means, there is a dearth of farmers, which is an issue. To become a successful agriculturist, it is important to have a knowledgeable person on the

18 I AGRICULTURE & INDUSTRY SURVEY I July 2020

farm who takes care of all 17-18 parameters of agriculture. This person must be on the farm, noting down their observations, visit all the exhibitions, collect data - they must have stock of all of that is required by the crop and things must be implemented. This is very easy. It is not complicated. But I am worried how we as a country are going to be in the agricultural path because of this lack of knowledgeable people.

For example, in case of rice, there are varieties like basmati or any such rice which is sold at a rate of say Rs 60 to 120 per kg and yet farmers stick to growing the local variety. Local variety may fetch them just Rs 40/kg. The failure is in not diligently selecting your crop. It is not about growing just any crop on your farm. Farmers must grow high-paying crops which will fetch them good returns. When crops give good returns, your family sticks with you or else, your children will sought to venture out into the urban like Delhi, Mumbai, Dubai, Australia, etc.

What crops do you recommend?

There are two types of crops - crops that can be sold in the fresh form and the other is the ones that can be sold in the processed form.

If you can market your produce in the fresh form to the elite class of people directly from your farm is the best form of marketing.

Alternatively, you can process your produce on the farm itself and sell it via third party or directly sell it to the end consumer, online.

In case of quality chilly and turmeric, for example is really not available in the market. If you grow residue-free varieties of turmeric and chilly, you can have a small unit on your farm wherein you process these produces into chilli powder and turmeric powder and sell it to the end consumer. You can specify the details of what your produce contains and how it stands unique to the ones available in the market. You can sell your products to any metro in the country.

For crop examples, people can approach me directly for a discussion. For example, in case of banana - there are three types - raw banana, red banana, elaichi banana. People can opt to process banana into banana chips as well. If you

Consultant visit Mysore CFTRI, you will realise that you can have 10 different varieties of banana chips - pudina, black pepper, tomato, cheese, manchurian, etc. There are so many things to explore.

We prepare asparagus soup and process soya sauce, tomato ketchup, tomato puree, juice, etc. Today the market is full of processed products. There is a huge demand for good quality ready-toeat products. Farmers should explore and catch upto concepts that are in demand such as these. Instead of selling peanuts in the market at throw away prices, they can consider processing them into peanut butter/chocolate peanut butter/cheese peanut butter. There is an Annapurna Exhibition in India, where I have seen drumstick powder with which one can directly prepare drumstick soup. This is a very good product which is not widely available in the market. Then there is bitter gourd/ bottle gourd powders. These products have a huge domestic and international market demand. Farmers, hence, need to select crops and think how they need to sell it such that they make a good profit out of it.

Please tell us about the three-tier cropping system.

To adopt the three-tier cropping system, one must know the crop’s duration, spread and geometry. In a threetier cropping system, one tier can be red radish/beetroot/carrot/radish/asparagus. In between you can grow basil as a cash crop which is sold at the rate of Rs 75 a kg and in between this you can grow cucurbitaceous crop as well.

If you take this as an example, red radish gets harvested in about 40 days, iceberg lettuce also gets harvested at an interval of 45 - 50 days and basil starts getting harvested in about 5 months from the day it has been planted.

Alternatively, I would suggest making a pandal to grow bitter gourd and grow iceberg lettuce or broccoli in between.

Iceberg lettuce and broccoli requires very moderate climatic conditions and bitter gourd gives you a yield of 8 - 10 tons per acre, while iceberg lettuce gives 5-6 tons per acre and broccoli’s yield is about 4 tons per acre. The average price of broccoli is Rs 60 per kg, which in this case, amounts to Rs 2,40,000/-. Iceberg lettuce will fetch you 2 - 2.5 lakhs and

bitter gourd will fetch you about 3lakhs.

So, from the same piece of land you are making a total of about 7.5-10lakhs per acre from one single crop. If you really develop the skills, knowledge and technique, I think it is possible for one to adapt to the three-tier system and churn bigger profits.

By now we realised that we are a creative marketing organisation with green

small business in India which will benefit village farmers as well. I am doing this now. If I go to villages and work towards uplifting farmers; I ask how many people have migrated from the place and check for their post and positions they hold today. Once I get this information, I talk to these migrated people and query what they are doing for their village? We should be respon-

hands. That was perhaps our only missing link from the rural ecosystem.

Our packets clearly state that we are into residue free farming and we intend for certified organic. Any end consumer is empowered to come and audit our farming process. They are welcome to stay in the homes of these farmers and pay what you like.

sible as a community.

There are lot of MBA colleges across India. In these colleges there are students who are learning marketing, HR, etc. I teach BSc, MSc, MBA, Ph D Food Science and Technology students from Pune University from Symbiosis, MIT, etc. Without pay, I get a lot of students who come to these farms on a project. I assign many projects to them. I make them do market research on the product, its reach and its capacity to churn money, etc. These things can be achieved by paying them a stipend. You can use that data to foresee how you can do better in a variety of spaces. To get innovative results, we need to think innovatively. These youngsters are also in need of pocket money.

It is a win-win situation. This is the way I work. This way we can bring a lot of land under cultivation because many more hands will get involved in the agricultural sector.

Any last piece of advice before we close?

I would always say that the most important thing is to get into groups and get some NGOs to work with you so that issues can be sorted. It is good to have a scientist whom the group can reach out to when there is a need.

What has happened in the recent times is that all over India, farmer’s children go stay in Mumbai, Australia, America, Dubai and Delhi and forget their villages and native places. These talented work as doctors, businessmen and are working in MNCs. Ideally, they can start a small unit wherever they are, employ a few people and start sourcing products from Kerala and Karnataka, India. In Dakshin Kannada, they grow pineapples and areca nuts, cocoa and so many other cash crops.

I do not understand why these people living in the urban interact and start a

CONTACT Mr. Nitin D Bhore, Green Garden Senapati Bapat Marg Pune - 411016, Maharashtra Phone-9822604275, Email-bhorenitin@rediffmail.com Whatsapp # 09421913040

19 I AGRICULTURE & INDUSTRY SURVEY I July 2020

n a n n a v i n a M a n a p l a K .

Ms r

arme F n a Urb

Kalpavriksha Farms During months of surplus, we pledge to buy organic produce and when our pockets run short we dismiss such thoughts and resolve to wash our fruits and vegetables well.

Let’s talk consistency. How about growing your own food? Faster than that thought pours down all possible excuses on why we couldn’t rather than why not?

Meet Ms. Kalpana Manivannan, an urban farmer from Chennai, who gave more weightage to the why not and is now going head on to cut any traces of chemicals that may enter her household.

“I grow all my vegetables and whatever I need on my farm and live a farm to table lifestyle. I am more of a weekend farmer owing to the fact that I reside in the city. Having said that, my farm is just 45 mins away and so I travel to my farm whenever I want to or need to.”

Kalpana lives her life to keep being inspired to do more and also to inspire. Besides being an urban farmer, Kalpana does so much more.

“I also teach farming at schools and conduct workshops aiming at people to understand a chemical-free lifestyle - essentially helping people eliminate all chemical usages from their homes. Being an urban farmer, I try encouraging food safety and advantages of organic farming so that we understand how chemical farming rips us off good food and resources. ” A sustainability coach, a social entrepreneur, an aspiring homesteader, a blogger, a home chef – is Ms Kalpana Manivannan living a dream? Everything starts with a dream, does it not?

W

hat nudged you into this line of profession without an agriculture background?

Sometimes things get personal.

It comes down to understand what kind of food we consume. Though, for a very long time I have been trying to procure organic produce for my family, I have realized that the word organic also has been abused. We are not very sure how organic is the organic produce we procure.

We hardly know about the produce’s life cycle. At some point, I got rather concerned about what we were consum20 I AGRICULTURE & INDUSTRY SURVEY I July 2020

ing and what I was feeding my family. That was my turning point to begin organic farming.

What crops do you cultivate on your farm?

I cultivate all kinds of seasonal and local vegetables. I grow whatever we can grow in the given climatic conditions of Chennai and, locally and whatever it is that best grows in the soil on my piece of land.

I grow around 60-70 types of vegetables on my farm, which is not even the whole of my half acre. Besides the vegetables section, I also grow a lot of fruit trees. I have

Organic Farming some the native mangoes,guavas, papaya, 25 coconut trees etc. So, all my coconut needs are met by my farm including the coconut oil I process from my produce. I get it done at a wood-press place I know.

I believe in making my things myself instead of buying it from the stores because there are a lot of things I began questioning after I gathered interest in organic farming. I make my own soaps, body butters etc too. I bake my own bread, make my jams, sauces, pastas etc. The coconut oil that I process from my coconut trees is used for my cooking and for my soap making as well.

I am also a social entrepreneur catering to made-to-order business. Whoever approaches me personally, I supply skincare products that I make.

Is the produce from your farm used only for your consumption or do you sell them too?

Whenever there is an excess produce of crops, I give it away to my neighbors - there are a certain group of people who are very interested in my farm produce. I was previously into a full-time job but I have quit and am focused completely on this. Right now, I am focused around living a self-sustainable life.

I am not looking forward to becoming a supplier. In fact, I aim at teaching and encouraging people to grow their own produce. People do ask me if I can sell the home-made cleaners etc that I make.

But I keep reverting offering to teach them to make it themselves. Whether it is gardening or making things to switch to a natural living, I would rather teach people that skill than adorning the role of a supplier.

I have strong faith in soil. I believe that if you invest time and effort into making soil fertile, everything else is taken care of. Everything grows beautifully in good soil and the plant that grows in such soil is capable of fighting its own evils.

Through my journey, I would like to showcase how people can live the life of a producer and be as self sustainable as possible. In fact, you don’t even need to own a piece of land. You can do it on your terrace or balcony or any small space that you may have.

Also, it is highly essential that one spends time in ensuring soil fertility because if we were to plunge into sowing etc and that gets to be a failure, the encouragement and drive to do these things gets thrown out of the window.

What is the minimum requirements to start one’s own small vegetable garden and how did you prepare yours?

I have attended couple of workshops initially because I do not have an agricultural background. When I started growing, I started learning much in depth and I realise now that once we start we begin doing things that work for us, rather than following a set template.

When I procured the land that I have, it wasn’t actually employed for cultivation in a long time. Also, we cannot be sure what kind of treatment the soil was subjected to earlier. So, I had to start from making the ground fertile.

The first thing I did to prepare the soil was sowed it with urad dal. All lentils are nitrogen fixers. So, I tilled the small area that I was planning on cultivating to loosen the soil and I scattered some organic urad seeds, watered it and let it grow for around 3 months.

At the end of 2.5-3 months, the seeds began sprouting. Once that happened, I harvested a few of the pods, post which I tilled the rest of the plant and roots back into the soil. That was my first step. I didn’t add any manure of anything to my soil. Of course, the first produce wasn’t great.

From the 1 kg urad dal seeds I sowed, I probably would have received 1 kg of ural dal in return.

But the intention then was not the harvest, it was the fertility of the land. I understand that the roots of 21 I AGRICULTURE & INDUSTRY SURVEY I July 2020

Organic Farming lentils is what fixes the nitrogen in the soil.

is like a top up. Add some manure every other season.

Then I moved to the second step of fertilizing the soil. This took at least 30-40 days. The three most important things for a good soil is:

How do you manage the pest issues?

Coming to pests, I was very particular not to use any kind of chemicals. So, there are a few things that I did. Once I prepare the land, I grew castor on the periphery of my farm. Castor is a plant that generates castor oil seeds and these are natural pest controllers. The pest naturally attacks the castor rather than your core crop. I think that is the logic behind the castor. So, every 7 ft in the peripheral area, I have castor plants. I also planted sesbania grandiflora - a smallsized tree, which is a crop that is absolutely healthy and is fed to the cows for its highly nutritious greens. This is also planted in the peripheral area.

1. The Physical component of the soil - Soil should be well aerated.

2. The Biological component of the soil - It should be rich in microbes, earth worms etc. Their presence tells you if your soil is alive or not.

3. The Chemical component of the soil - is the soil mineral richness. This ensures that the soil can support plant growth.

To make sure all this was facilitated, I tried a raised garden method. I did rows of raise garden so that I could have patches for different crops. I procured some sugar cane waste - you need a dry plant waste; so the sugar cane should be well dried so that it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t attract ants. Choose components that are available in your vicinity. You can even use dry leaves or grass, hay etc.. Another thing you need is cow dung manure or an equivalent.

It can be any animal waste. The third is the garden soil - the soil that you are planning to grow your crops in.

I layered these components - a thin layer of sugar cane waste under a thin layer of cow dung manure under a thin layer of garden soil. Repeat this three times.

The reason for the above steps is: 1. The cow dung manure attracts a lot of earthworms in the soil.

2. The worms need something to eat in order to thrive and that is where the dry leaves and dry waste comes to use.

3. These earthworms decompose the leaves. When this decomposition happens your soil is getting recharged.

Another thing I did was intercropping and used natural pest control methods. In between the vegetable crops we also sowed marigold, tulsi, and such flowers and herbs which are all biological pest control methods. These flowering plants masks the smell of the vegetables and confuses the pests thereby protecting the plants from the pests. Some plants also attract these pests towards them, thereby helping the crops. Also, natural pollination happens on your farm. Hence, your farm attracts butterflies. With the coming of butterflies, your vegetable flowers also get pollinated.

Now, leave this raised bed for 30-40 days untouched for nature to take its course. If you take some time to prepare your land then you are set for life and in a sense your garden gets automated for future. The misconception that agriculture doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t reap benefits arises from human beingsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; impatience - our need to see instant results without any preparation.

Now, bear in mind, that these being natural methods, is not a 100% preventive. It reduces the pests.

So, apart from all this we may need to do a little bit of pest control. So, there are two things I religiously followed:

Of course, you need to fertilize your soil after every crop because each crop will take minerals from the soil. But that

1.

The 3G spray - This is also

Remember, compost and manure, when it is in the process of conversion generates a lot of heat. So, use the manure only when it is all done and the heat is all dissipated.

22 I AGRICULTURE & INDUSTRY SURVEY I July 2020

Organic Farming called the agni astra. It consists of garlic, green chilly and ginger. You can prepare this by yourself. Take all three components in equal proportions, grind it and filter it - dilute it in water in the ratio 1:30 and spray your plants. And the filtered pulp can of course go into your composting unit. This spray being highly pungent and strong. and so deters the pests and can be used as a prevention and cure.

2. Another thing that I use is neem-oil emulsion. It is highly common with agriculturists. You need to use a few drops of this emulsion with soap. Instead of using the detergent, I use the soap nut solution. I add the soap nut solution to emulsify the oil, dilute it to about 500 times with water and shake well before spraying it on your plants. That is again very effective in controlling the pests.

What core gardening advice would you like to give our readers?

Starting a small garden is an answer to a lot of questions.

As a community we are all turning into a consumer-oriented society, which is the gateway for a lot of adulterated produce.

Once you start a garden, a lot of issues that we face today get sorted.

But there are a few things to keep in mind.

1. When you start - start small.

2. Start with seasonal and local variety crops rather than exotic plant variety. Once you succeed with simple local crops, build your farm gradually.

What are some of the challenges you have faced?

For me, the biggest issue was the commute to my farm and me not being in the vicinity posed some problems which I had to figure out. Pests were also not of a major concern because I was prepared for it. I wanted my eco-system to be natural and so that includes pests as well. It is all part of the natural cycle.

Another important thing for me was succession planting. For instance, you grow tomatoes and by the time you are ready to harvest the crop, you should have the next batch of tomato plantation ready. That is how you can make sure you get produce from your land through out the year. So, planning is very crucial.

And that took time for me to figure out. I do seed harvesting from my earlier crop so that I do not have to keep

buying seeds.

So, seed saving is of equal importance. So, in terms of succession cropping, I will have a batch of seeds that is just sown, another batch will be almost ready to flower and then there will be a third batch which will be in the fruiting stages. So, that way when you harvest the fruiting batch, I will have a next batch which will reach the fruiting stage. So, that continuity should be met. So, you need to be careful to sow the seeds at the right time to keep up this balance.

So, plan your garden farming as per your familyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s needs.

CONTACT â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Ms.Kalpana Manivannan Founder & CEO Kalpavriksha Farms Chennai-600119 Tamil Nadu Phone - 9789867598 Email - kalpana@kalpavrikshafarms.com 23 I AGRICULTURE & INDUSTRY SURVEY I July 2020

Terrace Farmer

raju

s. Usha

M

ama Pinn ionist &

A dietician by profession who cared to give her profession an edge by not just prescribing what food is good for one’s health but also to show them how to grow their own food.

Ms. Usha has beem working as a consultant dietician, the first of her kind, across Vishakapatanam, for the last 27 years.

“Initially I started catering to the needs of the diabetic children in and around Vishakapatnam in terms of raising funds and providing insulin, etc. for the lower socio economic belt. After that, I have moved on to providing proper food at our house for families by growing vegetables.”

Usha began growing leafy vegetables and gradually moved on to others as well. Today, she even has fruits on her farm. Later on, a public demand began stirring in asking her for tips to build terrace gardens.

“I have associated myself with a software company and as part of their CSR program, I conduct a lot of workshops in and around Vishakapatnam about composting, urban gardening, segregation of waste etc. I have had Greater Vishakapatanam Municipal Corporation approaching me to do videos on composting, etc. These videos are distributed widely across Vishakapatanam as part of the Swachh Bharat campaign.”

Besides all this, Ms Usha, along with a bunch of like-minded friends opened a venture called Rythu Mithra Foundation to help people establish their own kitchen/balcony/terrace gardens.

“We train people by conducting workshops etc. and teach them how to go about it and give them saplings, seeds, etc.”

24 I AGRICULTURE & INDUSTRY SURVEY I July 2020

t

Nutri

r

Terr

arme F e c a

W

hat types of plants do people usually grow?

Most women are more into floral plants, bonsai, etc. With these constant workshops and with the rising concept of grow your own food, more people are adding leafy and other vegetables to their cultivation list.

Do people usually grow vegetables for themselves or is there a tendency to cultivate and sell the produce as well?

The weather at Vishakapatanam is quite tricky and it is tough to manage individual gardens itself. The humidity is really high during summer. Even for me, I have noticed that from July to Feb-March, we get good produce from our terrace garden. During other times, April - June it is scorching heat and so it is tough for your garden to flourish. Few people manage it by using shade nets. I don’t like using shade nets because it stops the flow of birds that come into my garden.

What would the approximate cost be for setting up an approximate 800 sq feet terrace garden?

I follow a low-cost model. I try to get people to replicate my model because most of us are always cost-sensitive when we try doing things for the first time. I use a lot of reusable plastic containers which are usually thrown into dump yards.

We can make best use of it - saves the environment and our money. I procure material, for instance 20 litre water cans, from different sources. After a few months of use, these cans cannot be reused for water storage. 10 litre is a good size for tomatoes, brinjal etc. I make good use of anything that can hold soil to grow something in it.

I have only employed structures for the creeper plants. Those are outline structure of iron rods which can be placed all around the terrace for creepers. But I use only reusable containers. So, for this iron set up it had cost me Rs 20,000/-.

Also, gardens are best started slowly with few plants and then it should be gradually expanded. You can expand as and when you have the confidence. Initially if you do not have the experience of growing vegetables, it would be hard to face certain realities. Last Sept - Oct we had heavy rains due to which harvest was very poor.

So, it is best to start small with around 5-10 pots - understand

Terrace Farmer plants, boost your confidence level and work upwards. Right now I have around 200 pots on my terrace. Again, investment is a personal choices. If people plan to start the garden only to complete their own household needs, then their investment will be a few 1000s.

It will be slightly lower if they choose to use reusable containers. If they are planning to do it on a large scale, then sky is the limit. It purely depends on the capacity of the investor/planter.

What do you do for soil enrichment?

I add compost which I make at home - like vermi-composting and aerobic composting. I also sometimes source cow dung manure from elsewhere.

Also, you should have the right potting soil that needs to be mixed into your pot. It should be one portion of soil, one portion of compost and one portion of cocoa peat. Sometimes we may have to increase the cocoa peat content or add little river soil to grow root vegetables.

Do you keep changing the soil time and again?

My soil has been the same since 15 years.

I keep adding the manure, compost and cocoa peat; i.e. every time I do re potting the same soil is used but we nourish it.

How do you go about aiding someone, who approaches you, to build a terrace garden of their own?

I always advise to start with leafy vegetables, for which I supply them with seeds and maybe a small pot of pudina if they want. So, the idea is that they start enjoying the process, relish in small successes and then venture forward.

What are the difficulties that you have overcome in the process of all these ventures?

I started with florals initially, wherein I encountered a lot of pest issues like bugs on the hibiscus etc. At that time, I used to employ some pesticides. But

once I moved to the vegetable space, I completely eliminated the use of pesticides. Now, I grow everything naturally, Honestly, I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t interfere much except for regular watering and other amendments like liquid nutrition that the plants may require like Jeevamrutham or compost etc. I see natural sources like ladybirds etc that help me in pest management.

But, I know that first timers are bound to face a lot of pest issues mainly because their soil may not be ready. If the nutritional level of the soil is good, the crops are bound to take care of itself.

What type of soil is best suited for terrace garden cultivation?

In Vishakapatanam, we get red soil which is suitable for most plants. I believe that red soil is the best as much I know. I have experienced black soil at my native place as well. I find red soil at Vishakapatanam perfect for growing vegetables, fruits and any other crop for that matter. Black soil tends to get very soggy and gets compact. That is my observation about the soil that I have had since childhood. I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t vouch much for other places.

Do you sell your produce as well?

No, I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get enough produce to sell.

I have enough to feed my household.

Now, for instance some plants like tomatoes i harvest in surplus, at times.

In those instance, I distribute it to the neighbours, watchman etc.

Do you have plans to expand?

I began terrace gardening out of passion. But besides that I love promoting terrace gardening itself. Ultimately we are what we eat.

So, the buying part needs to stop and as a race we should look ahead to being self sustainable. We promote lot of urban gardening. We urge people to start with 4 pots and 4 leafy vegetables and feel the difference. Even while cooking you feel the difference when you have them literally garden fresh and devoid of pesticides. It is all about making a start. All of us can do it.

How effective a garden can people with balconies without much sunshine achieve?

Leafy vegetables can be grown under such conditions as well. But brinjal, tomatoes, gourds etc.requires at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight. For effective balcony gardening you should have a garden that welcomes a lot of sunlight.

Did you undergo any training before you started with your terrace gardening?

No, my terrace garden is a result of absolute trial and error.I spend at least 1 hour in the morning and 1 hour in the evening approximately on my terrace garden.

What do you suggest to people who are new to terrace gardening?

The right tips for starting a terrace garden is to be meticulous with soilcompost-cocoa peat proportions. Also sowing of seeds should be followed with sufficient time for the seeds to germinate. Water the plants regularly as per climatic conditions. Be careful not to over water it.

Read full interview @ https://bit. ly/303GEPD CONTACT Ms.Usha Pinnamaraju, Visakhapatnam E-Mail: ushapraju@gmail.com

25 I AGRICULTURE & INDUSTRY SURVEY I July 2020

Residue-free farming

Mr Navdeep Golecha Natura Farms Some people make the right decisions and some take decisions and make it right.

Mr. Navdeep Golecha, topped his university level examinations in the UK, secured a job at Royal Bank of Scotland and a few weeks later decided to get back to India. To make his decision right, one would think he would slip into his family’s real estate business.

But, his research landed him in a space alien to him and his family.

“I was just checking how our business functions etc. In due course, I found this 150 acre idle piece of land in our portfolio. I came back with the intention of doing something on my own. So, I thought I would develop this

piece of land into a resort because it was strategically at a very good location for tourism.

Initially, I divided the land with the idea of developing 50 acres of it into self-maintained resorts wherein you can buy a 1 acre of land. I reserved the rest of the 100-acres for farming. Hence, whatever revenue coming in from the farming activities could be utilized for the resorts.

My family being in the real estate business, construction wasn’t an issue for us. But developing farms was an issue because we hardly had any idea about farming. So, I decided to tackle the farming part first. When I ventured into agriculture to develop the 100

26 I AGRICULTURE & INDUSTRY SURVEY I July 2020

acre land, I realised how unorganized this sector is in India. No one knows anything much and there are many who are bent on cheating you at every step you take. I had people selling me the same variety plants for Rs 30 and Rs 300 as well. My research showed about 70% of India’s population is directly or indirectly connected to agriculture. The Indian Government pumps in thousands of crores every year into this sector but even then the image of farmers of the country is always poor. That is when I sensed there is a huge gap somewhere and I decided to explore opportunities.

That is how I plunged into agriculture.

It has only been a four and a half year stint so far.”

Residue-free farming

D

id you undergo any kind of training initially?

After doing some survey, we decided on planting pomegranates.

Discussions with some scientists and researchers enlightened me that a thorough 1-2 years of research is a must before I take the plunge.

The problem with horticulture plants is that the harvest takes 2 years for pomegranate. So, it looked like I had to research for two years and then after that again wait another couple of years, before I start seeing results.

So, I decided to hire the best consultants available in the country and under their guidance I created my plantation. The two years prior to my harvest, I made sure I got trained under this consultant.

That is how I saved my time and I got trained as well.

What challenges did you face in the initial stages?

I had a lot many challenges. The biggest problem I had at that point in time was my degree. I did MSc in Financial Economics, topped my University and secured a scholarship as well. Hence, my move to agriculture attracted a lot of criticism. People couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t understand why I had to leave all that and plunge into farming. So, at one point in time criticism shadowed me everywhere.

Gradually, with the results beginning to surface, I started attracting appreciation.

Last year, I secured the Mahindra Samridhi Award for my pomegranate plantation.

How big is your farm?

The total land area is 150 acres; I grow pomegranate, papaya, lemon, drumsticks and custard apple in 40 acres currently with 12 people employed on this 40-acre farm. I wanted to make sure that if I ventured into agriculture, I wanted to do it differently. Whatever possible technology we have available for agriculture, I have tried using them; it is a modern farm.

Is residue-free farming the same as organic farming?

No, there is a big difference. People are often confused about it. Residue-free means that even if I do use any kind of chemical sprays over my fruits or chem-

ical fertilizers in my trees, there will be no chemical effect on the fruit. No matter what I use, when I harvest the fruit, there will be no chemicals on the fruit.

That is why it is called residue free.

In organic farming, no chemicals are used. My custard apple, lemon , drumsticks and papaya are 100% organic.

But, my pomegranate plantation does employ some chemicals; but they do not have any harmful effect on the fruit.

Does residue-free farming attract higher prices for your produce in the market?

Oh yes, it does - 100%. You get at least 30-50% extra revenue. Residue-free farming is a very popular concept. If you want to export your fruit to the US, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, etc. you have to secure the residue-free certification.

How would you advice someone wanting to venture into something similar and is new to the field?

Agriculture is a space wherein if you want to be successful, you will need to step out of your comfort zone. So, you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t expect to achieve results at the click of a button or manage things sitting indoors. You must be ready to work under the scorching heat of perhaps 50 degrees or 5 degrees of cold weather.

There will be lots of physical challenges and many a times you may get disappointed because of unexpected weather/ market conditions. But, the drive that will pull against all odds is the passion that you nurture.

There may be 1000 pit stops where you will feel may be it is worth quitting. So, if you lack the passion, you are bound to quit. So, venture into it only if you are 100% sure.

I would also advice people venturing newly, to work at an existing farm for a few weeks to understand if you like the process or not before investing anything into agriculture.

I do believe that agriculture has the maximum scope in India till date. It is the best business opportunity available provided it is done in the right manner.

When I approached a consultant in the beginning, the first question asked was if I would be able to manage a paradigm shift in my lifestyle as a result of agriculture.

Agriculture is a very different space. If you are associated with the corporate or

27 I AGRICULTURE & INDUSTRY SURVEY I July 2020

Residue-free farming business world, this world is totally in contrast. So, gaining clarity before you take the plunge is highly recommended.

Sometimes things look very fascinating when we are at a distance from it; but that thought perhaps may wear off when you get hands-on. Nothing in this world is easy but farming is tougher.

For about 1 acre of land, what would be the minimum investment?

That depends on the crop that gets chosen. For example, when I started, this plot which I have cultivated now was a thick jungle of babool, also known as acacia. It was a place where you couldn’t even take a walk in. There was no shelter or fencing and so I had to start from scratch - clearing and leveling the land, fencing, electric connections, labour quarters, storage rooms, warehouses, tube wells, motors, mulching paper, drip irrigation facilities, farm pond etc.

Then, comes the plant, taking care of it, tractors and such equipment. Everything put together it costed me around Rs 650-Rs700 per plant.

I always do my revenue and costing per plant basis so that I have an exact account of how the inflow and outflow fares.

What about your farm profit?

Profit is something you can think about after 2 years. The cost I mentioned about was the set up cost. After setting it up, you will also need to maintain it for the number of years before which you will see a harvest. For the years before my harvest, the cost came up to about Rs 250-Rs300 per plant. After 2 years, when you get your first harvest, it will be between 8-10 kg. The prices for these fruits are very random.

Talking about the recent past, people were selling pomegranates at the rate of Rs 30-35 per kg. In about 2 weeks after that the prices shot up to Rs 60/- per kg. So, profits depend on market prices and the quality of your produce. Nevertheless, I always vouch for farmers creating their own market. If you have good quality fruits, profits will pave their way to you.

Are there any Government support that people can avail of?

Yes, I have taken a 40% subsidy from the National Horticulture Board for my pomegranate. For all the other crops, I am availing State Government subsidies. We always keep improving. In December, we have this person who comes from Israel and stays with us for 3 months. He helps us in improving our field and farm practices. If not we will only be left with limited knowledge.

don’t say no to anyone. I am 100% for helping if anyone needs a hand and I do it free of cost. I have learned all that I know from the farming community and it is my duty to pay back.

So, my farm is open to anyone and I am open to answering any kind of questions that one may have. Ours is the first farm in Rajasthan that is approved by APEDA. What core gardening advice would you like to give our readers?

Follow Advisroy. Avoid Chemicals and if you have to use them, use them wisely. Don’t over do it. Visit Farms as much as you can, because only farmers have years of practical knowledge.

Another thing that I use is neem-oil emulsion. It is highly common with agriculturists. You need to use a few drops of this emulsion with soap. Instead of using the detergent, I use the soap nut solution. I add the soap nut solution to emulsify the oil and 1 litre of water to this and shake well before spraying it on your plants. That is again very effective in controlling the pests.

To what extent would you be able to help farmers?

I would say, like a consultancy - I can clear whatever doubt they may have; I can connect them to the right people if they want to buy quality plants, seeds, fertilizers etc.

At any point in time, did you regret taking the decision to come back to India for good?

Not at all. To be honest, my family and I believes that we should do what you love. If you don’t like it just leave it. I am not here for any hidden commercial motive, I am here because of passion. I see this as contributing to the social and economic welfare of farmers as well. That is what I am focusing on.

How did you manage to run this farm without any agricultural background?

For the first two years I was only focused on learning from the consultant that I had entrusted my farm with. To be honest, whatever we learn in college or school is hardly used in practical life. But, studying trains you to grasp new concepts quicker and in depth. Albeit I did my M.Sc in Financial Economics, I was able to grasp agricultural concepts and understand things real quick. With that, if you have the passion for the work driving you then nothing can stop you. This is true for any job.

Do other planters seek your help?

I get a lot of calls. My phone starts ringing from 7:00 a.m. I

How do you market your produce?

I have a different path for every fruit. I have a yearly contract

28 I AGRICULTURE & INDUSTRY SURVEY I July 2020

Residue-free farming storage etc.

Also, I am not very stringent about my plans. If I have a better plan in the next two years, I may tweak it. One must be sensitive to the dynamic world and should be agile to adapt smartly. Rigidity cannot be a must.

Is your farming activity financially viable?

Oh yes, absolutely! I am not for sticking on to something that would reap only losses. Again, that is another reason for not being rigid; if you try a crop and you see that it ends in losses for you - move on. But, it is highly important to understand when to quit. Quitting after seeing one year of losses may be a foolish thing to do because talking in industrial language, we should ideally wait for a 1000 days. This is the same for agriculture. One month or one or two years is too soon to tell. It takes more time than that.

for papaya. That way the market prices of papaya doesn’t matter to me for they are fixed at Rs. 10/kg. As per economics per acreage it is the most profitable crop.

For pomegranate you have multiple options. I sell it to Big Bazaar, Reliance Fresh and to exporters as well. I havent ventured into direct exports yet. So, people come to my farm and buy produce from there itself. I do not wish to get into retail sales because my everyday harvest is too much. When I begin harvesting my pomegranate it amounts to 12-15 tones a day, which is too much for detail to manage.

How can people reach out to you to get trained under you?

That is my future plan. Currently, I can be contacted over the phone. I am on social media as well - my farming page is Natura Farms India. So, I can be, at present, contacted over email, phone or chat. I am open to people setting up time with me and come over to my farm, in Rajasthan, as well.

With all the dynamics changing so quickly, like drones to spray fertilizers etc. how do we keep up?

Yes, technology has gotten things to be very dynamic. Having said that, everything seems very jazzy on the outside. But it is highly different when you are on the ground and doing things hands on. Drones are good for agriculture crops but they are not advisable for horticulture crops because drones can only spray from above; they do not have the facility of going into the tree or spraying sideways. For horticulture, we use power sprayers. Likewise for every crop there is a different best practice to follow. So, in all the dynamics, one should be able to cope up.

Do you have plans to extend beyond the crops that you cultivate now?

In the long term we plan on developing an agriculture tourism center. At that time, I will be introducing a lot of activities. But, I do not plan to start a dairy farm with, for instance, 5-10 cows. I have to start with about 50-100 cows. Thanks to the acreage, I can have everything in house - the doctor, cold

Any last piece of advice for our readers?

Travel! Travel to different farms, meet different people and learn new ideas; understand how differently people do things, read blogs etc. It is highly important not to be a frog in a well. We should keep abreast of what is happening in the industry we work in. Collaboration is highly important. The person who comes from Israel and stays with us once a year, teaches us techniques which we would never even think of otherwise. These things makes our lives and work so much more easier. So, keep exploration of the industry as a mandate. The world is moving very fast.

CONTACT Mr Navdeep Golecha Natura Farms NH14, opposite Reliance Petrol Pump, Palri M, Rajasthan 307043 Tel : 7742222229 Email : Navdeep@adeshwar.org

VAIKUNTH MEHTA NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF CO-OPERATIVE MANAGEMENT (Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Government of India) Chaturshingi, Savitribai Phule Pune University Road, Pune – 411 007 020-25701000/25537974/25539808 Fax 020-25537735 email: cme@vamnicom.gov.in website:www.vamnicom.gov.in

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CAT/MAT/XAT/ATMA/CMAT/GMAT score are accepted Candidates can apply online on VAMNICOM website and pay fees online. The prescribed application form may be downloaded from the VAMNICOM website and apply with valid score of CAT/ MAT / XAT / ATMA /GMAT/ CMAT of AICTE from 11th January 2020 to 31st March 2020 by post along with demand draft of Rs. 500/- in favour of “The Director, VAMNICOM, Pune”.

*applied to NBA for extension beyond June 2019.

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29 I AGRICULTURE & INDUSTRY SURVEY I July 2020

Horticulture

Dr. Narayana CK ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research

W

hat are the main issues that horticulture research addresses?

The major problem particularly in horticulture is that the commodities - fruits, vegetables and flowers - are highly perishable. This as per reports, accounts for around 30-40% of the losses in agriculture. Studies say that this caters to about 40,000-50,000 crores in terms of economic loss for the country. Hence, this is an area of focus for the government as well.

We work towards strengthening the supply chain with more scientific technology for reducing the post-harvest losses and adding value to the commodities. It is highly important for the state and central governments to focus on this aspect.

The Ministry of Food Processing has now been created by the Government of India. Also, there are a lot schemes that the Government has introduced to help strengthening the whole post-harvest supply chain.

Tell us about your banana-based value-added products.

Banana is an important crop in India which contributes to about 30% of the total fruits that are grown in the country.

There are more than 25-30 varieties that are popular in the country. About 60% of the bananas that are grown in the country belong to a group which is commonly known as Pacha Baalai. Bananas have a short shelf life. Post-harvest it will not stay for more than 6-7 days. It takes 3-4 days to ripen and then in another 3-4 days it starts rotting. Even with commercially viable cold storages we can extend the life of the produce only up to a maximum of about a month or a month and a half. That alone wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t suffice because bananas are grown round the year.

Hence, while I was working for the National Research Centre for bananas in Trichy I developed some value-added products. Around 8-10 of them are now commercialized. Some of 30 I AGRICULTURE & INDUSTRY SURVEY I July 2020

them are still being adopted by many small entrepreneurs and processors.

Can you elaborate on any one of the value-added products?

Green banana can be powdered. Green banana has a longer shelf life and the processing technique is simple. From 1 kg banana you can produce about 200-250 grams of banana powder. This product is stable and is a very good replacement for a lot of other staples. It is called banana flour and can be mixed with wheat or rice flour or pulse flours like gram flour for making various dishes. There are some brands currently in the market that deals with this product. They sell it for about Rs. 300-400 per kg.

Another value-added product is the banana fruit powder.

This is made from the ripe fruit. This process is slightly expensive. This end product will have a sweet taste and it mainly goes into the making of ice creams,milk shakes, etc.

How was the general response towards these products?

These products are mainly suitable for small and medium scale companies. We can provide them with the complete technological support. We can help with charting out detailed product reports. Recently, we started a support system at Bangalore, for start-ups. It is ideal for start-ups and helps them in making a wide range of products using banana.

Other than banana flour, there are other products like pickles made from banana flower, fruit or stem. We can provide start up facilities like the machinery required, etc. for members.

This way start-ups do not have to invest much into machinery, etc. They can hire and use these facilities instead of buying them.

We provide the technical hand holding for whichever crop processing people wish to go for along with a small market

Horticulture support as well. We have 2-3 outlets where we sell our products and can sell their products as well. This marketing facility is provided for up to 1 year. This gives enough time for a farmer to get a pulse of the market. Once they are comfortable moving out, we help farmers create a project report and assist them in making it commercially viable on their own.

Can a farmer or a business person contact you?

Yes. This is particularly great for farmers blessed with entrepreneurial skills.

This is also highly suitable for women who have a 10th grade education qualification or youth considering self-employment, etc.

How do people avail these services and what is the cost involved?

There is a one-time fee for the technology. This cost depends on the institute from where the technology originates.

For example, the banana technologies have mainly originated from the National Research Centre of Banana at Trichy. We arrange for a transfer of license and then we can provide the facilities at Bangalore. Besides that there are 100s of technologies for various crops and aspects; starting from seed and planting material to processing facility.

We have large range of products available for licensing. First the interested party has to become a member of our incubation facility by paying a one-time membership fee of Rs 10,000/-. There is a 50% waiver for women members.

Once they become members they can take the technology either from IHR or any other ICR institutes. Upon payment of the license fee, which ranges from Rs. 50,000-60,000 depending upon the products, the institute facilitates the transfer of the license.

With the licensing in place, they can hire our machinery and come up with the product, pack it, label it with their own brand name and then test market it by selling it at our outlets and in the outside market as well.

There are other technologies like plant health products from IHR. We also have micro nutrients specific for different crops, which can be made commercially and marketed. We also have health promoters like microbial con-

may not work outside the lab because of its commercial feasibility.

With a doctorate in post-harvest technology and post-graduation in horticulture, Dr Narayana has been involved in venturing into the depths of horticultural research along with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) in different institutes across India. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I am currently working on jack fruit.

Prior to this for almost one and half decades on banana, mango, guava and sapota. I focus mainly on the post-harvest aspects of the crop.â&#x20AC;? tortion which is now being sold in large quantities.

Where is your office located?

It is at Hessarghetta, Bangalore. The place is well connected with the Majestic and KR Market bus stands. One can come by Bus numbers 252 or 253 from the Majestic bus stand. We work from 9a.m.-4p.m. but most of us are available up to 5 p.m. or 5:30 p.m. If someone comes for consultation, we engage with them and extend our timings.

What are some of the typical problems encountered when these technologies are transferred from lab to field?

Many of these technologies are found to be technically feasible for large-scale farming. Also, some of the commercial issues that could be encountered is discovered only on the field. Under laboratory conditions, we do small scale study which is manageable; but when it is taken outside, the situation is slightly different. Hence, fine-tuning of the technology happens when we scale things up.

When the product goes into the market, we come to know of the problems they can face in the market - can they sell the produce or not, etc. Hence, based on the feedback we get, we sometimes may need to either refine the technology or abandon it. We do a lot of experiments and come up with a lot of outcomes.

Like all experiments, all technologies

Tell us about processing the guava fruit.

The popular guava varieties grown across the country are Allahbad Safeda or Lucknow 49. We have recently released two varieties from IHR - pink/ red flesh or the white flesh variety. Both are suitable for processing.

In case of guava, the fresh market price itself is quite high. The retail price is somewhere between Rs. 70-120 depending upon the variety. Even then, if the farmers find some issue when it comes to fresh market sales, processing can be a considered option.

One can process the guava into pulp.

Guava pulp is an important product brought by big multinational companies and beverage makers. They buy it for making ready-to-drink beverages.

What is your advice to farmers?

In terms of value addition processing at IHR we have plenty of choices. We have about 28 different processing technologies for mango, papaya, guava, and jack fruit. We have recently developed the technology for wine making from banana. We have beverages made from osmotic dried fruits, sun dried vegetables, etc. We encourage farmers to try their hand at any of these simple technologies and enter the processing segment.

This is one thing that can fetch farmers a better price for their produce than in the fresh market. Another thing I would also advice is to keep a watch on the retail market and understand new commodities that are being sold at high prices and give such produce a try.

Off late, I find many farmers trying out exotic fruits like dragon fruit, etc. The market prices for these fruits are very good. For farmers who are interested in diversifying into other crops, we have the technology to help them out.

Farmers need to make use of technologies that public institutions offer and take advantage of better market prices.

CONTACT Dr.Narayana C.K. ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Hessaraghatta Lake Road Bengaluru - 560089 Karnataka Mobile: 9449002962 E-Mail: Narayana.CK@icar.gov.in

31 I AGRICULTURE & INDUSTRY SURVEY I July 2020

Migrant Workers - Foreign countries to face the challenge

Lack of fruit and vegetable pickers from eastern Europe foreshadows Brexit difficulties

T

he UK’s fruit and vegetable growers are facing a steep increase in costs and struggling to retain hastily recruited local pickers after the coronavirus lockdown prevented the arrival of the usual seasonal workforce from eastern Europe.

Europe, who are recruited in winter, travel to the UK in spring and return home once the season ends.

As the UK enters peak picking season, growers of crops from strawberries to asparagus said they were struggling as the higher recruitment and labour costs were not matched by any increase in prices paid for their produce.

But the pandemic hit just as picking season began this year, preventing travel for many. That forced farmers to hurriedly launch a new staffing drive for UK-based workers in April, backed by a government campaign.

Fruit and vegetables are normally picked by some 70,000 to 80,000 migrant workers, mainly from eastern

The scramble foreshadows problems the sector is likely to face after freedom of movement for EU citizens

ends when the Brexit transition phase expires on 31 December, unless the UK makes additional provisions for overseas farm workers.

“This is not a very profitable sector any more and we have had cost increases that are significant this year,” said Angus Davison, chairman of the Herefordshire-based berry growing group Haygrove.

Labour can account for as much as 70 per cent of a farm’s costs, according to the National Farmers Union.

Mr Davison, whose business generates annual turnover of £25m from UK fruit sales, said that productivity was far lower among many of the newly recruited, UKbased workers, around a third of whom have already left.

“They are dropping like flies at the moment. It isn’t good,” he said. “If we can end the season with half of the recruits having been successful that will be a good result but I don’t take it for granted that we will.”

The local recruitment drive has been relatively successful. Tom Bradshaw, vice-president of the National Farmers’ Union, said

32 I AGRICULTURE & INDUSTRY SURVEY I July 2020

Migrant Workers

between 20 and 30 per cent of pickers were British or UK residents, up from less than 1 per cent previously. But turnover of staff is at least double last year.

The staffing problems have added to cost pressures and Ali Capper, chair of the NFU’s horticulture and potatoes board, said the union was preparing an assessment of increases to share with government and supermarkets.

“We work in a very low margin environment where it is very difficult to get price increases. We have some of the most sophisticated retailers in the world and they are very powerful,” Ms Capper said.

Farmers whose crops, such as asparagus, ripen early in the year have especially suffered because of the timing of the pandemic. Matt Stanton, an asparagus and arable farmer in Kent, said that as harvesting draws to a close he has had to leave about a quarter of his 50 hectares of asparagus in the ground unharvested.

He said: “Although I’ve lost revenue I’ve still got to pay rent on the land . . . It’ll only be at the end of the season that we’ll see if we have managed to make any money or break even.”

Jack Ward, chief executive of the British Growers’ Association, said the output of inexperienced pickers is “anything up to 30 per cent lower,” adding: “It doesn’t matter whether you are a Brit or a non-Brit.”

Mr Davison said his farms, which grow strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and blueberries, managed to recruit about 1,000 overseas workers.

He supplemented them with 140 pickers from the UK, whittled down from 2,500 applications from an ad on Facebook. Half were not able to achieve the required picking rates, and many have now left.

“It is mentally demanding — you have to concentrate on a repetitive task and it’s hard to be economically productive . . . It’s possible that the eastern Europeans have more physical, practical experiences . . . [and] they are hungry for earning because the living wage is a lot more than they can earn in their own country,” Mr Davison said.

Rose-Anna Waudby Ahmet, a 24-yearold art student from Bristol turned picker on one of Mr Davison’s farms, agreed. “I have been having a tough time adjusting to how hard European workers work and what the farm expects, but just as long as you try and don’t give up and believe, you can achieve it.”

Hector Kidwell, 26, supervises teams of pickers, after being furloughed from a sales job at the children’s activity and travel group PGL. “It’s quite similar to sales actually . . . it’s really target driven,” he said. “I’ve gone from a useless sales and marketing person [after work ceased in the pandemic] to being a key worker, which does rather a lot for your self-esteem.”

Mr Davison said he planned to continue hiring UK-based workers, but cautioned ministers should not see the relative success of farms like his in the pandemic as a sign they could survive using only British labour.

From next year, any foreign worker wanting to come to the UK will have to meet a minimum salary threshold

of £25,600, well above the pay of farm pickers, who generally receive a piece rate that is topped up if necessary to reach the minimum or living wage.

A seasonal workers’ scheme this year allowed in 10,000 temporary non-EU farm workers, but farmers said a much bigger scheme would be needed once EU workers can no longer travel freely.

“We are evaluating the pilot so we can see how it could meet the needs of farmers and growers,” the government said.

Although the pandemic is expected to lead to a sharp rise in UK unemployment, those losing their jobs are not necessarily based where farm work is available.

Mr Ward said: “What Covid has done is underline our reliance on all sorts of people we probably chose not to think about when we were talking about immigration [and Brexit].”

He said there was a perception that if there was mass unemployment there would be “mass willingness to do jobs that people hadn’t previously contemplated. But it’s a much more complicated equation than that.”

Mr Davison said he thought around 5 per cent of UK crops could be harvested by local workers next year, “but no more. It is imperative the government enable a seasonal workers scheme, or we will not exist.”

by Judith Evans Source : www.ft.com

33 I AGRICULTURE & INDUSTRY SURVEY I July 2020

Pork King

World’s richest farmer faces chop to fortune Normalisation of prices after swine flu set to hit wealth of Chinese pig merchant Pork prices soared after swine flu hit Chinese farms last year — Dominique Patton/Reuters

S

wine flu made him the richest farmer in the world; coronavirus added a quick $6bn to his personal fortune.

Qin Yinglin’s pig farming wealth has grown rapidly in recent months — more than doubling to $22bn since June last year — yet few people in China, the world’s biggest pork market, know his name.

His fortune now trumps that of the Louis-Dreyfus family of the eponymous 169-year-old agriculture empire.

But the outbreak of swine flu that wiped out half of China’s pigs and sent shares soaring last year in Muyuan Foods, Mr Qin’s Shenzhen-listed company, has started to stabilise in 2020. For Mr Qin, the restocking of China’s pork supply will also mean a decline in his personal wealth.

“This is a limited story [for Muyuan] in terms of time,” said Wilhelm Uffelmann, the head of consultancy Roland Berger’s food and agribusiness practice.

African swine flu ravaged China’s pig farming industry in 2019 and sent prices to record highs.

By October last year, pork prices were about 160 per cent higher than the same period the year before, as up to half of the country’s pigs were culled or killed off by the disease.

Many farms suffered but Muyuan sales have thrived and profit in the first three months of 2020 surged 863 per cent to Rmb4.1bn ($574m). Analysts said the company had more selfowned farms than many of its competitors, which contract out pig farming to much smaller companies. By owning

a high percentage of its own farms, Muyuan has been more able to control its hygiene and biosecurity, helping it navigate the swine flu outbreak.

“The epidemic will force the weaker companies and farmers to completely withdraw [from the industry] but it will be an opportunity for profit and development for the stronger enterprises,” the 55-year-old Mr Qin told Chinese media this year. The businessman would not comment for this story.

From humble beginnings, Mr Qin and his wife Qian Ying have become self-made multibillionaires. The pair graduated with animal husbandry degrees in the late-1980s according to official biographies.

They started their first pig farm from scratch in 1992 with 22 piglets, most of which were wiped out in an outbreak of swine disease. His farms in 2019 raised more than 10m pigs.

International Financial Corporation, the private sector arm of the World Bank, invested Rmb65m in 2010 and also provided the group with a Rmb200m loan. IFC bought 12m shares at Rmb5.42. Muyuan’s stock price hit Rmb133 in late April.

During the worst phase of the swine flu in 2019, shares in Muyuan surged about 200 per cent. Then, when the nation was put under lockdown in early February, the supply of pork and other foods were constrained — providing another boon for Muyuan that boosted the stock 80 per

34 I AGRICULTURE & INDUSTRY SURVEY I July 2020

cent between February 3 and April 28.

With about 57 per cent of the shares in Muyuan, Mr Qin and Ms Qian have seen the value of their personal holdings in the company rise more than 110 per cent since June last year, hitting $22bn at the end of March.

That makes him the world’s richest farmer, according to Shanghai-based research company Hurun Report.

The world’s second-richest farmer is also a Chinese pig farmer. Liu Yonghao and his family, who control New Hope Group, are worth $12.5bn, according to Hurun. “Who would have thought that pig farming could create wealth on such a scale,” said Rupert Hoogewerf, Hurun Group chairman and chief researcher.

It is unclear how long Mr Qin will hold on to the title of world’s richest farmer.

Pork is China’s most popular protein, and higher prices or a shortage can leave Chinese consumers upset with the government. The recent surge in prices has led to more official intervention in the hopes of stabilising supply.

“Culture-wise, pork is an essential ingredient for every household in China,” said Helena Huang, China economist at ICBC Standard Bank.

DON WEINLAND AND SHERRY FEI JU BEIJING Read full @ https://on.ft.com/31n5ZpV Source: Financial Times

Pests

Locusts are putting

•

5 million people at risk of starvation And that’s without COVID-19

T

he most serious desert locust outbreak in 70 years could leave nearly 5 million people in East Africa facing starvation, according to the International Rescue Committee (IRC). It comes as many of the countries in the region are already struggling to manage food insecurity caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations has already warned that the pandemic has left some of the world’s most vulnerable communities facing “a crisis within a crisis,” as it disrupts supply chains and hammers the economy, exacerbating the global hunger problem.

Now locusts are destroying crops that could have been a lifeline. A square-kilometre swarm can consume the same amount of food in one day as 35,000 people. Kenya, Uganda, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia,

Eritrea, Djibouti and Sudan are among the worst-hit countries and the outbreak threatens to spread wider, the IRC says.

Around one in five of the world’s acutely food-insecure people are in the IGAD region, an area of 5.2 million square kilometres that comprises Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda, according to a report from the Global Network Against Food Crises.

While weather extremes were the primary cause in 2019, most of the countries are vulnerable to conflict, insecurity and economic shocks.

Without taking into account the effects of COVID-19, more than 25 million people will face acute food insecurity requiring urgent action in 2020, the IRC says – it’s calling for larger scale funding to help mitigate the onset.

Left uncontrolled, the locust plagues that develop can take years and hundreds of millions of dollars

• • •

Locust outbreak could leave nearly 5 million people in Africa facing starvation.

The crisis comes on top of food insecurity already exacerbated

by COVID-19.

A locust swarm can contain as many as 80 million adults.

A swarm can consume the same amount of food in one day as 35,000 people.

A second crisis is ravaging an area of Africa that’s already grappling with the impact of COVID-19: locusts. to bring under control, according to the FAO. Without intervention the organization predicts a 50-70% cereal harvest loss in the worst case, or at least 20-30% loss in the best case.

The FAO operates a Desert Locust Information Service to monitor the situation, provide information and help give warnings and forecasts to those countries in danger. The IRC estimates that tackling the emergency in Somalia – the hardest-hit country so far – alone needs an additional $1.98 million this year.

“This is the worst locust invasion we have seen in a generation,” says IRC’s local partner Sahal Farah, Community Resilience Committee Vice Chairman for Docol in Somalia.

“Huge hectares of pasture land were completely destroyed.”

Source : World Economic Forum

35 I AGRICULTURE & INDUSTRY SURVEY I July 2020

Statistics

AGRICULTURAL INPUTS & COST

Part - I

Crop-wise requirement and availability of Certified/ Quality Seeds

Crop (1)

2015-16 Availability

2016-17 Availability

(Lakh Quintals) 2017-18 Availability

Requirement

Public

Private

Total

Requirement

Public

Private

Total

Requirement

Public

Private

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

(6)

(7)

(8)

(9)

(10)

(11)

(12)

(13)

121.26 89.50 0.30 2.30 14.46 2.86 3.34 0.28 234.31 17.16 2.74 0.27 2.41 0.20 1.37 0.01 2.39 0.00 0.19 3.31 0.22 0.00 0.01 0.01 0.00 0.78 0.00 31.07

55.40 52.47 0.35 1.07 1.36 0.16 0.99 0.14 111.92 14.57 2.70 0.15 1.79 0.05 0.78 0.02 0.82 0.00 0.17 1.59 0.10 0.00 0.00 0.01 0.00 0.15 0.00 22.90

94.37 51.60 0.13 2.41 14.32 3.05 2.53 0.16 168.57 4.69 1.04 0.13 1.36 0.12 0.58 0.00 1.54 0.00 0.07 2.22 0.11 0.00 0.01 0.00 0.00 0.69 0.00 12.56

149.77 104.07 0.47 3.48 15.68 3.20 3.52 0.30 280.49 19.27 3.74 0.28 3.14 0.17 1.36 0.02 2.36 0.00 0.24 3.81 0.21 0.00 0.01 0.01 0.00 0.85 0.00 35.46

0.60 2.32 24.29 0.01 0.49 0.08 35.65 0.20 0.11 63.74 3.17 0.50 3.66 38.22 0.37 371.38

0.17 1.08 15.80 0.01 0.13 0.01 15.57 0.01 0.01 32.79 0.07 0.34 0.40 11.02 0.29 179.33

0.47 1.47 9.22 0.01 0.38 0.04 24.68 0.20 0.11 36.58 3.40 0.10 3.50 18.86 0.02 240.08

0.63 2.55 25.01 0.02 0.51 0.05 40.25 0.21 0.12 69.36 3.46 0.44 3.91 29.88 0.31 419.41

Wheat Paddy Ragi Barley Maize Bajra Jowar Other Cereals Total Gram Urd Cowpea Moong Horse Gram Lentil Lathyrus Peas Grain Amaranthus Moth Arhar Rajma Kehsari Indian bean Rice bean Faba bean Guar Other Local Pulses Total

113.46 82.86 0.32 2.25 10.7 2.55 2.95 0.05 215.15 18.14 2.62 0.26 2.87 0.24 1.3 0 2.12 0 0.21 2.51 0.06 0.06 0.08 0

51.25 47.96 0.47 0.69 0.73 0.27 0.77 0.01 102.14 7.3 1.36 0.14 1.63 0.04 0.35 0.01 0.59 0 0.02 1.11 0.03 0.03 0.01 0

66.73 47.14 0.07 2.48 11.96 2.57 2.39 0.06 133.39 7.56 1.36 0.15 1.6 0.18 0.71 0 1.24 0 0.11 1.6 0.03 0.03 0.07 0

30.49

12.61

14.63

Castor R/Mustard Groundnut Niger Til Linseed Soybean Sunflower Safflower Total Cotton Jute/Mesta Total Potato Fodders Grand Total

0.61 2.52 24.3 0.01 0.32 0.08 31.02 0.48 0.1 59.45 1.95 0.36 2.31 28.64 1.05 337.09

0.16 1.19 (18) 0.01 0.16 0.01 11.4 0.04 0.02 24.9 0.22 0.11 0.33 6.91 0.39 147.28

0.47 1.46 11.72 0 0.21 0.03 12.04 0.47 0.09 26.49 1.86 0.03 1.89 19.19 0.65 196.24

117.98 95.1 0.53 3.17 12.69 2.84 3.16 0.06 235.53 14.86 2.71 0.29 3.23 0.22 1.06 0.01 1.83 0 0.13 2.72 0.06 0.06 0.08 0

117.55 87.74 0.34 2.44 12.47 2.36 2.82 0.07 225.79 17.65 2.67 0.19 2.68 0.26 1.47 0.08 2.67

61.67 63.14 0.43 0.58 1.67 0.25 0.80 0.04 128.58 9.95 1.79 0.14 1.90 0.26 0.44 0.05 1.41

74.91 37.33 0.13 2.37 11.87 2.39 2.09 0.05 131.14 6.05 1.11 0.09 1.37 0.10 0.72 0.03 1.50

0.20 2.71 0.02

0.11 1.32 0.04

0.10 1.65

0.04 0.01 0.01 0.17

0.17

27.24

0.21 0.01 0.01 0.81 0.00 31.64

17.64

13.66

136.58 100.47 0.56 2.95 13.54 2.64 2.89 0.09 259.72 16.00 2.90 0.23 3.27 0.36 1.16 0.08 2.91 0.00 0.21 2.97 0.04 0.00 0.21 0.01 0.01 0.94 0.00 31.30

0.62 2.65 23.64 0.01 0.36 0.04 23.45 0.51 0.11 51.39 2.08 0.14 2.22 26.1 1.05 343.52

0.58 2.49 23.48 0.01 0.28 0.13 29.00 0.39 0.12 56.48 2.22 0.43 2.65 36.53 0.37 353.46

0.11 1.24 15.78 0.01 0.22 0.07 12.62 0.01 0.02 30.08 0.13 0.3 0.43 7.26 0.25 184.24

0.73 1.23 9.38 0 0.18 0.04 17.02 0.39 0.11 29.08 2.22 0.08 2.30 19.82 0.09 196.09

0.84 2.47 25.16 0.01 0.40 0.11 29.64 0.40 0.13 59.16 2.35 0.38 2.73 27.09 0.34 380.34

Source: Department of Agriculture, Cooperation & Farmers Welfare

36 I AGRICULTURE & INDUSTRY SURVEY I July 2020

0.77

Total

Statistics Production and use of Agricultural Inputs in India Input

Unit

(1)

(2)

1. Seeds (i) Production of Breeder Seeds (ii) Production of Foundation Seeds (iii) Distribution of Certified/Quality Seeds 2. Consumption of Chemical Fertilisers Nitrogenous (N) Phosphatic(P) Potassic(K) Total (N+P+K) Per Hectare 3. Consumption of Pesticides (Technical Grade Material)

2000-01 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 (3)

(4)

(5)

(6)

(7)

(8)

(9)

(10)

(11)

Thousand Qtls.

Lakh Qtls.

42.69

118.85

123.38

110.20

82.29

86.21

90.37

110.71

105.08

5.91

18.06

22.26

16.17

17.43

15.76

14.95

22.09

19.54

Lakh Qtls.

86.27

277.34

294.85

313.44

301.39

303.12

304.04

348.58

352.01

109.20 42.15 15.67 167.02 89.63

165.58 80.50 35.14 281.22 142.52

173.00 79.14 25.76 277.90 142.33

168.21 66.53 20.62 255.36 130.79

167.50 56.33 20.99 244.82 121.83

169.46 60.98 25.32 255.76 128.94

173.72 69.79 24.02 267.53 130.66

167.35 67.05 25.08 259.49 123.41

169.58 68.54 27.79 265.91 128.02

43.58

55.54

52.98

45.62

60.28

56.12

54.12

52.75

58.16

Lakh Tonnes Lakh Tonnes Lakh Tonnes Lakh Tonnes Kgs. Thousand Tonnes

Source: Department of Agriculture, Cooperation & Farmers Welfare

Consumption, Production and Import of Fertilisers in terms of Nutrients (N, P & K) Consumption

Production

(Lakh Tonnes) C &F Value of Urea Imports TOTAL

Imports

Year

N

P

K

TOTAL

N

P

TOTAL

N

P

K

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

(6)

(7)

(8)

(9)

(10)

(11)

60.64 125.46 167.02 281.22 277.90 255.36 244.82 255.76 267.53 259.49 265.91

31.44 69.93 109.61 121.57 122.59 121.94 123.78 123.94 134.16 133.54 133.86

3.43 10.16 3.96 38.02 44.27 27.78 15.90 18.32 28.88 21.29 20.47

6.44 13.28 15.41 40.69 33.35 12.30 13.33 25.37 20.53 23.18 28.95

( ` crore) 1981-82 1990-91 2000-01 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18

40.69 79.97 109.20 165.58 173.00 168.21 167.50 169.45 173.72 167.35 169.58

13.22 32.21 42.15 80.50 79.14 66.53 56.33 60.98 69.79 67.05 68.54

6.73 13.28 15.67 35.14 25.75 20.62 20.99 25.32 24.02 25.08 27.79

9.49 20.52 37.43 42.23 43.68 38.30 39.60 41.21 43.94 45.95 47.23

40.93 90.45 147.04 163.80 166.27 160.24 163.38 165.15 178.10 179.49 181.09

10.54 4.14 1.54 44.92 52.40 46.90 38.08 47.66 50.68 33.88 35.88

(12)

20.41 27.58 20.91 123.63 130.02 86.98 67.31 91.35 100.09 78.35 85.30

(13)

716.62 1335.82 # 8348.89 15442.02 15980.22 14987.95 12035.26 13984.93 7024.32 8350.94*

Source: Department of Fertilizers and Department of Agriculture, Cooperation & Farmers Welfare # There was no import of Urea in 2000-01 on Government account. * Exchange rate taken as 1 USD = ` 64.45 Note : 1. Figures relate to imports made on Govt. Account only.

2. The imports made after decanalisation of phosphatic fertilisers (w.e.f. 17.9.1992) and potassic fertilisers (w.e.f. 17.6.1993) include the quantities imported by private parties also.

Chart 8(a): Consumption, Production and Import of Fertilizers in India 300.00

281

278 255

Lakh Tonnes

200.00

167 147

150.00

125

164

166

160

165

91

87

179

178

41 20

28

21

1981-82

1990-91

2000-01

181

100

67

61

50.00

163

266

259

130

124

90

100.00

268

256

245

250.00

78

85

2016-17

2017-18

0.00 2010-11

2011-12

Consumption

2012-13

Production

2013-14

2014-15

2015-16

Imports

Source: Department of Fertilizers and Department of Agriculture, Cooperation & Farmers Welfare

37 I AGRICULTURE & INDUSTRY SURVEY I July 2020

Statistics

State-wise Status of Soil Health Card Scheme- Cycle-I (2015 to 2017) Sl.No.

State/UTs

Cumulative Target for Soil Samples Collection & Testing during Cycle-I (201516 & 2016-17)

No. of Samples Collected (Cycle-I)

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

Group - I 1 2 3 4 Group - II 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Group - III 1 2 3 4 Group - IV

No. of Samples Cumulative Target Tested (Cycle-I) for Printing & Distribution of SHCs for Cycle-I (2015-16 & 201617) (5)

(6)

(Status as on 30-06-2018) No. of SHCs No. of SHCs Printed (Cycle-I) Distributed (Cycle-I)

(7)

(8)

Uttar Pradesh ** Maharashtra Madhya Pradesh * Rajasthan *

4770399 2347121 2313977 2308013

4770399 2347121 2313977 2308013

4770399 2347121 2313977 2308013

16991346 12977232 8872377 6886000

16991346 12977232 8872377 6886000

16991346 12977232 8872377 6886000

Karnataka * Gujarat * Andhra Pradesh Bihar * West Bengal * Tamil Nadu * Telangana

1665765 1589236 1348382 1308778 1300349 1274536 1034678

1665765 1589236 1348382 1308778 1300349 1274536 1034678

1665765 1589236 1348382 1308778 1300349 1274536 1034678

7832189 5108923 7455204 6469650 5040510 7000000 5720737

7832189 5108923 7455204 6469650 5040510 7000000 5720737

7832189 5108923 7455204 6469650 5040510 7000000 5720737

Punjab * Haryana * Chhattisgarh Odisha *

835526 788670 703691 668635

835526 788670 703691 668635

835526 788670 703691 668635

1251726 4227238 3890709 2374233

1251726 4227238 3890709 2374233

1251726 4227238 3890709 2374233

1 Kerala 2 Goa * 3 Uttarakhand 4 Himachal Pradesh 5 J&K* 6 Jharkhand 7 Arunachal Pradesh * 8 Assam* 9 Manipur 10 Meghalaya * 11 Mizoram 12 Nagaland 13 Sikkim * 14 Tripura * Union Territories 1 Andaman & Nicobar * 2 Dadra and Nagar Haveli * 3 Puducherry Total

127585 25000 135738 69635 160687 115302 20532 278707 20713 39372 11986 33423 13217 32736

127585 25000 135738 69635 160687 115302 20532 278707 20713 39372 11986 33423 13217 32736

127585 25000 135738 69635 160687 115302 20532 278707 20713 39372 11986 33423 13217 32736

763435 25000 750494 385011 692062 637507 20532 1300901 114522 209561 11986 184797 46000 117723

763435 25000 750494 385011 692062 637507 20532 1300901 114522 209561 11986 184797 46000 117723

763435 25000 750494 385011 692062 637507 20532 1300901 114522 209561 11986 184797 46000 117723

1405 2222 3530 25349546

1405 2222 3530 25349546

1405 2222 3530 25349546

10000 2222 19594 107389421

10000 2222 19594 107389421

10000 2222 19594 107389421

Source: Department of Agriculture, Cooperation & Farmers Welfare * As per changed targets by States ** State that revised target twice

38 I AGRICULTURE & INDUSTRY SURVEY I July 2020

Statistics State-wise Status of Soil Health Card Scheme- Cycle-II (2017 to 2018) Sl.No.

State/UTs

Cumulative Target for Soil Samples Collection & Testing during Cycle-II (2017-18 & 201819)

No. of Samples Collected (Cycle-II)

No. of Samples Tested (Cycle-II)

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

Group - I 1 Uttar Pradesh 2 Maharashtra 3 Madhya Pradesh 4 Rajasthan Group - II 1 Karnataka 2 Gujarat 3 Andhra Pradesh 4 Bihar 5 West Bengal 6 Tamil Nadu 7 Telangana Group - III 1 Punjab 2 Haryana 3 Chhattisgarh 4 Odisha Group - IV 1 Kerala 2 Goa 3 Uttarakhand 4 Himachal Pradesh 5 J&K 6 Jharkhand 7 Arunachal Pradesh 8 Assam 9 Manipur 10 Meghalaya 11 Mizoram 12 Nagaland 13 Sikkim 14 Tripura Union Territories 1 Andaman & Nicobar 2 Dadra and Nagar Haveli 3 Puducherry Total

(Status as on 13.11.2018) Cumulative Target No. of SHCs No. of SHCs for Printing & Printed (Cycle- Distributed Distribution of II) (Cycle-II) SHCs for Cycle-II (2017-18) (6)

(7)

(8)

4867442 2851525 2315844 2865039

4799725 2851525 2107418 2357000

3822417 2355659 1800047 1975000

23325456 13698965 8872453 7619498

13045920 7178611 5620000 5459000

13045920 6666047 5573675 4516000

1665766 1683000 1357706 1308778 1300349 1300037 960614

1567191 1655130 1357706 1266473 876000 1293925 932515

1346814 943408 1246486 587001 542000 979363 624863

7832189 7897000 6967163 7236232 5100000 6974843 4976924

4620351 4372217 3695925 2135795 2102000 4504077 2164073

4140407 4254520 3695925 2057670 1370000 4243648 2164073

835526 1245100 949334 668636

754553 1175686 880890 474231

422978 507627 759933 395039

1052554 4540969 4746670 3343180

486675 949721 3814635 1026725

373195 615017 3719054 965222

206784 20000 137019 100000 165318 115302 22128 284778 20714 39372 11986 22282 15243 32736

80095 12000 121860 100000 110273 71740 14722 104378 6500 32512 8292 22282 6609 31863

62638 12000 118931 100000 83392 60845 8005 9068 4170 31593 7490 22282 3079 27179

1120000 20000 912650 960765 914044 637508 44256 1300901 114522 215232 23546 22282 66000 117723

747213 12000 677817 663433 555557 193185 55 107573 15000 160766 8191 22282 0 89279

673960 12000 609078 663433 490827 193185 0 0 15000 156914 8191 22282 0 89279

2176 2838 7060 27380432

1406 2816 4301 25081617

1406 0 4301 18865014

11804 12000 12000 120689329

5900 0 2200 64436176

5900 0 2200 60342622

Source : Department of Agriculture, Cooperation & Farmers Welfare

Source : Pocket Book of AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS 2018 Government of India, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Department of Agriculture, Cooperation & Farmers Welfare, Directorate of Economics & Statistics, New Delhi

39 I AGRICULTURE & INDUSTRY SURVEY I July 2020

Global Food Security - Lending Feature

Self Sufficiency in food is a good argument?

The Brexit test for UK farmers!

F

Richard Yates on his farm in Shropshire. Mr Yates is selling his herd of 150 Friesian cows because they became financially unviable when the milk processor he supplied said it would end daily pick-ups © Richard Yates

The pandemic has exposed tensions over global food security.

But the question is even more urgent in the UK, with the arguments around self-sufficiency being played out in trade talks with the EU and US. The role of the sector in helping to guarantee food security has been a feature of both the coronavirus outbreak and the dicussions around Brexit.

armer Richard Yates hopes the pandemic will remind people of the importance of the food industry.

At his farm in the Shropshire village of Middleton Scriven, Richard Yates has been saying goodbye to his cows.

After the UK entered lockdown in March, the milk processor Mr Yates had supplied for six years said it would end daily pick-ups, cutting down to every two days to save money. But that would have required the 54-year-old farmer to buy a larger milk tank. Combined with plunging milk prices, it made his herd of 150 Friesians financially unviable.

Mr Yates — who also raises lambs and grows arable crops — decided to sell the cows.

“My father is buried about 20 yards away from my milking parlour. We used to call ourselves ‘cow men’. There is a certain empathy that one gains from milking cows twice a day, every day,” Mr Yates says. “I’ve sold them with a very heavy heart.”

Other parts of his farm also look vulnerable. His Easter lambs were hit by a drop in prices due to the pandemic, while a second flock of 1,000 lambs born in March and April will be sold early next year just after the UK’s Brexit transition period is scheduled to end. With about a third of UK lamb currently sold into the EU, the shape of the market into which they will be auctioned remains

40 I AGRICULTURE & INDUSTRY SURVEY I July 2020

uncertain. It is on farms such as the one owned by Mr Yates that the impact of coronavirus is rapidly colliding with the country’s plans for Brexit, the issue that consumed British public life until the arrival of the pandemic.

Disruptions from coronavirus have elevated the issue of food security globally. Governments have rushed to shore up food supply chains upended by the closure of restaurants and the grounding of flights.

This process carries added urgency in the UK, which, having left the EU, now faces a critical decision about the future of its food market. The UK’s transitional trading and border arrangements with the EU end on December 31, and without a permanent trade deal by then the UK could crash out, cutting into food export markets and severely hurting business for farmers such as Mr Yates.

Even without such a “no-deal” exit, the terms the UK agrees with other countries on trade in food and agricultural products will determine the extent to which farmers are forced to compete with rivals from overseas. This will affect levels of food self-sufficiency and perhaps dictate whether the UK’s fragmented farming sector must face a brutal transformation into a globalised industry.

Minette Batters, president of the National Farmers’ Union, says government ministers are divided on how to safeguard the industry post-Brexit.

Global Food Security

Food self sufficiency ‘is not a protectionist argument’, says Minettee Batters of the National Farmers’ Union “It’s a major reset moment for food and farming, and a failure to get it right will be disastrous,” she says.

Up to this year UK farmers received about £3bn in annual EU subsidies under the Common Agricultural Policy, which aims to protect European farmers and food supplies. While trading freely within the bloc, they had been protected from competition outside it by high tariffs on agricultural food products. Free movement of people has also benefited British farmers: about 70,000 to 80,000 mainly eastern European seasonal workers travel to the UK to harvest fruit and vegetables each year.

The existing subsidies will be gradually replaced with a UK environmental payments scheme which is promised to be of similar value, starting in 2021. But details of this scheme are still unknown, as are the UK’s future trading arrangements. New trade deals could subject farmers to cheaper overseas competition, potentially bringing down food prices for consumers, but also forcing some of the UK’s 140,000 farms out of business.

Making a nod to the farming industry’s main fear, Ms Batters says: “I have heard ministers say that Brexit is the opportunity to bring in cheap raw in-

gredients and add value to them under the Union Jack.”

The ‘hungry gap’ returns The period from March to early June in the UK used to be known as the “hungry gap” — a period when winter root vegetables were no longer ripening but spring fruits and vegetables were not yet ready.

For decades, UK consumers have not had to experience the hungry gap. A globalised food industry filled it. Fresh Ghanaian mangoes can be packed on to a flight to London and reach stores within 72 hours of picking. Even the millions of Britons in food poverty are less subject to the seasons than to the generosity of food bank donors.

But this spring the spectre of food scarcity appeared again. In the weeks before and just after lockdown began on March 23, UK shoppers were confronted with a sight not seen in generations: empty supermarket shelves, as panic buying compounded the impact of households transferring food buying from restaurants to stores.

The food industry responded quickly. Factories cut their ranges to churn out more of the key products. Supermarkets rationed items per person and ramped up home deliveries, while the government relaxed competition rules so they could co-ordinate.

Henry Dimbleby, co-founder of the Leon Restaurants chain who was last year asked by the UK government to

41 I AGRICULTURE & INDUSTRY SURVEY I July 2020

Global Food Security reliance on local food production presents its own risks, such as shortages resulting from the failure of a domestic harvest. “We don’t know what form the next crisis is going to take, so having diversity in the system is a good thing: diversity of species, of supply, of supply chains, of types of farming,” he adds.

On a question key to post-Brexit trade negotiations, both say the UK must insist that all imported foods be produced to the same animal welfare, safety and environmental standards as those grown domestically.

“I don’t think it makes any sense,” says Mr Dimbleby, “to create a system that enhances and restores our environment here and just export those problems overseas in the form of trade deals bringing in lower-standard foods that undercut what we produce in the UK.” conduct a major review of the country’s food system, says: “It is hard to convey, having seen it from behind the scenes, what an extraordinarily good job the food system has done [in the pandemic].”

But more stubborn problems are emerging. Since the closure of restaurants and other food service outlets, surplus milk, dairy products and potatoes have led prices to drop, filled warehouses and briefly forced milk dump-

Minette Batters, president of the National Farmers’ Union, says Brexit represents ‘a major reset moment for food and farming’ © Mike Kemp/In Pictures/Getty

ing. When restaurants closed, meat producers lost the market for many of the most expensive cuts of each animal, squeezing them financially. And fruit and vegetable farmers began a race to recruit local workers to replace overseas pickers no longer able to travel.

As the UK negotiates on trade deals with the US and EU, farmers have seized on these renewed concerns about food security to push the argument for supporting domestic production. A fresh round of talks with the EU began on Tuesday, with the sides still far apart on issues such as fisheries and competition rules; talks with the US started in May. Last month the government released a scheme of tariffs to be imposed in the event of the UK failing to reach a trade deal with the EU. They included duties on beef, butter and poultry to help protect UK farmers, meeting with tentative approval from the sector.

Just over half of the UK’s food is sourced domestically; that figure was as low as a third in the run-up to the second world war, before reaching a high of more than 80 per cent in the 1980s.

“Being able to be as self-sufficient as we can in what we are good at is not a protectionist argument,” says Ms Batters. “We’ve always supported sourcing out of a global food larder but we have a good climate here, we have a large population and we are an island nation. We absolutely should be aiming to produce more of what we are good at.”

But Mr Dimbleby warns that over-

42 I AGRICULTURE & INDUSTRY SURVEY I July 2020

Cabinet divisions Beef treated with growth hormone and chlorine-washed chicken, two methods of meat production that are allowed in the US but not the UK, have become totemic for those who suspect a free-market approach to farming may prevail post-Brexit.

The Financial Times reported in May that the UK government is drawing up plans to cut tariffs on US agricultural imports to help push forward a trade deal. Led by international trade secretary Liz Truss, the plan has exposed divisions in government. Senior officials at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the department’s secretary of state, George Eustice, together with the Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove, are worried the US tariff cuts will be followed

by UK concessions on animal welfare standards.

A Defra spokesperson says: “We have been clear that in all of our trade negotiations — including with the US in our first round of negotiations — that we will not undermine our high domestic environmental protection, animal welfare and food safety standards by ensuring in any agreement British farmers are always able to compete.”

Wyn Grant, emeritus professor of politics at the University of Warwick, says farmers may lose out to the demands of other business interests such as financial services and manufactur-

Global Food Security ing as the talks progress. “In trade negotiations with the US — but not just with the US — there are other sectors that you could argue stand to benefit substantially, and those benefits would override any concerns about farming.”

Not all observers of UK agriculture worry about import standards. Some believe the shock of being forced to compete internationally would, over time, prove healthy — potentially boosting productivity.

Shanker Singham, a trade and competition lawyer and fellow at the Institute of Economic Affairs, a freemarket think-tank, opposes attaching stringent animal welfare and environmental standards to imports. The IEA is close to the hardline pro-Brexit MPs that helped propel Prime Minister Boris Johnson to power. “If you are going to take that kind of approach, you should never have left the EU,” he says.

“You can dress up your protectionism as something else, but it is clearly protectionism. “[This] is an opportunity for UK farmers. They are banned at the moment from US markets in lamb and beef — that could change. There is massive protein demand from all around the world, places like the Gulf. UK farmers ought to do well by servicing that.”

David Hughes, emeritus professor of food marketing at Imperial College London, says the perception of UK food as higher quality and hence more expensive than elsewhere is not always accurate. Argentine beef farmers “could meet our animal welfare requirements at a substantially lower price than we could produce”, he says.

“They were major suppliers to us, then we blocked them when we joined the EU. We put up a nice big fortress because we wanted to be more selfsufficient,” he says. “In a world of

swashbuckling, cavalier round-theworld trading, when you make trade deals with some larger countries that have lower-cost agriculture, they are going to want access to your markets.”

Farming’s fragile finances Financially stretched consumers may also stand to gain. Mr Singham believes ministers are acutely aware that throwing open access to the UK food market could help bring down domestic food prices. Conservative MPs have traditionally been close to the farming lobby, whose members are over-represented in their rural constituencies. But Mr Johnson won December’s general election with the aid of what became known as the “red wall” — traditional Labour voters who switched sides in some of the opposition party’s heartlands in the Midlands and northern England.

“From this particular government’s perspective, if you do want to hold on to ‘red wall’ constituencies, you are going to have to do things to lower the price of energy, food and so on,” Mr Singham says. According to Euromonitor, UK consumers devote 6.8 per cent of their spending to food, compared with 11.9 per cent in France, 11.1 per cent in

Spain and much higher proportions in developing economies. In the US, food accounts for just 5.6 per cent.

For most farmers, financial rewards are scarce. More than half of farms generated a negative return on capital in 2018-19, government data show. Figures from Mr Dimbleby’s team reveal that UK food producers in 2017 on average made a 1 per cent return on capital employed, compared with 11 per cent for processors, 12 per cent for manufacturers, 8 per cent for wholesalers and 6 per cent for retailers.

The sector’s fragmentation is one reason, Mr Dimbleby suggests: unlike in France, UK farmers have not formed co-operatives. Failure rates in the UK are low and land prices high, while an inheritance tax break on agricultural land encourages farms to stay in families. The structure of the UK industry has left farmers facing both intense financial pressure and accusations of being overly cushioned from global markets.

Now the pandemic has focused attention back on to them.

Mr Yates, in Shropshire, is hopeful.

He says: “We mustn’t take our eye off the fact that hopefully the country appreciates the value of a regular supply of highquality, affordable, traceable food . . . Perhaps this will be a fork in the road.”

by Judith Evans Source : www.ft.com

43 I AGRICULTURE & INDUSTRY SURVEY I July 2020

Foreign Horticulture 80% of Kenya’s horticulture exported!

Horticulture industry losing $1m a day even as restrictions in European markets ease

H

obbled by the triple impact of flooding, locust infestations and now the coronavirus pandemic, Kenya’s horticulture industry is in crisis after global lockdown measures curtailed exports to Europe and disrupted internal African trade.

industry was losing about $3.5m a day, according to the Fresh Produce Exporters Association of Kenya. As European countries have begun to ease restrictions, some demand has returned and losses have reduced to about $1m a day, but the outlook remains bleak.

Shipments of flowers, vegetables, herbs and fruits to the European Union, which accounts for more than 80 per cent of horticulture exports from Kenya, all but ceased in March after European capitals, roiled by the spread of Covid-19, locked down and Kenya suspended most international flights.

“Kenyan farms have drastically reduced export volumes to 50 per cent, with a sizeable number suspending exports altogether,” said Hosea Machuki, chief executive officer of FPEAK. “If the current situation does not improve soon, companies are facing downsizing or closure . . . which will result in increased poverty, insecurity and hunger.”

3.5m dollars a day

Jambofresh Agri Company

By April, Kenya’s horticulture

Jambofresh, which produces

around 30 tonnes of basil, mint, rosemary and thyme a month, began exporting to the EU in 2017, according to Silas Mutuma, the managing director. Today practically all of the firm’s herbs end up on European supermarket shelves.

The company’s largest buyer was based in Milan, Italy, which saw some of the highest coronavirus casualties in the early weeks of the pandemic.

Jambofresh’s sales immediately collapsed, Mr Mutuma said, forcing the company, which is currently shipping just 10 per cent of its usual exports, to dump 60 tonnes of produce in the last three months.

“We are at the point where we are considering to close down because we cannot maintain the farm given the costs involved,” he said. “It’s very sad when you see the product being destroyed. Often I get somebody else to

Smallholder farms make up 80 per cent of Kenya’s agricultural sector, which contributes 26 per cent of the country’s GDP. As part of president Uhuru Kenyatta’s Vision 2030 development plan, the government had supported the creation of small and mediumsized farming businesses. Many of those companies, like the herb manufacturer Jambofresh, had just begun to profit from a European clientele before coronavirus struck.

44 I AGRICULTURE & INDUSTRY SURVEY I July 2020

“

The drivers wait up to five days to receive the test results back from Nairobi, 162km to the north, meaning only about 50 trucks are being cleared to enter Kenya a day, down from 250 a day before the pandemic.

We are at the point where we are considering to close down because we cannot maintain the farm given the costs involved Silas Mutuma, managing director of herb producer, Jambofresh

throw it away because I can even shed tears.”For now, the biggest obstacle for the horticulture sector remains the lack of airfreight. Demand for fresh produce in the EU is picking up as restrictions lift, but commercial passenger flights, which carry the bulk of Kenya’s fresh exports, have been grounded in Kenya since 23 March.

Those carrying perishable goods, such as onions and oranges, said much of their cargo rots while they wait.

The result was clear on supermarket shelves in the capital Nairobi, where the price of fresh produce has soared because of shortages, in some cases by up to 90 per cent.

The unprecedented disruption is forcing some producers to reflect on the structure of the sector. Mr Mutuma of Jambofresh said destroying tonnes of French beans — for which there is no local demand — while the country

“

“The current available cargo is 1,500 tonnes weekly, while the demand is 3,500 tonnes,” said Martijn Boelen, trade adviser for the EU in Kenya.

Furthermore, the price of freight has doubled from $1.80 per kilogramme to up to $4 per kilogramme in some cases, he said. “This means that even if capacity is available, it might be out of reach for producers.”

But it is not just intercontinental air traffic that has been affected. At Namanga, on Kenya’s border with Tanzania, one hundred drivers stood in the sun, waiting to be called for a coronavirus test by health ministry officials.

If it does not work, the entire horticulture export sector could collapse, FPEAK’s Mr Machuki warned. “There is a real risk of loss of foreign earnings for the country, loss of domestic revenues paid by growers and exporters, and ultimately loss of 350,000 direct jobs.”

suffered from food shortages, meant Kenya needed to rethink how and what it produced.

“Some of the things we import like onions we could also produce more of, but we need to encourage local producers by subsidising inputs,” he said.

Cold chain infrastructure Cold chain infrastructure needed to transport fresh produce in temperature-controlled environments is still limited and expensive. For exports, a bean picked in Kenya is usually in a European supermarket in 72 hours, and the EU consumer can afford to cover the cost of chilled transportation.

But the price would generally be too high for sale domestically. One solution would be to transform more domestic fresh produce into dry goods, Mr Mutuma said.

More airlines to fly cargo In the short-term, associations like FPEAK have appealed to the government to inject life into the sector by encouraging more airlines to fly cargo out of Nairobi through tax incentives, subsidies on jet fuel and waiving landing costs.

The EU is setting up a funding programme, in partnership with the European Investment Bank, to provide SME’s with easier access to finance.

By Antoaneta Roussi Source : www.ft.com

45 I AGRICULTURE & INDUSTRY SURVEY I July 2020

Q&A uestion

nswer

Q

www.agricultureinformation.com/discuss

Expert Views Required ravibabud: I want to get in to farming as an alternative income. I have a 5 acres of red soil land with water in Andhra pradesh, Prakasam district.

I can invest upto 25 Lacs on this farm land. Based on my knowledge Dragon fruit seems more profitable with less manpower requirement. Need expert advise...

01

Answer 1 : garao56: At present well to do people are eating the dragon fruits. The fruits are being served on the occasion of marriages only. Farmers in AP are initially planning to take up dragon fruit cultivation. Now dragon fruit is fetching premium prices and at present the fruits are being imported from other countries. By the time we get crop in AP the rates will fall and all sections of the society will consume the fruits.

It is a new crop to us but it will survive under tropical/sub-tropical conditions) and yield fruits . To safe guard the income levels please go for combination of other fruit crops such as custard apple, date palm etc to avoid any losses due to unforeseen factors. ravibabud: Thank you for your advice....

02 Q

What’s the best crop to start in this pandemic period? subbupd: What’s the best crop to start in this pandemic period?

Answer 1 : brij07 : Make your own kitchen garden and grow organic vegetables Answer 2 : garao56 : Vegetables are in short supply please take up cultivation .

03 Q

Details on keelanelli cultivation senthildcool : Can I have details on cultivation procedure, cost of seeds, market price per kg, production per acre, other web links etc. of keelanelli (Phyllanthus niruri) ?

Answer 1 : ponsanthan : Phyllanthus amarus - Keelanelli -- is annual weed, it will grow during rainy seasons; it is also as weed in vegetable gardens, flower gardens waste lands and roadsides.

It is propagated by seeds Seeds are having short viability, mostly one year. 6 seeds are available in a fruit.

The herb can be grown two times in a year, good sunlight is necessary for the crop.

5ton organic manure and 100 kg DAP should be applied per acre.

June – Aug; jan – Feb, irrigated crop will give good yield.

Seeds needed per acre 500g – 1kg.

Nursery bed can be prepared and seeds can be sown there; after one month seedlings can be transplanted to main field.

Weeding is done after 15 – 20 days of transplanting.

Watering is done ones in a week.

Leaf mite is common, it is difficult to control, it is not making much damage to the crop. Small moth also present in the leaves. Powder mildew is another prominent disease.When the night temperature is going below 22oC the mildew will spread. The crop should be harvested before the commencement of winter. When it is single 46 I AGRICULTURE & INDUSTRY SURVEY I July 2020

Answer 2 : garao56: If you require any project report please contact us crop It will spread very fast and the whole crop become white. So it should be harvested in October. The chemical content also will go down during winter.

The herb can be harvested at the 60th - 90th day of transplanting, the herb will be 2 – 3 feet height, if there is delay for harvest the basal leave start falling.

The crop should be harvested during October or April. The yield will be 1.5 to 2 ton of dried herb per acre.

The herb should be cut 4 inch above the ground level and chopped into 15 -20cm long pieces and dried in sun light / shade. While drying, separate the mature seeds that are falling down, dry the herb for 3- 5 days and then pack. Dry the seeds and preserve it for next use.

The current market price is Rs. 45 / kg dried herb The expenses will be 12- 15000/ per acre.

Profit expected is 40- 50,000/acre in 4 months venkatasatyapr : Thank You for information. Where can I get the Phyllanthus seeds.

Q&A uestion

nswer

www.agricultureinformation.com/discuss

Answer 2 : vaidji : Sorry Ponsanthan, The cost of 1 Kg is Rs.1000 to Rs.1200 in wholesale market in Aligrh (U.P), am using it for my patients

Answer 3 : ponsanthan : If you want I will send through courier fresh/dried; whole plant/powder at a reasonable price. venkcae3 : Hi i want keelanelli seeds any one to supply? senthamil: Hi Sir, We are in Tamilnadu and having 15 acres of own land like sandy and sandy loam soil with good water facility. Kilanelli cultivation is suitable for our land or .......?

Answer 4 : garao56 : Sandy loam is best suitable for Phyllanthus Amaus. Abundantly grown in field bunds, coconut orchards and pathways, roadsides in Godavari Delta areas.

The plant is widely used to tone-up sluggish liver and also given in chronic liver condition and jaundice. In Unani medicine, the plant is used in jaundice as deobstruent, diuretic,cooling and astringent.

In recent studies, the herb and its root have exhibited antiviral actions onHepatitis-B. G.Anandarao B.Sc(Ag).

05 Q

Vertical farming

rachanam : Hi All, Does anyone guide me for vertical farming of Tumric.

Does vertical farming project is sustainable??

Can we get any subsidy for set up poly house for the same?? Thanks, Answer 1 : garao56 : In this system crops are grown in vertical stacked layers, It is also known as tower Gardens under hydroponic cultivation. In home hydroponic system of cultivation vertical farming practiced on a limited scale that too leafy vegetables like lettuce and other leafy vegetables etc.

It may not be economical for turmeric cultivation , as the soil base is required for economic yields and profitability.

Subsidy of 50% can be availed for poly house for soil medium only.

The National Horticulture Board has not indicated the hydroponic cultivation in the guidelines.

Answer 2 : ssraghunath : Turmeric vertical farming in soil medium is done, some one in Maharashtra is giving turn key project, Google it 1/2 acre vertical farming is getting ready in Hosur T N cost is 50 lakhs

Q

Lemongrass cultivation

octopusinc : I am thinking of cultivating lemongrass and palmarosa. they seem easy to grow, have good pest resistance, have high value, and can take three harvests in a year. is this a good plan? or are there some more points that i need to consider.Your thoughts please..

04

Answer 1 : rajendrakisanmitra : Definitely I will help you iam consultant for this and buyer for lemon grass and plamarosa oil please contact me.

Answer 2 : prprasher : Hi I m Ganesh Prashar from Himachal Pradesh I cultivate Lemongrass farming in 15 Hector land and also have Dry Lemongrass Green Leaf near about 2500 kg buyers contact me Answer 3 : jay3311 : I am looking for lemon & also lemon storage for around 200ton . Contact me.

Answer 4 : rkrkrk1212 : Please share your contact details Answer 5 : garao56 : Please think of marketing arrangements and then take up cultivation of lemon grass and palm rosa. Please contact us for project reports. G.Anandarao B.Sc(Ag)

Answer 2 : garao56 : Economics of open field cultivation and new method of vertical cultivations have to be compared which is economical and realisation of price and profit per unit area is to be established , then the same be suggested to others.

Please contact us for any clarification G.Anandarao B.Sc(Ag)

06 Q

Tree Planting in Agri land zxkavi : I am planning to cultivate trees in my agri land. Can you please suggest the trees, and water source for this.

Current situation are: Dry land - no water source available There is a bore-well with 1200 feet, but no water available.

Answer 1 : surya2017 : Try Medicinal Plants like Ashwaganda Govt will give subsidy on seed also Answer 2 : garao56 : Dear Sir, Please take up casurina which is drought resistant tree which survives on rain fall but initial plantation time /summer months watering must be done by transporting water through water tank, manually.

If not possible, please take up Eucalyptus or Subabul which are 47 I AGRICULTURE & INDUSTRY SURVEY I July 2020

Q&A uestion

nswer

suitable but growth depends upon rain fall , now a days marketing is a problem as there is no demand for pulp wood from paper factories. Please contact us for further guidance.

G.Anandarao B.Sc(Ag)

07 Q

Guidance for mushroom cultivation and marketing in 1200 sqft land in Bangalore,Near DLF newtown premsudha : Hi, I need some Guidance for mushroom cultivation and marketing in 1200 sqft land in Bangalore,Near DLF newtown.

Is mushroom cultivation profitable ?

Are there any buyers?

What kind of mushroom has good business?

Some information about exporting mushrooms Answer 1 : garao56 : Milky white mushrooms & oyster mushrooms can be cultivated easily, initially you have to market the produce on your own or with the help of super bazars.

Please contact us for guidance and for project report G.Anandarao B. Sc(Ag) Answer 2 : maitys : Mushroom cultivation is a technical process.

Having an indoor space with Pre wetting area , Composting yard ,Bunkers ,Tunnels , Soil chambers etc. , some substrate and spawn is not enough to grow mushroom and earn money . Mushroom is a climate sensitive crop Temp, RH , Co2 etc. affects the crop . It’s OK if you are a trainned mushroom grower . Most of the mushrooms sold in super markets are product of large business houses ; are treated with potassium metabisulphite due to market demand as mushrooms become extra white after the treatment and the casing adhering is also removed. Supermarkets pays one third of the MRP of the mushroom variety to the farmers ( incl consumer packing & C&F ) with 30 days credit facility etc. , GST invoice billing and so on Marketing of mushrooms in India is not yet organized. It is the simple system of producers selling directly to retailer or even to consumer, which has its own limitations. If you can manage to sell your entire fresh , perishable produce to consumers directly you are a lucky mushroom grower. An indoor space in the prime location of Bangalore ...I would sugest CFA supported Cold Supply Chain ( Fresh vegetable , Fruit etc. ) under MFPI and Atmanirbhar Bharat reform policy.

Q

Beginner in farming nandhaa80 : Hi..

I would like to start a small size farming which is to be maintained less like herbal and forest type farming. Because I’m working in a corporate company at Chennai and don’t want to quit the job. It is for making money and as well as saving nature, environment and also to contribute something to the earth/ society. Suggestions are welcome.

08

Answer 1 : garao56 : Dear Sir, Farm Forestry and medicinal herbs can be taken up without quitting the job. Please inform the extent of land you are owing and location.

For example Managium ( Australian Teak - come to maturity 15 Years) with Asparagus (medicinal roots and Filler plant for flow48 I AGRICULTURE & INDUSTRY SURVEY I July 2020

www.agricultureinformation.com/discuss

er decoration ) can be taken taken up. There are other important medicinal herbs such as Safed Masli and Stevia etc provided your farm must be organic certified.

For making organically certified land you are required to keep one labour family on the farm with 2 to 4 cows ( Gir cows fetch more inocme as the milk is highly demanded and calfs, bulls and cows are much sought by farmers every where) to maintain a biogas plant and also vermi compost unit thus gradually you can make your farm organic within 3 years.Then your products are eligible for export to other countries as Eluropean citigens are products raised with In-organic fertilizers and chemical pesticides.

Please consult us for further guidance G. Anandarao B.Sc(Ag) Answer 2 : amrafarms : Its important that you understand this method of farming is slow, Cost effective but not labour intensive.

Multi Layered farming can be adopted to earn better with minimal maintenance. Labour is required at the farm, and most likely full time. Depending on the acreage of your farm. the labour required will vary.Your First job would be to get your soil testing done.You will have a clear idea of what will grow in your land. There are a few crops which you can straight away discard, like coconut, which is water intensive and also not suitable for chennai area. But you have a range of options from Mango, Guava, Pomegranate, chikoo and a lot more which can be planted. Papaya is also a wonderful crop and very profitable Start by planting tree varieties first. Well spaced trees will take 3-4 years before they make any profit. the space in between can be used for a range of mid sized crops. Papaya, Pomegranate and bananas are good options to consider. And then you can pick vegetables in the remaining area followed by root crops like elephant yam. By the end of the first year, you would be able to collect on the yam. Cash crops like vegetables will provide running cost in a few months. Bananas and Papays will give you revenue after a year and by the 3rd year you will a have enough revenue from the orchards.

A cow is mandatory but dont look at it as a means of income.

Think of it as a factory which produces manure for your farm. If you can maintain chickens and goats, it would do a good job in controlling weed but you will have to be careful that the plants are not chewed by the goat.

The options are unlimited. Work will never end. Farming may seem like a part time job... but trust me... it never is Answer 3 : garao56 : Dear Sri Nandhakumar,

Q&A uestion

nswer

Please go for hybrid coconut , DJ Farm variety , which will start yielding from 2.5 years and continue up to 50 years .The minimum income on one acre orchard will be around Rs.1.50 lakh per annum. As our friend suggested you can take multilayered crops like cocoa, citrus , arecanut and banana etc. if sufficient irrgation water is available on the farm.

If coconut is taken up on more 5.00 acres (say 5.50 acres) National Horticulture Board will give 40% subsidy on the investment made for establishment of the unit.

Please contact us for project reports.

09 Q

Which papaya variety is better? dk.a55d4 : Which Papaya variety is better?

Tiwan Red lady-786 or Australian Green Berry Inrespect of Virus, duration,Yield, fruit shape and size, taste,colour, price and ease of marketing.

Please guide. Thanks Answer 1 : brij07 : It depends upon the area in which you are planning the cultivation.The red lady 786 variety is being cultivated in India for very long so it has become susceptible to viruses and other diseases whereas other varieties are new that why these varieties are less prone to disease. In terms of quality, taste, and color, red lady variety is better than all other varieties. Shelf life is also a major factor here, the shelf life of red lady is better than any other varieties available in the market. But if your area has a dense plantation of papaya then you should not go for the red lady.

Answer 2 : garao56 : Even though Taiwan Red lady variety is suffering from mosaic virus it extensively grown for better quality of fruits.

In the nursery itself seedlings contains virus may be 5 to 10 % of plants observed after attainment of some growth within 3 to 6 months which may not affect the economic yield.

Removal of infected plants and destroying them.

Contolling aphids, vectors by periodical spraying of systemic insecticides.

10 Q

Capsicum cultivation in Open Land shreenureddy : Hi All, I am planning to go for Capsicum cultivation in open land. Pls provide me the cultivation procedure and yield and the harvesting times of it.Thanking you in Advance.

With Regards, DS Reddy’ Answer 1 : maitys : Capsicum is basically a cool season crop and day temperatures less than 30°C is favourable for growth and yield.

Fruit will show poor setting and poor colouring when temperatures are above 30°C .

Answer 2 : intertrade : Which area? shreenureddy :

Vizianagaram in Andhra

www.agricultureinformation.com/discuss

Pradesh. Thanks for the info. Initial cost of Poly farming is very expensive. so thought of going for Shade net.

Answer 3 : maitys : If you are a seasoned farmer , then shadenet and insect proof nylon mesh with drip system is other low cost alternative . If you are first timer then skip it and go for any other vegetable crop.

Answer 4 : garao56 : Please contact us for techical guidance

Q11

Start dairy Farm buisness vraj2222: Hello Friends, My Name is Jignesh Parekh & I am planning to start My Dairy Farming Near to Vadodara, Gujarat.

Current Planning with 10/15 Gir Cow + Land on Lease / Sell.

Can anyone Guide me in that business?

I am also looking for Partner.

I am also looking for some consultant My Land Requirement is shown below1 - Land Should be within 40km from Vadodara 2 - Land should be as much as near to Road 3 - Land must be an Agriculture & Water Facility should be there.

Answer 1 : garao56 : After getting partner please approach us for project report and guidance . There will be subsidy of 25% for 10 animal unit under DED scheme of NABARD which will be renewed in this month generally. G.Anandarao B,Sc(Ag) abinand20: Dear Mr Anandarao My name is Rajiv lohi. We would like to start a diary project in kerala .we would like to know more about the feasibility and consultancy.

Cheese Making v3p5:Hi, I am trying to find out how to set up a small cheese making unit. I have looked onkine but am unable to find resources. Any help would be appreciated,Thanks

12 Q

Answer 1 : brij07 : Hello Sir,There are many types of cheese in the world. Which type of cheese you are willing to process. I can provide you the solution related to technical details, financial details, packaging, marketing, and subsidy from various departments. you can personally email me the queries at Answer 2 : garao56:Please approach us for project report Answer 3 : dmbhadange : Yes, Did you have marketing distribution of cheese ? If you have orders we can get it manufactured under your brand name .Get good volume we shall give you know how in setting up a cheese plant as per your capacity.Where you want sale it ?

49 I AGRICULTURE & INDUSTRY SURVEY I July 2020

Personal View

India-China Face-Off The economic, political and strategic implications The latest military flare-up between China and India is very unfortunate, to put it very mildly. The carefully built-up friendly relationship, inspite of several provocations to the contrary, stands shattered and a new era of co-existence has to be built up between the two neighbours, two giants of countries with largest populations. It won’t be an easy task by any stretch of imagination.

It is a tough task for any leaders, not just the present incumbents but even for the future leaders.

T

he writer of this column was a student at Santiniketan and Oxford, the Visva Bharati University of poet Rabindranath Tagore that has a well-known Cheena Bhavan whose founder, along with the poet was Prof. Tan Yun Shan, a contemporary of the great Mao, in fact the two were students of a training college and the present writer was also fortunate to be students. I studied Chinese language under him in the 1950s and during the Indo China War in 1950-60s, Chou Enlai was sent to Santiniketan by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru (who was the Chancellor of Visva Bharati and I was fortunate to shake hands with Chou when he came to visit our Chinese language class room!

It is a long story. The real donors. To the founding of Cheena Bhavan. Were the Chiang Kei Shak, the long time colleague of Mao and how they fell off and how Taiwan came into being is all very complicated.

To cut the story short, I want to state here for the benefit of all Indian people that long time friends of the Chinese people and as Panditji said once in his usual style when he don’t speak at length in the annual convocation addresses is that the present flare-up too is between two incumbent governments and not between the general public of the two countries.

So, this distinction must be kept in mind when we discuss the present tensions on our historic borders and the new controversies.

The one point I want to bring home here and now is that the relationships between. China and India are too long and historical and there is a great deal of religious, cultural and social and not to speak of the current interdependence and mutual relationships in the economic and political and strategic spheres.

Now, there are some serious issues and I hope the more directly linked and directly engaged experts and experienced persons who could really lend more insightful inputs at the present moment.

Immediate issues need to be tackled with care and caution. Certainly it is not going to be an easy task, given the current world scenario.

We understand that the two leaders, Xi and Modi had met at least 22 times and created lot of goodwill and a committed path for more co-operation and mutual. Contributions for expanded market and that means a more expanding market for products of the two countries and as things stood just till now, India is a big market for smart

50 I AGRICULTURE & INDUSTRY SURVEY I July 2020

phones, to take one example and likewise, China has a big export market in India for its various products and services.

Any disruption now, as one expert has observed that China might have intruded a small piece Indian Territory but it had lost India entirely strategically.

To lose India as a friendly neighbour is an enormous mistake and one can be sure the high price paid by China for this folly would be incalculable and only time can tell how big a blunder Chinese leaders have committed.

Of course diplomacy and tactful conduct on the part of the two countries could retrieve the situation. We have to wait and watch how the current scenario plays out.

Indians recognise that China is big country and economy, China lost 5 times the size of India and in the race for economic development. We are at least 15 years behind China in many critical infrastructure. Development like airports, railways and roads and even the urban development, as I had the opportunity to observe the developments there on a recent visit.

One or two troubling here.

How can the two leaders fail to reach mutual trust and mutual understanding after meeting so many times and in such close encounters and friendship?

This is troubling indeed. If great leaders entertain mutual distrust and lack of warmth and imagination and other noble virtues, how can the civilisation we often talk about can survive and how much we have learnt from history and other great events, revolutions and greater disruptions, like the current pandemic and much other natural disasters, the environment degradations and climate change and. What you have can be understood by our education and spread of mutual sense of brotherhood.

In fact, this is the century of Asia and Asian people.

Have much to contribute.

There is a long tradition and history here for India and the Indian people. One more side-effect in the present conflict is the role and place of Asia’s small nations. Nepal, Sri Lanka and even Pakistan are all having great. Responsibilities. You can’t create a great country and achieve any great things unless you have long-terms and vision of sorts.

Democracy is the core issue.

It is time that democracies of the world wake up and stand up!

V.Isvarmurti, Chairman & Managing Director Agriculture & Industry Survey, isvarmurti@gmail.com

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