Precision farming makes floriculture profitable

FARMER'S NOTEBOOK- Precision farming makes floriculture profitable

• Posted by ashwin on February 18, 2010 at 7:00pm

FARMER'S NOTEBOOK- Precision farming makes floriculture profitable

M.J. PRABU

The impact is felt in more than 500 acres in and around the village

Better prospects: E. Vadivel (left) with a rose farmer at Denkanikottai, Hosur.

Media reports on failure in agriculture and statistics on farmers suicide rates “may be true in some parts of the country; but another unreported part of the story, is that for every farmer who kills himself, there are hundreds of successful farmers who are earning well under the Precision Farming System,” says Dr. E. Vadivel, Project Officer, Precision farming & Extension, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU), Coimbatore.

“Take the case of several hundreds of farmers practising Precision Farming (under the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, TNAU).

If one visits their fields and interacts with them, they can experience for themselves how the impression that agriculture is a not so profitable avocation seems false,” he reasons.

Guidance

Almost any crop can be cultivated under this system and a team of dedicated scientists guide the farmers at every step.

Though it sounds like a fairy tale given the present problems in our country’s agriculture scenario, a visit to Denkanikottai village at Krishnagiri, Tamil Nadu seems to substantiate Dr. Vadivel’s statement.

“Economically we are able to smile now. Our children attend private schools and we are able to earn some money. Thanks to the Precision system we save more than 60 per cent on fertilizers, weedicide, water, and electricity.

Earlier we lost our crops during heavy rains, but now we are assured of a good yield and not even one farmer faces loss,” says Mr. Nageswara Reddy, a farmer who earns more than Rs. 5 lakh from open field cultivation of dutch rose grown in his one acre under polyhouse. The impact is felt in more than 500 acres in and around the village.

Expenditure

Agriculture is no child’s play. If you calculate the investment spent on labour, pest protection, irrigation (electricity), it runs to lakhs of rupees, for a small farmer.

With lack of marketing facilities and fluctuating prices, farmers are literally in the dark, not knowing what to do.

Either they lease their lands or sell it as they have a family to take care of.

This is sadly the present condition of our country’s agriculture.

“It is a herculean challenge for scientists and universities to make farmers continue their cultivation. And they are prepared to do it only if they are assured of a good price for their produce,” says Dr. Vadivel.

“Though we come from a farming family we knew only three pest control measures and used them repeatedly. But all this changed with the project scientists visiting us.

They took classes for us, like school children, and taught us proper cultivation techniques and provided guidelines from supplying the seeds, crop protection strategies, in irrigation etc,” says Mr. Nageswara Reddy. A number of farmers in the village sunk borewells (some even sunk 11 borewells) in vain, to get water.

The cost

The cost of sinking a well works out to about Rs. 70,000.

“Think of a small farmer who sinks 3-4 wells? In fact the project saves the government and the farmer from wasteful expenditure. We are able to save more than 60 per cent expense on weedicide, pesticides, water and electricity because of this project,” says Mr. Rama Reddy, rose farmer.

Initial apprehension

Initially the farmers were sceptical as to how scientists could help them. But now “We see the difference, in terms of better yield, more income. If not for the precision project, several of us would be wallowing in difficulty,” says Mr.Ananda Reddy, another rose farmer. At present the farmers sell their rose bunches for Rs. 60 (one bunch) which in turn is sold for Rs 120 at the Bangalore market.

The farmers want the Government to establish a flower auction market either at Hosur, Royacottah, Kelamangalam, Berkari, or Tali (nearby areas) as now they depend on middlemen for selling their produce to far away places. For more information contact Mr. Nageswara Reddy, Sarapapalli village and post, Denkanikottai TK, Hosur, Krishnagiri District – 635114. Mobile: 93451 72574 and Dr. E. Vadivel email: ev@tnau.ac.in, Phone : 0422 6611383, Fax: 0422 6611370.