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Solar-poweredsprayer that solves

many problems

M. J. PRABU,

Agriculture, The Hindu,

December 29, 2011

Once charged during

the night it can be

operated for nearly

eight hours. Viable

Alternative: David demonstrating to farmers to use of the solar

sprayer.

Solar-powered sprayer that solves many problems. One need not be

a genius to develop any commonly used devices. Take the case of

the humble yet important knapsack manual sprayer (hung on the

shoulders). Though many models are available on the shelves,

priced at different rates, most of them last for only a few years.

“Regularly filling them with water, pesticides and fuel (in case of fuel operated ones) makes it diff icult to lift and hang them on the

shoulder. After an hour of spraying, the weight of the machine

creates a backache and shoulder pain for farmers,” says Mr. David

Raja Beleau, Assistant Director of Horticulture Kadayam, Tamil

Nadu, who developed a solar powered battery operated sprayer for

farmers.

Those who are interested can contact Mr.David Assistant Director of

Horticulture Kadayam through his mobile number 9486285704 [email protected]

http://www.rainfedfarming.org/Downloads.htmhttp://www.rainfedfarming.org/index.htmhttp://webmail.rainfedfarming.org/http://www.rainfedfarming.org/contact.htmmailto:[email protected]://www.rainfedfarming.org/Downloads.htmhttp://www.rainfedfarming.org/Useful%20Links.htmhttp://www.rainfedfarming.org/Farmers_Notebook.htmhttp://www.rainfedfarming.org/contact.htmhttp://webmail.rainfedfarming.org/http://www.rainfedfarming.org/index.htm


2/31



Authorities must

experience problems to

solve them

M. J. PRABU, Agriculture, The

Hindu, December 15, 2011

Can a farmer ever contact the

Agriculture minister to voicehis grievance?

There is a lot of difference

between seeing and

experiencing. “Unless one

experiences a headache he

will never know how it feels.

Mere words or a visual can never convey it,” says Mr. Deepak Nanaji

Barde a progressive farmer from Wardha. “In Israel or Cuba,farmers in possession of even two acres live in luxury. But in India a

10 acre farmer wallows in poverty. Why?” he asks. Mr. Deepak

practices organic farming in his 2.5 acres and has developed 52

varieties of crop. It took him nearly seven years to establish a seed

bank.

For more details readers can contact Mr. Deepak Nanaji Barde,

Bawapur taluka, Wardha , Phone : 9272610252 and Mr. Manish

Kawade Project Associate MSSRF, emails:[email protected] and [email protected],

Phone: 07152-285043, Mobile: 09890795456.

Debt increases with

dependence on fertilizers,

pesticides


Hindu, November 10, 2011

Mr. Vishwasrao's search

brought him in contact with

several farmers practising

organic farming. They

impressed on him the need

for making one's own input

for the crops and that it drastically saves money for the farmer and

helps get a good yield. ...

For more details contact Mr. Vishwasrao Narayanrao Bunde atPedgaon taluka, Risod district, Washim, mobile: 9765815472 and M.

S Swaminathan Research Foundation village resource centre, Karda

district, phone: 07251-226544.

mailto:[email protected]


3/31



Read more...

Natural inputs,

multicropping advised for

Vidharbha region


Hindu, November 2, 2011

Such measures may have

prevented a few of the

suicides in the region. The

names Vidharbha or Wardha

immediately evoke memories

of farmers' suicides. “Several reasons such as growing only one

crop, total dependence on monsoon, lack of infrastructure and

irrigation facilities, small land holdings, poor marketing, and

insensitive government policies towards farmers are attributed to

this. Visiting the region drives home one point, that not all of Vidharbha is a graveyard of dead farmers,” says Mr. Praful Bansod,

Scientist MSSRF village Resource Centre, Yavatmal.

For more information contact Mr. Praful Bansod, Scientist MSSRF,

Village Resource Center Yavatmal, email: [email protected],

mobile: 9420960830 and Mr. Mahajan at Karanji Bhoge, Deoli taluk,

Wardha, mobile: 9552955897 and 9922354663.

Read more...

Good harvests do not always

translate into money in the bank

M. J. PRABU, Agriculture, The Hindu,

October 19, 2011

Minimum support price that is

announced is never paid in full.

Tilhar lies about 300 km east of

Delhi in the fertile plains of northern

India. Here, acres of wheat stand

sturdily in the fields, slowly changing

colour from green to yellow. “If all

goes well the farmer can get a good

harvest, but whether it will bring

prosperity to their lives or not is a

big question. Will the crop in the

field translate into money in the bank? Unlikely,” says Dr. Suman

Sahai, Convener, Gene campaign, New Delhi. “The Prime Minister

says internal security is the country's largest crisis. Fixing agricultureand putting money in the farmers' pocket is a dead sure way of

finding our way out of this crisis. When will we achieve that?” she

enquires.

http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/agriculture/article2591999.ecehttp://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/agriculture/article2612307.ece


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Contact Dr. Suman Sahai, blog: sumansahai-blog.blogspot.com,

email: [email protected], J-235/A, Lane W-15C, Sainik farms,

New Delhi- 110-062, phone:011- 29556248 and 29555961.

Read more...

Unbridled real estate business

threatens farmers' livelihoodM. J. PRABU, Agriculture, The

Hindu, October 13, 2011

The Will the voice of poor farmers

be heard in the portals of power?

While there seems to be raging

debate going on among a section

of activists whether farmers

should go in for Bt crops or not, a

few hundred farmers in

Vadakipalayam village, Pollachi, are in the final stages of harvesting

Bt cotton and maize.

“We are not bothered about varieties as long as we are able to get

a good yield, a sure market, and better income, says N. Murugesan

an aged farmer growing Bt cotton in his four acres.

The Tamil Nadu Agricultural University provides all the technical

support and guidance for these farmers and a private seed company

is providing the cotton seeds.

“It is funny when some politician or bureaucrat talks about food

security or a farmer-friendly government. Just look at the open

grounds before my fields. All those areas, once fertile fields are

being sold off as housing plots,” he says, adding:

Readers can contact Mr. N. Murugesan at no 4/56 Vadakipalayam,Koil Palayam via Pollachi, Tamil Nadu, mobile: 9942833929.

Read more...



5/31



Lightweight machine

weeds out paddy

farmers' woes

The compactly

developed conoweeder

being tested by a

farmer in his field. “Inthe last two decades

the technique is fast

becoming popular

among millions of

farmers worldwide. In India the success of SRI can be perceived as

being made possible by many small farmers who dared to

experiment and innovate new techniques,” says Mr.

Senthilkumaran, Director, Information, Education and

Communication, M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF),Chennai.

Simple and efficient

Take the example of the conoweeder, a simple, hand-operated

device to remove weeds from the paddy field. To encourage small

farmers to adopt this cultivation the State Governments passed

orders to their respective agriculture Universities to make the

machine available to farmers through their Krishi Vigyan Kendras

(KVKs) freely as and when they require. With the numbers being

limited, the KVKs' in many areas found it difficult to cater to the

demand.

For more details contact Mr. S. Karthikeyan, Om sakthi agri

industries, No 9/1 Lal Bahadur Sastri road, Kumbakonam: 612-001,

email: [email protected], mobile: 09789618131, phone:

0435-2401231. And Mr. Senthil at Third Cross Road, Institutional

Area, Taramani, Chennai 600 113, email: [email protected];

[email protected], Phone: 044 22541229, 22542791.

Read more...

Power from waste:

Vivekanda Kendra

shows the way

The town Panchayat is

today powered by the

biogas-generated electricity

Mamallapuram in Tamil

Nadu is an internationally

renowned tourist

destination.

http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/agriculture/article2453351.ece


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Though the town itself houses a modest population of just 12,345

in about 400 households, it generates a huge volume of waste –

mainly kitchen waste from various hotels and restaurants.

An NGO from Kanyakumari called Vivekananda Kendra (Vk-

nardep) built a solid waste management shed at the town

panchayat for collecting and processing the entire waste forfeeding into a bio-gas plant.

“The Kendra constructed the biogas plant (of 100 cubic metre

volume) — a floating drum like device attached to a designed

biogas engines that are in turn connected to specially designed

control panels.

For more details and visit readers can contact Mr. G.Vasudeo,

Secretary, Vivekananda Kendra - NARDEP, Kanyakumari - 629 702,Tamil Nadu, e.mail : [email protected], website: vknardep.org,

phone 04652- 246296 (office).Read more ....

Farmers would quit

agriculture if they had an

alternative - The Hindu - August

25, 2011

UNCERTAIN: Climate change has

made farming even more risky.

Electoral politics plays with rice

and wheat as gimmicks to get

votes

Some years ago the National Sample Survey Organization (NSSO)reported after its study on agriculture that roughly half the farmers

in the country did not wish to continue farming.

“They would rather quit if they had an alternative. This shameful

reality reflects the despair farmers feel and is based on the fact

that agriculture is a loss making enterprise and the farmers are

unable to either feed themselves or turn a profit,” says Dr. Suman

Sahai, Convener, Gene campaign, New Delhi in her blog

(sumansahai-blog.blogspot.com) on Why farmers don't farm.

Readers can contact Dr. Suman Sahai at [email protected],

J-235/A, Lane W-15C, Sainik farms, New Delhi- 110-062,

phone:011- 29556248 and 29555961..

http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/agriculture/article2432984.ece


7/31



Read more ....

Tackling rural India's

problems is the mission

of 28 youngsters

The Hindu, August 18,

2011

BIG DREAMS: Ankit Walia,a fellow, trying his hand on

a gonoweeder. Photo:

Special Arrangement

Many farmers want more youth to take part in the programme.

‘Nothing changes' is the cynical reaction to the multitude problems

plaguing the country's massive rural sector, from farmer suicides to

depleting resources.

“These issues are debated profusely, triggering circular blame

games, with a general conclusion that the responsibility lies in the

hands of the country's youth to put things right. Yet, every year we

see the educated youth overlooking this sector which is crying out

loud for their attention,” says Dr. G.N. Hariharan, Principle co-

ordinator, M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF),

Chennai

For interacting with these fellows readers can contact Dr. G.N.

Hariharan, Principle co-ordinator, M.S. Swaminthan Research

Foundation, Taramani, Chennai, email: [email protected],

mobile: 9444904765 or Ms Geeta Verghese, SBIYFI co-ordinator.

email [email protected], Mobile 09620272251.Read more ....

Rural employment scheme

making life miserable for small

farmers- The Hindu - 14th July, 2011."What can we poor ryots do against

the might of money and power"?

“In the last 60-odd years several

governments have come to power, and

some of them got toppled for various

reasons. Politicians become crorepathis

in four or five years; but the condition

of farmers is deteriorating from from

bad to worse,” says Mr. Shamanna Nayak a small farmer from

Odilnala village, Belthangady taluk in Dharmasthala.

“In the name of development, fertile lands are being developed



8/31



into industries, Special economic zones, IT parks, new airports and

power plants, or developed into real estate. How can we then talk

of ensuring the country's food security?” he asks.

For more details contact Mr. Shamanna Nayak, Moolottu House,

Oilanala Post & Village, Oilanala, Belthangady Taluk,

Karnataka.574214, mobile: 09141105398.

Read more ....

Clay pellet method of

rice cultivation

maximises yield - The

Hindu - 29th June, 2011.

Farmers need not wait for monsoon to start sowing under this

method.

In our culture, innovation is

dubbed as craziness, but oursuccess lies in identifying

more 'crazy' people so that

the innovation revolution

can spread across the

country. The present

generation is fast losing out

on scientific knowledge. In

the last several years we are losing many such affordable scientific

knowledge due to sheer neglect,” says Prof K. Anil Gupta, ViceChairman, National Innovation Foundation, Ahmedabad.

For more details contact Mr. Ram Abhilash Patel, Vill. Tikari, Po.

Kanti, Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh 212107, Mobile: 08127199855.Read more ....

Financing small farmers

through an innovative

scheme - The Hindu - 6th June,

2011.Consumers book orders through

phone for buying the fruits.

Farmers are provided financial

assistance of up to 40 times their

savings

Farmers know the difficulty in

obtaining loans for their farming activities in the country.

Though many financing institutions promise all necessary help to

farmers, sadly most of it remains only on paper.

http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/agriculture/article2145266.ecehttp://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-sci-tech-and-agri/article2225405.ece


9/31



The Kshethra Dhamasthala Rural Development Project (SKDRDP),

an NGO in Dharmasthala effectively makes use of the self help

group approach called pragathibandhu for promoting union among

small farmers and to access loans for its members.

For more details contact Dr. L H Manjunath, Executive Director,

SKDRDP, Dharmashri Building, Dharmasthala, Blethangady Taluk,

Dakshin Kannada District, Karnataka – 574216, email:[email protected], mobile: 09448469009, phone: 08256-277215.

Read more ....

Helping small jackfruit

boost yield and income -

The Hindu - 28th April, 2011

Consumers book orders

through phone for buying

the fruits.

The farm of Mr. K.

Narasimhaiah in

Doddaballapur taluk in Hubli

is easy to locate. Almost

every person in the region

seems to know him.

The reason: a 300-year-old jackfruit tree that stands

majestically in the midst of several mango trees in the field.

“The last Maharajah of Mysore Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar, and

former Diwan of the royal palace, M. Visvesvaraya relished the

fruits of this tree and loved their taste. In fact Mr. Visvesvaraya

used to take some fruits back home whenever he visited my place,”

says the farmer proundly pointing to the tree.

For more details contact Mr. K. Narasimhaiah, Kachahalli village,

Tubagere hobli, Doddaballapur taluk, Bangalore rural district,

mobile: 09916961666 and Mr. K.N. Srinivasappa at 09845774509.Read more ....

Onion variety that

yields well and is

drought resistant -

The Hindu - 21st April,

2011

Government's version of trying to control price rise is not helping.

http://www.hindu.com/seta/2011/04/28/stories/2011042850251400.htmhttp://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/agriculture/article2087932.ece


10/31



An onion cannot be dismissed as just another vegetable.

“In fact no other

vegetable seems to be

backed by a strong

lobby like the humble

onion. Especially in

our country,Governments can be

toppled and unseated

if the vegetable

records a meteoric

price rise. When onion price fluctuates it becomes front page

news,” says Mr. Manaram Chowdhary from Sikar, Rajasthan.

Officials from the agriculture extension department in Sikar and

research station, Durgapur (Jaipur) appreciated the varietydeveloped by Mr. Choudhary.

“Several onion farmers end up ploughing their crops back into the

soil in frustration as they are not able to get a good price for their

produce. The weather also creates problems for us.

“It suddenly starts raining during peak summer and sometimes

there is little rain for years together,” says Mr. Sundaram Verma,

Honey Bee Network collaborator Rajasthan.

False claim

“The transport cost to the mandis does not even make up for our

investment expenditure. The Government's claim of trying to

control the rise does not seem to be of much help to poor farmers.

“The media must also throw light on plight of onion cultivators,

their problems, and new methods if any, to increase area of

cultivation and encourage other farmers to start cultivating onion,instead of just reporting on price rise and how it affects consumers

and the Government's reply and control mechanism to the same,”

adds Mr. Manaram.

For more information readers can contact Mr. Manaram

Chowdhary, Village Sanvloda Ladkhana, District Sikar, Rajasthan at

09799237178.

Farmer's organization can

play a more constructive

role - The Hindu - 7th April,

2011


11/31



Though Panchayati Raj is beneficial it destroys harmony in villages.

“On trying to compile an endless suffering that farmers need to

bear, one is left wondering if there exists a magic pill that can solve

their problems,” says Mr. Ajay Vir Jakhar, Chairman, Bharat Krishak

Samaj, New Delhi.

The biggest bane of thefarmers according to him, “is

that they vote on caste or

religious lines, nudged by

political leaders and later

expect the government to

deliver their needs as a

community of farmers.

Unfortunately, today, dearth

of farmer leaders exists in all-political parties. Leaders

represent their own individual

communities and castes to

win their elections,” he says.

he Panchayati Raj today acts like a double edged sword —

providing much needed empowerment and benefits to the rural

community on the one hand, and on the other destroying the social

harmony in the villages .

“It acts to divide farmers on political lines by pitting one against the

other in every street, to the point that farmer solidarity may be lost

for ever,” regrets Mr. Ajay

For more details contact Mr. Ajay Vir Jakhar, Chairman, Bharat

Krishak Samaj, A-1 Nizamuddin West, New Delhi-110013, email:

[email protected], phones: 011– 46121708 and 65650384.Read more ....

Sprinkling water using

Chandraprabha rain gun - The

Hindu - 10th March, 2011

The system can irrigate an acre in about one and half hours.

Unlike the knowledge and awareness of the present day, about 25

years ago farmers never knew the effectiveness of water

conservation and the need for preserving groundwater by using

tubes and buckets for irrigating their crops. But in that phase, Annasaheb Udagavi, from Sadala village of Chikkoditaluka in

Belgaun district, North Karnataka, developed a sprinkler system

that covers as much as 140 feet radius to irrigate sugarcane crops.

http://www.hindu.com/seta/2011/04/07/stories/2011040750141700.htmmailto:[email protected]


12/31



“To save my betel-vine orchard from acute scarcity of water, I

fitted PVC pipes used in electrical

fittings, after making perforations

using nails. I spent Rs. 30,000 to

cover two acres of betel-vine two

decades ago for irrigation,” he says.

For more details contact Mr. Annasaheb Bhavu Udagavi, Pattan

Modu thotta, Examba Road, Sadalge,

Chikodi, Belgaum, Karnataka 591239,

mobiles: 08330- 251676,

09342212732.Read more ....

Why

agriculturepolicies are

outdated

and

contradictory - The Hindu - 24th February, 2011

The Government does not bother to know what crops are being

sown.

“India's daily turnover from vegetables and fruits could be easily

about Rs. 275 crores (US$ 59 million). The estimated cost of

‘wastage' per day, is around Rs. 130 crores (US$ 27 million). In

summary, it's a lot bigger than some of the Indian IT sector's daily

turnover”, says Mr. Venkat Subramanian, Founder and Managing

Director, Matchbox Solutions, a company that uses technology to

solve critical issues in agriculture.

For more details contact Mr. Venkat at email:

[email protected] and [email protected], mobile:

98847 61354, phone:044- 43577236(off) and 24450613 (res).Read more ....

Reviving traditional methods to

protect farm livestock - The

Hindu - 6th January, 2011

Popularising these methods will revive our culture and localknowledge.

“Apart from lands, animals remain a potential source of investment

and income generation for small farmers. “And investments are not

http://www.hindu.com/seta/2011/02/24/stories/2011022450181600.htmmailto:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.hindu.com/seta/2011/03/10/stories/2011031052461800.htm


13/31



risk free. They need to be protected. If a low cost and effective

protection can be made available, then naturally farmers tend to

use it,” says Dr. N. Punniamurthy, professor and head, Ethno-

Veterinary Herbal Training and

Research Unit, Veterinary University

Training and Research Centre,

Thanjavur.

For more details readers can contact

Dr. N. Punniamurthy, Prof and Head,

Ethno veterinary herbal training and

research unit, Nanjikottai road, Thanjavur- 613-006, phone: 04362-

255462, email: [email protected], mobile: 98424-55833.Read more ....

Can privatizing agriculture

solve marketing problems? -

The Hindu - 25th November, 2010

‘Experts must learn from Mumbai

dhabawallahs on supply

management'.

“Contrary to popular opinion, the

real crisis in Indian agriculture does

not stem from poor farming practices, but because of a deficient

marketing, supply and distribution chain in the country,” says Mr.

Venkat Subramanian, Founder, eFarm solutions, Chennai. eFarm is

a farm-to-home supply chain platform for procuring and delivering

farm based produce to consumers . It basically attempts to link

farmers, intermediaries, logistics providers, distributors and small

time retailers. Mr. Venkat believes that privatizing Indian

agriculture could solve much of the existing marketing problems

For more details contact Mr. Venkat Subramanian at email:

[email protected] and [email protected], mobile:

98847 61354, phone:044- 43577236(off) and 24450613 (res).Read more ....

Empowering poor rural

women to take charge of

their future - The Hindu -

28th October, 2010

The two SHG's have so far generated an income of Rs 84,000.

Empowerment of rural women is one of the central issues in

http://www.hindu.com/seta/2010/11/25/stories/2010112552781500.htmhttp://www.hindu.com/seta/2011/01/06/stories/2011010651071900.htm


14/31



developing countries all over

the world. “Income generation

for rural women is an

important aspect in agriculture

production. Unless rural

women are not trained to be

independant interms of

economic income a countrycannot progress,” says Dr. M.

Shivamurthy, Professor, Department of Agricultural Extension

University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS), Gandhi Krishi Vigyan

Kendra (GKVK), campus, Bangalore.

For more details contact Dr. M. Shivamurthy, Principal Investigator

& Professor, Department of Agricultural Extension, UAS , GKVK,

campus, Bangalore-560 065, email: murudaiah.shivamurthy@

gmail.com and mobile: 09449044975. Read more ....

Government subsidy scheme for drip

irrigation fraught with corruption -

The Hindu - 21st October, 2010

Several farmers in the region face the

same bitter experience.

Interesting feature about his farm is that

Mr. Rao grows black turmeric. Black

turmeric variety is usually grown in the

Himalayas and interior ghat regions of

Orissa. Black turmeric is a rare species and

visitors from as far as Hyderabad visit his farm regularly to gather a

few handfuls of this turmeric.

For more details readers can contact Mr. M.C. Rao can be reached

at Venkatapuram village, Tidigam Panchayat, Kasinagar block,Ganjam district, Orissa, phone: 08946-211026 (res) and mobile:

08895962391.Read more ....

Food security depends on

small and marginal dryland

farmers: The Hindu - 6th May,

2010

About 40 villages in Tirunelveli have stopped using chemical

fertilizers. Vilathikulam, in Tuticorin district, being drought prone

most of the year, forced many farmers till a few years ago to either

sell their lands or leave them barren. But today more than 600

http://www.hindu.com/seta/2010/10/21/stories/2010102150381600.htmhttp://www.hindu.com/seta/2010/10/21/stories/2010102150381600.htm


15/31



farmers in the region are

successfully growing different crops

ranging from sunflower to chillies,

using low cost input technologies

called Panchagavya (PG) for raising

their crops. Few years back. “Till a

few years back, due to drought,

many of the lands in our village layfallow and unploughed. We walked

several kilometres every day in

search of potable water. The

situation turned even worse during

summer. Though a few big farmers

continued to carry on with some farming activity, severe shortage

of fertilizers forced them also to give up," says Mr. T. Antony a

farmer in the region.” Today, inspite of acute water scarcity and

power cut problems, we are growing different crops such assunflower, plantains, paddy, chilli, and groundnut successfully.

Some farmers in our area earned nearly a lakh of rupees from

growing small onions as intercrops in chilli fields,” adds Mrs. S.

Jayalaxmi another farmer.

For visits and more information readers can contact Sands,

Suviseshapuram (via) Ittamozhi-627652, email:

[email protected], phone: 04637-278173,

mobile: 9444582911 and Prof. Venkatraman at 9488418719.

Bicycle inspired plougher and weeder gains popularity - The

Hindu - 29th April, 2010

More than 200 farmers are using the multi-

purpose weeder today. It gives the much

needed independence to a small farmer who

does not own bullocks or a tractor,” says Dr

Nitin. For details readers can contact Mr.

Gopal Bhise, Shendurni,Taluka: Jamner,Jalgaon, Maharashtra, phone: 9970521044

and Dr. Nitin Maurya at

email: [email protected] and [email protected], phone: 079-

26732456 and 26732095.

Continuing Reading ....

Mobile helps find right price for farmers produce - The Hindu

- 5th November, 2009

http://www.hindu.com/seta/2010/04/29/stories/2010042950601500.htmmailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]


16/31



About 3,000 farmers and 200 scientists are

already using this facility now.

“Their daily visits encouraged a good rapport

among the several dealers which helped us to

get the right information,” explains Prof.

Vadivel. But how many farmers use computers

in villages? True, the use of internet by farmersis meagre. However the mobile phone network

has expanded in leaps and bounds. Virtually

every farmer has a mobile today. Those with

mobiles can easily access this information. Right now, about 3,000

farmers and 200 scientists are already using mobile-based SMS on

commodity and market information.

Readers can contact Dr. E. Vadivel, Project officer, e- Extension

Centre, Directorate of Extension Education, Tamil Nadu AgriculturalUniversity, Coimbatore – 641 003, website: www.tnau.ac.in and

www.agritech.tnau.ac.in, e-mail: [email protected], phone: 0422-

6611383.


Enhancing plant growth using organic inputs - The Hindu -

15th October, 2009

The father used conventional methods

while the son favoured organicpractices. Organic farmers and those

practising conventional farming are

mostly at loggerheads regarding

cultivation practices, and are in

mutual disapproval. The battle now

seems to have entered within a family

at Theni, Tamil Nadu as the father Mr. S. Pandiaraj practises

conventional methods, while his son Jeya Prakash, who has an MSc

in Bio technology, seems to favour organic methods.

“Several farmers in Uthamapalayam (Ambasamuthuram) Theni

district, Tamil Nadu, grow vegetables in conventional way using

chemicals.

Readers can contact Mr. Jeya Prakash, no 8/3A, VOC Nagar, New

Colony, Ist street, Anna Nagar (East), Chennai: 600102, email:

[email protected], mobile: 96008-77686 and 98417-92530.

Switching to forefather's methods to cut down expense on

inputs - The Hindu - 10th, September 2009

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Hundreds of cultivable areas are turning into

residential plots. “There is a popular adage in

English, “give a man a fish he lives for a day,

teach him to fish he lives for a lifetime,” This is

exactly what our farmers need today. “Instead

of buying external inputs such as seeds,

chemical fertilizers and pesticides, they should

learn to make and use their own bio pestrepellents, and plant growth promoters,” says

Dr. G. Namalwar, organic scientist from Tamil Nadu. If one studies

the agricultural scenario of the past 40 years, one observes that

hundreds of cultivable areas are turning into residential plots.

Why is this happening in a country with more than 1,500 years of

agricultural heritage?

For more information readers can contact Dr. G. Namalwar through

email: [email protected] and mobile: 94425-31699.Continuing Reading ....

Zero farming: no investment, yet guarantees good yield -

The Hindu - 11, June 2009

Three tonnes of paddy have been harvested

from an acre by this method

Zero farming method requires no investment but guarantees good

yield. It dispels the myth that hybrid seeds,

fertilizers, and pest-control techniques alone canguarantee good yield. “Visitors can personally

come and see my farm and if they desire, can

emulate it,” says Mr. Murthy. Switching directly

from chemical farming to natural farming is a

risky proposition, according to him

For more information contact Mr. M.K. Kailash

Murthy, Academy of Natural Farming, Doddinduvadi village,

Kollegal, Chamarajanagar district, Karnataka, website: www.the-

anf.org, email: [email protected], mobile: 9880185757and 9845125808.


Self-help is the best help: that should be every farmer's

motto - The Hindu - 19th March 2008

Self reliance seems imperative for any farm

related activity. Whether the farm is big or

small, it really does not matter as long as it

is self reliant.

“What I mean by self reliance is that a

farmer should not depend on any external

sources for seeds, manures or other items.

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Everything must be available in the farm itself,” says Mrs. A.L.

Somala Devi a farmer from Mandya district in Karnataka.

For more information readers can contact Mrs. A.L Somala Devi, No

145-Hemmanahalli, Athgoor, Hobali, Maddur taluk, Mandya district,

Karnataka:571428, mobile:9845746046.Continuing Reading ....

Humic acid increases yield substantially in watermelon -

The Hindu - 12th March 2008

Mr. V. Veeraraghavan, Mudaiyur village,

Thirukazhikundram, (about 5 kms from the

temple) Tamil Nadu, is a good example of how

a farmer with only 2-3 acres as ancestral

property, successfully grows watermelon in 120

acres.

In the last one year Mr. Veeraraghavan has sold nearly 10,000tonnes of fruits and has made a net profit of more thanRs.50 lakhs.

For details readers can contact Mr. V.Veeraraghavan, Mudaiyur

village, 603 109, Thirukazhikundram, Tamil Nadu, mobile:

9894145143.


Sustainable farming: Low investment, maximum returns -The Hindu - 1st December 2008

Fertile soil and adequate water resources,

though important, cannot alone ensure a good

yield. Inputs such as fertilizers and manures are

essential. "Today chemical fertilizers cost a lot,

and a sudden shortage in their availability

makes a small farmer desperate for analternative," says Dr. G. Namalwar, organic

scientist. On advice from Dr. Namalwar we first

did multi-seed sowing (with various minor legumes and grains) in

the land and after a month the germinated seeds were mulched

back into the soil. And since then we have never looked back," Mr.

Arunachalam says.

For more information, readers can contact Mr. V.S. Arunachalam,

email: [email protected], Kulavikaradu, P.vellalapalayam,(po),Gobichettipalayam, Erode, Tamil Nadu, Pin:638476, mobile:

9443346323.


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Low budget fish gunabajalam proves effective for crops -

The Hindu - 18th December 2008

Spraying should be done either early in the

morning or evening. The last few decades have

really brought about a drastic change in

agriculture. In the name of increasing yield,

mindless dumping of chemical fertilizers and

spraying pesticides have made agriculture abusiness oriented exercise. Whether, these

chemicals have helped the farmers to get

profitable yields is questionable going by the number of suicides

and those selling their traditional lands with frustration that

agriculture has let them down,” says Dr. Kamalasanan Pillai, Head

of the R&D, VK- NARDEP, Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu.“Many farmers

have forgotten the time tested and proven traditional practices

done and followed by their grandparents.

For more details readers can contact Mrs. M. Thangam,

Kozhikoottupothai, Kumarapuram thoppu P.O., Kanyakumari

district, Tamil Nadu, mobile: 9952607450 and Dr. Kamalassanan

Pillai, Bio technologist, Head of the R&D, VK- NARDEP,

Vivekanandapuram, Kanyakumari - 629 702, Tamil Nadu, email:

[email protected], mobile:9387212005.


Scope for converting human waste into useful crop manure- The Hindu - 4th December 2008

But scientific studies in different parts

of the world have proved that human

excreta particularly urine will become

as precious as gold if only mankind

knows how to manage it

scientifically," says Mr. M.

Subburaman , Director, Society for

Community Organization and People's Education (SCOPE) at

Tiruchi, Tamil Nadu.

For personal visits and more information contact Mr. M.

Subburaman, phone: 0431-2774144, mobile:94431-67190,

email:[email protected] and Mr. V.Ganapathy, email:

[email protected] , mobile: 94431-09032.


Bit by bit, he filled his well - India Together - August 3rd, 2008

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S Ganesh Mallya, a high school

teacher cum Sunday farmer in

Yedapadavu in Karnataka, has

greened his plot without borewells.

Using simple techniques to catch

rainwater, he has managed to raise

the water level in his open well and

grow a bountiful farm.

For more information readers can contact Mr. Ganesh Mallya,

(0824) 2221777 or [email protected]


Taking a leaf from the book of ancient, time-tested

practices - The Hindu - June 5th, 2008

Input cost has greatly decreased

and yield has increased

considerably

Well before modern science had

invented crop growing strategies and

pest control measures, Indian farmers were growing crops

successfully and at the same time were able to control crop

infestations using traditional methods which were handed down to

successive generations by word of mouth.

Though the traditional methods may vary from place to place, their

efficiency in terms of pest control has been proven and accepted

by those who use them.

For example in Kozhikottu pothai, a small village in Kanyakumari

district, Tamil Nadu, several farmers are using one or more of the

traditional formulations for managing pest menace to their crops.

For more information readers can contact Mr. S. Aravindan, Social

scientist, Vivekananda Kendra-Natural Resources Development

Project, VK-Nardep, Vivekanandapuram, Kanyakumari - 629 702,

Tamil Nadu, India, email. [email protected] and

[email protected], mobile: 9443748714, phone: 04652 246296

and 04652 -247126.


Using enterprising methods to achieve success inapiculture - The Hindu May 8th, 2008

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Making about five lakh rupees as net

profit per year from apiculture

Though bee rearing is quite prevalent among many farmers in the

country, Bihar seems to top the list as it happens to be the largest

producer of honey- producing about 21,000

metric tonnes of honey annually, and has about20,000 bee keepers who are engaged in honey

production.

“A majority of honeybee farmers in Bihar are

small producers who are exploited by middle

men. “Most of them either sell the honey to a

local cooperative store or to private buyers.

Some of them form associations to sell the honey,” said Dr. R.K.P.

Singh, Advisor, State Farmers Commission, Patna, Bihar.

Mr. Shashi has been conferred the ‘Honour Award’ by the

Agricultural Produce Export Development Agency (APEDA) and

National Bee Board. The State government conferred on him the

‘Kisan Shree’ award for his contribution to honey production and

processing. He imparts training to farmers for honey production,

processing and packaging on his farm.

For more information readers can contact Mr. Shashi Kumar at

Vidyarthi Bhawan, Janakpur, Buniyadganj, Gaya, 823003, Bihar and

Dr. R.K.P. Singh, Advisor, State Farmers Commission, PantBhawan, Bailey Road, Patna, Bihar: 800001, mobile 09431245480,

email: [email protected] and [email protected],

phone: 0612- 2206169.


Role of a live fence in a small farm - The Hindu 24th April 2008

It acts as a shelter for a variety

of useful birds, reptiles and

other animals

The word fencing usually brings to

mind a long cement wall surrounding

a plot of land or barbed steel wires

attached to granite pillars around

the periphery of the land. For a variety of reasons a small farm

needs to be fenced. A fence marks the boundary of the farm and

keeps away stray animals. The investment for either constructing awall or putting up steel wires is quite heavy. Small and marginal

farmers cannot invest a huge sum for erecting such a fence. "They

will bring seeds of plants from far off places and their excreta

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brings new kinds of micro organisms to our soil," said Dr.

Nammalvar. A good example of a live fence is at Kolunchi, centre

for training and research on ecological food production located in

Odugampatti village at a distance of 11 kilometers from Keeranur,

Pudukkottai district. It is established and maintained by

Kudumbam, a Non-Governmental Organization engaged in LEISA

(Low External Input and Sustainable Agriculture).

For more information readers can contact Dr. G. Nammalvar at No

17/9, 5th cross, Srinivas nagar, Thiruvannaikoil, Tiruchi- 620005,

Tamil Nadu, email: [email protected], mobile: 9442531699.


An ingenious irrigation technique for small holdings - The

Hindu 10th April 2008

It is low cost, farmer friendly,

easy to install and requires no

maintenance

A depleting water table and rise in

salinity because of indiscriminate use

of chemical fertilizers and pesticides

have made water conservation

imperative for farmers. Over the years,

several water harvesting and

conservation methods have been adopted in agriculture to

recharge and conserve ground water. Some of the methods

practiced and still in use by local farmers are cost effective and

proven.

For example, in the coastal areas of Kerala, farmers have been

using a simple indigenous technique called pitcher irrigation which

greatly reduces the demand for water.

For more information readers can contact Readers can contact Prof. K.V. Peter, Professor of Horticulture and Former Vice-Chancellor, KAU, PO, Vellanikkara, Thrissur, Kerala, email:[email protected], mobile: 9446513017.

Bio-pesticides: ginger garlic extract measures up- The Hindu

3rd April 2008

Organic practices avoid investment on

costly chemicals

There is a growing body of evidence to suggest that in the past 4-5decades there has been an excessive dumping of chemical toxins

on the soil. As a result the soil has become barren and ground

water toxic, in many places.

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Contrast this with organic inputs that are safe,

non toxic, and cost much less. For example, if

using chemical pesticides and fertilizers for

growing a crop in a hectare works out to about

Rs.6,000-7,000 the cost of growing the same

crop using organic inputs may come to only

about Rs.500 - Rs. 1,000, according to Ms.

Rajareega of Raasi organic farms at Muthupattivillage in Sivaganga district, Tamil Nadu.

For more information readers can contact Readers can contact Ms. Rajareega, Raasi organicfarms, Muthupatti, via Kallal, A. Siruvayal (post), Sivaganga district, Tamil Nadu, email:[email protected] , mobile: 9865-582142 and phone: 04565-284937.


At last, compost yards come to life - The

Hindu - 4th April 2008

Madambakkam is the latest urban local body

to go for composting. After remaining idle for

a very long time, compost yards built in most

of the town panchayats around Tambaram have started

functioning.


Vegetables can be grown successfully even near the

seashore- The Hindu 20th March 2008

Farmers must take the initiative to

personally market their produce

Does agriculture always mean or involve vast

stretches of fields, that too in villages?

A visit to Mr. T.K. Venkataraman’s two ground

plot at Akkarai on the East Coast road, justover 15kms from Chennai, will change such an

impression.

The plot is near the sea (about 250 feet away

from the seashore), sandy in nature and suitable for growing only

coconut and casuarina trees. With the area developing as an IT

corridor and land prices zooming, his land was sought for a prime

price.

"I became interested in converting my land into a regular income

generation unit rather than selling it after reading a series of articles on success stories of small farmers."

For more information readers can contact Mr. T.K. Venkataraman can be reached at No-117-E, 16th cross road, Besant Nagar, Chennai, Tamil Nadu-600090, email:

http://www.hindu.com/2008/04/04/stories/20080404http://www.hindu.com/seta/2008/04/03/stories/2008040350141800.htmmailto:[email protected]


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[email protected], phone: 044-24914299 and mobile: 98407-77459..


Value Addition leads to 'no tension agriculture' - The Hindu

13th March 2008

A hectare fetches the farmer a

gross income of Rs. 2 lakhs in 10months

There are two ways in agriculture for a farmer to earn money. One

is by growing and selling the harvested

crop, second is to go in for some value

added products. Farmers are

encouraged by scientists to try and

explore value addition technology areas

as it enhances the marketability of the

produce. Compared to selling the rawharvested produce, value addition

requires more financial inputs, proper

guidelines, and backup technologies to

ensure success.

Mr. Shanker Kishore Chaudhary, a progressive small scale farmer of

Vaishali district, Bihar, is a farmer who cultivates elephant foot yam

(commonly called as Ool in North India) in his three-acre field. He

calls Ool cultivation 'no tension agriculture' as it requires no cold

storage, poses no marketing problem, and the income is good.

For more information readers can contact Mr. Ramadhar, Chairman, Bihar State FarmersCommission, Pant Bhawan, 1st Floor, Bailey Road, Patna- 800001, e-mail:[email protected] and [email protected], phone: (0612) 2206169 and 2232847.


Only market driven strategies can boost organic farming -

The Hindu 6th March 2008

Lack of genuine marketing

infrastructure was a big

problem for the growers

Though organic farming has been

proved to be a low investment

technology for growing crops,

marketing organically produced

crops has not been an easy task

especially for some farmers

For more details: R eaders can contact Mr. M. Sekar, Meekeri, B. Manihatty P.O., The Nilgirisand Mr. R. Ranganathan at No16-Vanigar street, Thirupporur, Tamil Nadu-603 110, email:[email protected], phone :044-27478669 and 27446793, mobile: 94433-46369

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Using nature to improve fertility - The Hindu 26th February

2008

Natural methods not only benefit

the farmer but also the consumer,

says Chinthala Venkata Reddy."The secret lies in the earthworms.

These worms increase the soil fertility.

When they die they would become

compost and further improve the

fertility. A healthy bed of grass would

provide the natural habitat for earthworms to grow. I have proved

that grass is indeed beneficial to a grape garden," Reddy explains.

Related to:

* Progressive farmer

* Patent for innovative farmer's model

* Farmer's Innovation to restore fertility

* A farmer's record

For more details readers can contact Mr. Chinthala Venkat Reddy,

# 6-46/B, Old Alwal, Secunderabad - 500010, Mobile: 9866883336.Continuing Reading ....

How an NGO comes to jatropha cultivators' rescue - The

Hindu 7th February 2008

The growers seek Government banks'

assistance for their crops

Water shortage and labour problems are like

twin razors which can make agricultural activity

come to a grinding halt. Crops which require

both these inputs in minimal measure areindeed a blessing for farmers and Jatropha

curcas seems to fit the bill well, especially in the

southern parts of India.

For more details readers can contact Mr. R. Kanakaraj, Managing

Director, AHIMSA, No. 2/38, Dr. J.J. Nagar East, Chennai - 600

037, Email: [email protected], Tel. No. (044) 43550159 /

43550253, Mobile: 9444402253.


Continuing success of precision farming in Tamil Nadu -

The Hindu 31st January 2008

http://www.hindu.com/seta/2008/02/07/stories/2008020750941700.htmmailto:[email protected]://www.hindu.com/2008/02/26/stories/2008022659530500.htmhttp://www.hindu.com/2006/01/06/stories/2006010604411400.htmhttp://southasia.oneworld.net/article/view/125229/1/http://www.hinduonnet.com/2006/01/07/stories/2006010720500500.htmhttp://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2006/01/06/stories/2006010601571200.htmhttp://www.hindu.com/seta/2008/03/06/stories/2008030650141600.htm


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A farmer has earned more than 5 lakhs from

120 cents in 11 months

New innovations and technologies for increasing crop yield have

mostly been the fort of agricultural scientists and

researchers. Mr. P.M. Chinnasamy is one such

precision farmer from Somenahalli village who has

earned more thanRs. 5 lakh from his brinjal cropgrown in 120 cents in about 11 months. A

progressive farmer can get only 60 tonnes per

hectare whereas Mr. Chinnasamy has harvested

about 170 tonnes in 120 cents, which is quite a feat. It is 467 per

cent higher than the conventional system of cultivation, said Dr.

Vadivel, Director of Extension Education, TNAU. Giving details he

said, the seeds were sown in protrays raised under shade net and

transplanted on the 35th day after sowing.

For more details readers can contact Dr. I. Muthuvel, Assistant

Professor (Horticulture), TNAU, Coimbatore, email:

[email protected], mobile: 9443715948 and Mr. P. M.

Chinnasamy, Somenahalli, Dharmapuri district, Tamil Nadu.


It is important to educate farmers on working capital

management - The Hindu 17th December 2007

It is important to educate farmers on

working capital management

The common thread, which runs in all these

suicides, is that most of these farmers have

grown pure crops (monocrops) in large areas

and had failed to get a good harvest.

In many cases the crops grown were not suited for that area orsoil, said Mr. Balaji Shankar, a successful organic farmer at Sirkali,

Nagapattinam district in Tamil Nadu.

For more information Balaji Shankar can be reached at No 2/12

Tirupura Sundari Nagar, Then Pathi, Sirkali: 609 111, Nagapattinam

District, Tamil Nadu, email: [email protected], Phone: 04364-

271170, mobile: 99655-52252.


Waste not, want not, wealth from waste - The Hindu 27th

December 2007

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Reducing input costs is the

immediate need of the hour for

farmers

Agriculture scientists would like the

farmers to realise that reduction of

chemical based fertilizers and

pesticides can benefit both man and

earth over the long run, and in

particular for farmers, as a major

portion of whose money is spent on

buying these chemicals.

Value of waste- The focus, they believe must shift to educating

farmers on the value of waste matter being generated in both their

fields and homes and the technology to convert these waste into

wealth.

Innovative model - According to P. Alagesan, Programme

Coordinator, IFD is an innovative model especially designed for

small scale farmers in improving farm productivity in a sustainable

manner through integrating farm resources by recycling farm and

home wastes. "The main concept of IFD is to integrate the animal

and human wastes into useful and productive components such as

for the manufacture of vermicompost, pest repellants and biogas

thereby reducing input cost for farmers," he said.

Bio pest repellants - For example, in villages, the urine and dung

from cattle is usually washed into a drain or the dung is collected,

dried and used as cooking fuel.

For more information readers can contact Mr. P.Alagesan,

Programme Coordinator, Myrada Krishi Vigyan Kendra, No: 57 -

Bharathi Street, Gobichettipalayam - 638 452, Erode District, Tamil

Nadu, e-mail : [email protected], website:

www.myradakvk.org, Phone : 04285 226694 and 226695, fax :04285 221176.


Multicropping, self-help are the best help - The Hindu 20th

December 2007

The farmer gets more than Rs. 4 lakhs as gross income per

year

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The advantage with multicropping and

some other allied activities such as dairy,

poultry, and vermicompost units is that

even if there is an unexpected loss from

one of the crops, the income from the

others will help the farmer to make up for

it.

Mr. T.J. Abraham of Kozhikode was

mainly a monocrop farmer who was growing about 500 areca nut

palms in his 8-acre land. When a majority of the trees started to

die due to yellow leaf infestations, Mr. Abraham approached the

Krishi Vigyan Kendra of the Indian Institute of Spices,(IISR)

Kozhikode, for help.

"Realising the benefits of organic farming, I formed a young

farmers’ SHG (self help group) for organic farming, and as a firststep towards organic farming I was trained in vermicomposting and

coirpith composting," he said.Continuing Reading ...

During harvesting season the village is thronged by buyers

for the produce

Mr. M. Manimaran of Kothavasal village in

Tiruvarur district applying algae manure to his

paddy crops.

Farmers adopting organic methods and achieving

good yields have always been a good model for

other ryots. But for an entire village to adopt

organic practices and succeed in getting a bumper yield is by no

means a small achievement. The name of the village is Kothavasal,

in Nannilam taluka of Tiruvarur district in Tamil Nadu.

Contact: Mr. M. Manimaran, Panchayat Union Chairman at

Kothavasal village, Nannilam taluka, Tiruvarur district, Tamil Nadu,

phone: 04336-238347, mobile: 9486044229.Continuing Reading ....

Rosemary shows the way to keep wild animals at bay - The

Hindu 29th November 2007

Puttiyamma earned more than Rs. 30,000

in three years from half an acre

"It was then that I heard from sources in my village about MYRADA

KVK (Mysore Resettlement and Development Agency Krishi Vigyan

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Kendra) which has been encouraging farmers in

our area to grow Rosemary (an aromatic herb)

and are also helping them to market the produce

through the Rosemary Group (created mainly for

farmers growing Rosemary)," she explained.Continuing Reading ....

Arecanut dehusker addresses labour shortage problems -

The Hindu 22nd November 2007

Priced at Rs. 2650, the unit can dehusk

about 160 kg of nuts in a day

Cultivating Studies made with respect to the

cost of processing of arecanut to remove the

nuts have revealed that about 35-40 per cent of the total cost of

processing is spent for dehusking arecanut alone, which of course,

is generally done by farm workers particularly women, according to

Dr. B. Ranganna, Professor & Research Engineer, Post Harvest

Technology Centre, University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS),

Gandhi Krishi Vigyan Kendra (GKVK), Bangalore. The machine can

be operated by employing four persons to dehusk arecanuts

simultaneously. The dehusking assembly consists of two sharp

edged flaps, one being stationary and the other movable, operatedby the pedal through a linkage mechanism. The unit has a hopper

to hold about 20 kg of arecanuts. Made of mild steel, the entire

unit is mounted on an angle iron stand and the dehusking

mechanism is made of spring steel. This is suitable for dehusking

freshly harvested mature green arecanuts of all varieties under

cultivation, said Dr. Ranganna. The dehusking capacity of the unit

is 160 kg per day with a running time of eight hours and the unit is

priced at Rs.2,650 (does not include packaging and forwarding

charges).Continuing Reading ....

Model farmer coaxes more crops from less land - The Hindu

25th October 2007

In the last five years he has

sold earthworms worth about

rupees one lakh

Big farmers have more land,

finance and manpower at their

disposal when compared to small

and marginal farmers who grow their crops in 3-4 acres and still

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succeed in getting a good yield. One such small farmer is Mr. K.O.

Sebastian, in Kozhikode district of Kerala who has rubber, coconut,

areca nut and black pepper in his four-acre land.


Intercropping of medicinal plants and trees in coconut

gardens - The Hindu 11 October 2007

It's offers a scope for increasing nut

production and income

Coconut in India is primarily a small farmer’s crop. Growing coconut

alone as a monocrop does not provide

employment through out the year and the

income derived from small holdings is not

sufficient to sustain a farmer’s livelihood.

Coconut based intercropping in the

interspaces of coconut trees and integration

with other enterprises such as cattle offer

good scope for increasing coconut production.


Growing crops by following the lunar calendar - The Hindu4th October 2007

Eco-friendly: Mr. R. Jeyachandran BD farmer

at Ariyanoor village, in Tamil Nadu seen burying

the cow horns into the soil. "Biodynamic

farming is quite eco-friendly as there is no great

investment involved. There are nearly 100

farmers practicing this system in Tamil Nadu

and about 1,000 all over the country," said Mr. R. Jeyachandran, a

BD farmer in Ariyanoor village of Madhurantakkam taluka,

Kanchipuram district in Tamil Nadu. The basic theory in BD farming

is that the lunar cycle (waxing and waning of the moon) plays a

key role in the timing of biodynamic practices, such as making of

biodynamic preparations, timing of planting the seeds and harvest,

according to Mr. Jeyachandran. Mr. R. Jeyachandran can be

reached at , Ariyanoor village, Madhurantakkam taluka,

Kanchipuram district, Tamil Nadu, Phone: 044-27539608.Read more....

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