10 Ways Farmers Are Saving Water

Sustainability-minded farmers are looking ahead and using an arsenal of methods to conserve water. Here are just a few.

1. Drip Irrigation

Drip irrigation systems deliver water directly to a plant’s roots, reducing the evaporation that happens with spray watering systems. Timers can be used to schedule watering for the cooler parts of the day, further reducing water loss. Properly installed drip irrigation can save up to 80 percent more water than conventional irrigation, and can even contribute to increased crop yields.

Image courtesy : wikipedia

2. Capturing and Storing Water

Many farms rely on municipal water or wells (groundwater), while some have built their own ponds to capture and store rainfall for use throughout the year. Properly managed ponds can also create habitat for local wildlife.

Image courtesy :wikipedia

3. Irrigation Scheduling

Smart water management is not just about how water is delivered but also when, how often, and how much. To avoid under- or overwatering their crops, farmers carefully monitor the weather forecast, as well as soil and plant moisture, and adapt their irrigation schedule to the current conditions.

4. Drought-Tolerant Crops

Growing crops that are appropriate to the region’s climate is another way that farmers are getting more crop per drop. Crop species that are native to arid regions are naturally drought-tolerant, while other crop varieties have been selected over time for their low water needs.

5. Dry Farming

California dry farmers don’t irrigate, relying on soil moisture to produce their crops during the dry season. Special tilling practices and careful attention to microclimates are essential. Dry farming tends to enhance flavors, but produces lower yields than irrigated crops.

6. Rotational Grazing

Rotational grazing is a process in which livestock are moved between fields to help promote pasture regrowth. Good grazing management increases the fields’ water absorption and decreases water runoff, making pastures more drought-resistant. Increased soil organic matter and better forage cover are also water-saving benefits of rotational grazing.

7. Compost and Mulch

Compost, or decomposed organic matter used as fertilizer, has been found to improve soil structure, increasing its water-holding capacity. Mulch is a material spread on top of the soil to conserve moisture. Mulch made from organic materials such as straw or wood chips will break down into compost, further increasing the soil’s ability to retain water.  Farmers may also use black plastic mulch as a soil cover to suppress weeds and reduce evaporation.

8. Cover Crops

Planted to protect soil that would otherwise go bare, cover crops reduce weeds, increase soil fertility and organic matter, and help prevent erosion and compaction. This allows water to more easily penetrate the soil and improves its water-holding capacity. A 2012 survey of 750 farmers conducted by North Central Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education found that fields planted with cover crops were 11 to 14 percent more productive than conventional fields during years of drought.

9. Conservation Tillage

The Dust Bowl of the 1930s was created by a perfect storm of deep plowing and loss of perennial grasses followed by extreme drought and wind erosion. Conservation tillage uses specialized plows or other implements that partially till the soil but leave at least 30 percent of vegetative crop residue on the surface. Like the use of cover crops, such practices help increase water absorption and reduce evaporation, erosion, and compaction.

10. Going Organic

In a 30-year farm systems trial, the Rodale Institute found that corn grown in organic fields had 30 percent greater yields than conventional fields in years of drought. In addition to keeping many of the more toxic pesticides out of our waterways, organic methods help retain soil moisture. Healthy soil that is rich in organic matter and microbial life serves as a sponge that delivers moisture to plants. The trial also found that organic fields can recharge groundwater supplies up to 20 percent.

source:cuesa.org

Let the farmers cry, no one is willing to wipe their tears - By Devinder Sharma

This is a story which rarely gets to the front page headlines. This is a story which does not bring visibly angry TV anchors shout at the ruling party spokespersons for the government’s failure to bring down the soaring prices. This is a story of dried tears, when farmers in distress are left with only a Hobson choice – to throw away their produce in anger on the roads.

First the story of tomato. Prices of tomato had crashed across the country – from Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh to Maharashtra, to Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. Reports Financial Express (April 2, 2016): “A bumper tomato crop has led to a fall in the prices of tomato across Nashik and Pune districts in Maharashtra leading to despair among farmers who resorted to dumping the commodity on the roads in protest.” The Hans India published from Hyderabad (Feb 16, 2016) said: “Tomato growers in the Nalgonda district are in distress as prices have plummeted to as low as less than Rs 3 per kg due to a glut in arrivals.” If you noticed, the two news reports are spread over a three month period — February to April – when the tomato crop hits the market in central and south India.

If you think 2016 has been an unusually bad year for tomato farmers when over-production of tomato led to an unprecedented glut, hold your breath. The story is the same in the previous five years – 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012 and 2011. Let’s first look at a news report from The Hindu (Aug 13, 2015): Price drop – angry farmers throw away tomatoes. This report was Chikkamagaluru town in Karnataka. A year earlier, in 2014, The Hindu had reported: Crash in tomato prices comes as a shock to farmers  … while farmers in the villages of Tumkur district (in Karnataka) are getting 60 to 80 paise per kg of tomato, consumers in the city are buying it for around Rs 10 per kg. Another report in The Times of India (Oct 30, 2014) stated: Tomato prices have dropped to Rs 2 per kg from Rs 40 per kg in the Nashik (in Maharashtra) wholesale market over the past few days, triggering speculation of a state-wide cascading effect.

Remember the stock markets crash in August 2015 when Finance Minister Arun Jaitley assured the market nerves by saying the government is keeping a close tab, and attributed the crash to global factors. He held a press conference during the day and set up a group to monitor the developments. But when it comes to farmers, and that too when prices have been crashing year after year, I have never seen the Finance Minister step out to help the farmers in distress.

Coming back to tomato prices, I am aware that tomato is not a crop that has the capability to bring down an elected government but that is no reason to remain indifferent to farmer’s sufferings. The hard work a farmer puts in cultivating tomatoes gets ruined by an unexpected crash in prices. Economists may call it as an outcome of supply and demand situation but the question that needs to be asked is where is the fault of farmers who invested in tomato cultivation? This year, a large number of farmers in the tomato growing belt – extending to 10,000 hectares – in Bemetera district of Chhattisgarh had reportedly left the tomato crop unharvested as it was not even worth it to spend money on plucking and packaging.

The story of tomato price debacle was followed by a crash in the prices of onions. After three tumultuous years when onion retail prices literally shot through the roof forcing the government, following a media outcry, to take a number of steps to bring down the prices, there is no one this year to wipe the tears of the farming community. Even an overtly alert media, which starts screaming every time onion market prices go up by 25 to 30 per cent, remained conspicuously quiet when it came to onion prices dropping to as low as 30 paise a kg. The plight of onion farmers wasn’t enough to shake up the media, which otherwise remains hyper-sensitive to anything related to onion prices.

As early as in February, reports of onion prices on the downslide had started appearing. In Feb, The Times of India reported: “The average wholesale onion prices fell to a two-year low of Rs 700 a quintal at the markets of Nashik due to excess production. Prices had been steadily falling for a week now, heightening worries of farmers who cannot hold on to this perishable commodity till prices stabilize.” On April 13, India Today stated that onion prices had crashed to 30 paise a kg in Neemuch in Madhya Pradesh. And a few days back, on May 13, this Time of India had a more heart touching report: “Ravindra Madhikar is yet to get over the shock of earning only Rs 175 after selling 450 kg of small onions in the Lasur wholesale market. “I used to wonder why farmers take the drastic decision of ending their lives. But after Wednesday’s deal, I am also feeling suicidal.” Madhikar is an onion producer in his early thirties from Gangapur taluka of Aurangabad district in Maharashtra.

Image courtesy : thehindu.com

I can understand that this year onion is not bringing tears in the eyes of urban consumers but is that what the supply demand equation is all about? If the consumers get hit the media goes on an overdrive but when onion farmers suffer the media remains quiet. While this urban media bias is worrying the resulting indifference by the Ministry of Agriculture as well as the Ministry of Consumer Affairs remains baffling. A year before, in May 2015, the government had provided a corpus of Rs 500-crore for setting up a Price Stabilization Fund to support market interventions for price control of perishable agri-horticultural commodities during 2015-2017, I didn’t see any initiative to help the farmers in distress.

Since the Price Stabilization Fund is initially aimed at undertaking price control operations for onions and potatoes, I thought the crash in onion prices was a fit case to help onion farmers to be paid the difference between the selling price and the market price. But I soon realized this is not the intended objective of the Price Stabilization Fund. It’s only objective is to procure onions directly from farmers or farmers organizations at the farm gate or mandi levels at the time when inflation is inching upwards so as to make it available cheaper to the consumers. But when the prices crash, farmers are left alone so as to allow them to quietly wipe their tears.

source: abplive.in

Status of Ground Water : Extraction exceeds recharge

On May 5th, Members of Parliament in Lok Sabha discussed the situation of drought and drinking water crisis in many states.  During the course of the discussion, some MPs also raised the issue of ground water depletion. 

Image courtesy : wikipedia

In light of water shortages and depletion of water resources, this blog post addresses some frequently asked questions on the extraction and use of ground water in the country.

Q: What is the status of ground water extraction in the country?

A: The rate at which ground water is extracted has seen a gradual increase over time.  In 2004, for every 100 units of ground water that was recharged and added to the water table, 58 units were extracted for consumption.  This increased to 62 in 2011. Delhi, Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan, saw the most extraction.  For every 100 units of ground water recharged, 137 were extracted.

In the recent past, availability of ground water per person has reduced by 15%.  In India, the net annual ground water availability is 398 billion cubic metre. Due to the increasing population in the country, the national per capita annual availability of ground water has reduced from 1,816 cubic metre in 2001 to 1,544 cubic metre in 2011.

Rainfall accounts for 68% recharge to ground water, and the share of other resources, such as canal seepage, return flow from irrigation, recharge from tanks, ponds and water conservation structures taken together is 32%.

Q: Who owns ground water?

A: The Easement Act, 1882, provides every landowner with the right to collect and dispose, within his own limits, all water under the land and on the surface. The consequence of this law is that the owner of a piece of land can dig wells and extract water based on availability and his discretion. Additionally, landowners are not legally liable for any damage caused to  water resources as a result of over-extraction.  The lack of regulation for over-extraction of this resource further worsens the situation and has made private ownership of ground water common in most urban and rural areas.

Q: Who uses ground water the most? What are the purposes for which it is used?

A: 89% of ground water extracted is used in the irrigation sector, making it the highest category user in the country. This is followed by ground water for domestic use which is 9% of the extracted groundwater.  Industrial use of ground water is 2%. 50% of urban water requirements and 85% of rural domestic water requirements are also fulfilled by ground water.

Figure showing surface water use and ground water use for irrigation. Pic: PRS

The main means of irrigation in the country are canals, tanks and wells, including tube-wells. Of all these sources, ground water constitutes the largest share. It provides about 61.6% of water for irrigation, followed by canals with 24.5%. Over the years, there has been a decrease in surface water use and a continuous increase in ground water utilisation for irrigation, as can be seen in the figure alongside.

Q: Why does agriculture rely most on ground water?

A: At present, India uses almost twice the amount of water to grow crops as compared to China and United States. There are two main reasons for this. First, power subsidies for agriculture has played a major role in the decline of water levels in India. Since power is a main component of the cost of ground water extraction, the availability of cheap/subsidised power in many states has resulted in greater extraction of this resource. Moreover, electricity supply is not metered and a flat tariff is charged depending on the horsepower of the pump. Second, it has been observed that even though Minimum Support Prices (MSPs) are currently announced for 23 crops, the effective price support is for wheat and rice. This creates highly skewed incentive structures in favour of wheat and paddy, which are water intensive crops and depend heavily on ground water for their growth.

It has been recommended that the over extraction of ground water should be minimized by regulating the use of electricity for its extraction. Separate electric feeders for pumping ground water for agricultural use could address the issue. Rationed water use in agriculture by fixing quantitative ceilings on per hectare use of both water and electricity has also been suggested. Diversification in cropping pattern through better price support for pulses and oilseeds will help reduce the agricultural dependence on ground water.

source:http://indiatogether.org

Meet Amla Ruia: The Woman Who Brought Water To Hundred Villages In Rajasthan

Amla Ruia known as ‘Water Mother’ brought water to hundred villages in Rajasthan through her initiative. Here is her story.

Image courtesy : wikipedia

While most of us take water for granted, we can never truly understand the hardships people face in using it to make a living. Farms in Rajasthan are usually dry because of the area’s sweltering heat and baring sunrays, yet with the help of one Indian activist, these farmers’ lives just got exceptionally easier.

Amla Ruia was motivated to support the villagers who suffered from the severe drought. She said, “I saw the government providing water tankers to meet the water needs of the villagers. But I thought to myself that this was not a sustainable solution…there must be a more permanent solution that could help the farmers in the long run,”

Image courtesy : thebetterindia.com

After seeing the struggle that the people of Rajasthan were going through, Amla had to take action. “Rajasthan farmers are among the poorest in the country. Using rain water harvesting technology to alleviate the situation seemed like a good choice. It was important to involve the local community and engage them to make our model more sustainable,” she said.

This is when the Aakar Charitable Trust came into the picture. She founded this organization to build check dams (i.e. small, temporary dams) for villages to provide water security. With these dams, water was able to be caught just like a large dam, but more cost efficiently.  Her first success was in the village of Mandawar, where two check dams were constructed.

The reason the Trust is so affluent is because they get each community on board with the idea of building the dams, this creates, essentially, trust between the organization and the citizens. It starts with the organization’s field workers contacting the individuals and spreading awareness of the drought situation, and how their problems could be solved easily, no strings attached. After that, a location for the dam would be decided and there would be no looking back. By the next monsoon, the dam would be constructed and everyone would be happy, thanks to Amla and ACT.

The villages in Rajasthan have completely transformed, from being dry and torrid to prosperous and hydrated. Women who had to walk miles to fetch water can now enjoy the facility we all take for granted. This was just the beginning to Amla’s journey in helping these villages. Now, Aakar Charitable Trust has constructed 200 check dams in 100 villages of Rajasthan, and has helped over 2 lakh people who earn a combined income of 300 crore per year.

Amla has also helped in the villages’ economies through diminishing emigration. “There is less migration to the cities now. Earlier, no one was ready to get their daughters married to the men living in these dry villages. That is not a problem anymore,” says Amla.

Amla Ruia, the “Water Mother,” has not stopped her environment expedition with her team as they hope to expand their positive effect to other states (most dams have been constructed in Rajasthan and Maharashtra), bringing liquid gold to all those who need it.

source: womensweb.in

Popularising SRI (The System of Rice Intensification)

Article courtesy : http://indiatogether.org

Meghnath Bhattacharya and Bijoo Toppo have won two awards at the 58th National Film Awards announced earlier this year. One of them is for Loha Garam Hai, on the ill effects of industrialization on environment, health and livelihood. The other one is for Ek Ropa Dhaan, declared the Best Film on Agriculture. 

The 26-minute film traverses the fields of Bihar to explain, educate and promote a new technology in paddy cultivation that the locals have given the name Ek Ropa Dhaan from which the film borrows its title. The film takes a look at the basic problem of food . the first of our survival needs - and points to a way of solving the problem, known as the System of Rice Intensification (SRI), to boost agricultural yields. The advantages of this relatively simple technique is that it needs less fertilizers, seeds, insecticides, labour and most importantly, much less water than is needed in normal modes of cultivation. The water needed is only about one-third of what is used in the traditional system of growing paddy.

The opening frame of the film shows a green farming field, with a voice-over explaining the acute scarcity of food, mainly among the farming population. One of the farmers interviewed in the film says that most farmers produce less than subsistence levels and can barely live for three months out of what they normally produce. The Ek Ropa Dhaan technique has bettered their lives in a significant way. This farming method was introduced by a Catholic priest, Father Henri de Laulanie, in Madagascar, around 25 years ago. 

The exorbitant prices of fertilizers, seeds, irrigation, electricity and labour have adversely affected any possible profits from farming. However, an increase in productivity does not always require higher investment. Farm yields can be enhanced by improving the methods of cultivation - and this is precisely what the film points out.

One striking feature is the proliferation of the woman's voice throughout the film. Kunti Devi, who has adopted this method for her farm, smiles into the camera and proudly claims how numerous farmers took her example to adopt the SRI method and got very good results. There are dozens of rural women who not only look after their own farms but also spread the message and help. 

In India alone, farmers in more than 100 districts have begun using the SRI method. In Gaya district, Bihar, this method of cultivation has taken the form of a mass movement. The whole district is reverberating with different sections of the people discussing SRI and the success stories of many women, who have adopted this method. More than 35 countries have adopted this revolutionary method of paddy cultivation. 

Some important features of the SRI method are:

• The paddy seeds have to be treated before sowing. 
  
  
• For each acre of cultivable land, four nursery beds of 20 x 4 ft each have to be prepared. 
  
  
• 18-15-day old seedlings are transplanted using this new technique 
  
  
• The principle of one seedling per hill is used in the transplantation lending it 
  the local name of ek ropa dhaan. 
  
  
• 10-12-inches are maintained from plant to plant, and row to row. 
  
  
• A specially designed weeder is used for the weeding.

These methods are explained in detail graphically as well as through voice-overs and interviews with an agricultural scientist, a district magistrate, an agricultural activist and other pioneers who are working to help small farmers make a living with dignity. Instead of first educating and persuading the big farmers to use this technology, this movement begins from the small and marginal farmer and moves upwards where big landowners and farmers take the example of practicing the method of cultivation. 

The SRI technique of paddy cultivation can go a long way in providing an effective answer to the challenges of sustainable agriculture and addressing food security concerns. 

Our ancestors worshipped food, and did not see it merely as a commodity to be sold in the market. Today, however, agriculture in India is passing through a crisis. Farming has become a loss-making proposition. Ek Ropa Dhaan shows one way of resolving this crisis. Scientists, agriculturists and others are convinced of the effectiveness of SRI method. This method of root intensification has also been successfully introduced in other crops such as wheat, sugar cane and vegetables. 

The film is aesthetically expressive too without being too pedantic or filled with advisory oratory. The visuals capture the beautiful mosaic of Nature blue skies and green fields - and local women in colourful cotton saris, their hair sprinkled with vermillion dotting the picturesque canvas beautifully. The music track runs like a living constant throughout the film. The commentator often retreats to allow local voices to express themselves freely in their local dialect. Towards the end, the music of a popular Bengali folk song famously sung by the Indian People's Theatre Association long back fills the sound track meaningfully because it is a farmers' song. 

The film drives home the point that an increase in productivity does not always require higher investment. Farm yields can be enhanced by improving the methods of cultivation. That changing the method of cultivation from broadcasting to transplanting will dramatically change the yield of paddy is common knowledge today. 

The citation from the jury said "A succinct and well-researched film that looks closely at an innovation in the farming of rice." What do the directors have to say? "It is nice to get national recognition," beamed Biju Toppo, also a cinematographer. Meghnath adds, "It is more important to spread the message. Our films have been screened by universities in Germany and Denmark, but Ranchi University didn't bother. This could be a very good film for use in agricultural colleges and institutes of agricultural technology." 

source: indiatogether.org

Thought...

A new PPP model for smallholder agriculture (An article from The Indian Express)

While a lot of media attention has focused on rural distress arising from back-to-back droughts, even linking these to policy distortions encouraging water-guzzling cropping practices, there hasn’t been much reporting on certain basic changes in India’s agricultural landscape over the past two decades. The most obvious reason being their gradual pace, unlike natural calamities like droughts and hailstorms that are sharp, pointed events with instant news value.

Image & Article courtesy : The Indian Express

Of the most significant changes is the composition of farm produce. About two decades ago, some three-fourths of the value of India’s agricultural GDP was constituted by staples like cereals, pulses and oilseeds. But today, that share has diminished to a fourth; the balance is largely accounted for by so-called high value agriculture (HVA) produce that include horticulture, livestock, fisheries and fibres.

Significantly, it is small holders who cultivate less than five acres — the average size of Indian farms is just over 2.8 acres — who have invested heavily in HVA. Their share in the supply of HVA produce has registered steady increase. It attests to their ability to adapt to demand and compensate for smaller size of holding through producing crops that generate more value per acre.

Small holdings may be a constraint to achieving higher productivity, but there have been attempts to overcome this through a movement of producers’ aggregation. This new model of ‘PPP’ or people-to-people partnerships is yielding positive outcomes.

Over a thousand farmer producer organisations (FPOs) have registered across the country in recent years, with their numbers growing every day. These new generation collectives are learning to overcome the constraints endured by the earlier wave of agricultural cooperatives, which clearly failed to deliver on the promise of empowering farmers. The fresh effort at aggregation through FPOs has been boosted by stronger legislation enshrined in the Companies Act — as opposed to the various state-level cooperative laws —which guards against the political and bureaucratic capture of these institutions.

Two examples are worth mentioning.

The first one is a small project started in the early 1990s by an NGO, PRADAN, in Kesla block of Madhya Pradesh’s (MP) Hoshangabad district to aggregate tribal women poultry producers. It has blossomed into a commercial venture spanning MP, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Odisha, clocking revenues of Rs 286.92 crore last year. This unique cooperative enterprise has over 9,000 women shareholder-members, each provided assistance to set up a poultry unit of 400-1,000 birds. By locating 30-40 farms within a tight cluster, the enterprise is able to achieve production and cost efficiencies one might see in industrial-scale farms. Commercial viability has further been ensured through a vertically integrated supply chain: The cooperative owns a state-of-the-art hatchery producing 8 million chicks per year and a modern feed unit, apart from providing management, financial and veterinary support services to its members.

The integration of the production chain has helped de-risk the enterprise’s women poultry rearer-members from marketing and financial volatility inherent to agricultural markets. The cooperative plans to expand by enrolling 20,000 women-farmers through its model that has proven to be viable, scalable and inclusive. Though the model’s backbone has been the hardworking woman poultry producer, PRADAN’s professional approach and committed cadre of workers are equally responsible.

A similar success story, with an even larger membership of one lakh-plus farmers, to be cited is that of the Madhya Bharat Consortium of Producer Companies (MBCPC). This is an apex-level producer company promoted by 49 FPOs in MP, with support from another committed NGO, the Bhopal-based Action for Social Advancement. In its first full year of operations ended March 2016, MBCPC recorded a turnover of Rs 69 crore and is targeting Rs 100 crore in the current fiscal.

MBCPC has, in the past few months, procured over one lakh tonnes of pulses through its FPOs for government agencies. Besides, it has entered into two unique MOUs. The first is with EM3, a private agri-services provider to establish machinery banks for high-end farm equipment that can be custom-hired by MBCPC’s farmers as per need. The second MOU is with the Jawaharlal Nehru Agricultural University at Jabalpur to source breeder seeds of crops like cotton and soyabean for multiplication. The resultant certified seeds will be directly marketed to farmers by MBCPC at prices significantly lower than that of leading brands.

There are many such producer aggregation experiments happening in other states, too, enabled by NGOs and private sector firms. Government policy in agriculture is still largely focused on subsidies, whereas what the sector requires — especially with HVA today — is institutional innovation that gives producers access to capital, technology and markets. With an enabling environment, many of the tiny FPOs now coming up can grow to scale and offer a rural version of the Startup India story.

source:The Indian Express

Gujarat desi variety

மேற்கு தொடர்ச்சி மலை அடிவாரப் பகுதியில் 400 தடுப்பணைகள் கட்டி விவசாயி சாதனை

தேனி மேற்கு தொடர்ச்சி மலை அடிவாரப் பகுதியில் நிலத்தடி நீர்மட்டம் உயர 400-க்கும் மேற்பட்ட தடுப்பணைகளைக் கட்டி விவசாயி ஒருவர் சாதனை படைத்துள்ளார். 

தேனி மாவட்டம், மேற்குதொடர்ச்சி மலை அடிவாரத்தில் அமைந்துள்ளது கோம்பை கிராமம். இந்த கிராமம் மலை அடிவாரத்தில் இருப்பதால், மழை மறைவு (மழை பெய்யாத) பிரதேசம் என்றும் அழைக்கப்படுகிறது. இந்த கிராமத்தில் பல இடங்கள் வானம் பார்த்த பூமியாக கிடந்தது. சில இடங்களில் சோளம், கம்பு, கேழ்வரகு என மானாவாரி சாகுபடி மட்டும் நடந்து வந்தது. 

Article & Image courtesy : tamil.thehindu.com

இந்நிலையில், கோம்பை பேரூராட்சித் தலைவராக கடந்த 1996-ம் ஆண்டு தேர்ந்தெடுக்கப்பட்ட பி.ராமராஜ் என்ற விவசாயி, அப்பகுதியின் நிலத்தடி நீர்மட்டத்தை உயர்த்தி மானாவாரி சாகுபடி தவிர, மற்ற காய்கறிகளை சாகுபடி செய்ய, தமிழக அரசுடன் இணைந்து தற்போது வரை சிறியதும், பெரியதுமான நானூறுக்கும் மேற்பட்ட தடுப்பணைகளைக் கட்டி சாதனை படைத்துள்ளார். 

தள்ளாத வயதிலும் சுறுசுறுப்பு

74 வயதானாலும் இளைஞரைப் போல சுறுசுறுப்புடன் வேலை செய்து வரும் பி. ராமராஜ் ‘தி இந்து’விடம் கூறியதாவது:

கோம்பை மேடான பகுதி என்பதால், முல்லை பெரியாறு அணையில் இருந்து 18-ம் கால்வாய் வழியாக தண்ணீரைக் கொண்டு வரமுடியில்லை. இதனால் விவசாயம் பாதிக்கப்பட்டது. பல விவசாயிகள் பிழைப்பு தேடி, வேறு மாவட்டங்களுக்குச் செல்லத் தொடங்கியது எனக்கு வேதனை அளித்தது. 

இதற்கு மாற்று ஏற்பாடு செய்ய நினைத்த நேரத்தில், அரசு 1997-ம் ஆண்டு நதி நீர் பள்ளத்தாக்கு திட்டத்தை, தேனி மாவட்டத்தில் கொண்டு வந்தது. இந்த திட்டத்தில் கோம்பை பேரூராட்சியையும் சேர்க்க நடவடிக்கை மேற்கொண்டேன். இதனையடுத்து, செயற்கைக் கோள் மூலம் கோம்பை பகுதி வரைபடம் தயாரிக்கப்பட்டது. இதில் மேற்கு தொடர்ச்சி மலை அடிவாரப் பகுதியில் ஓடைகளை கண்டறிந்து, அதன் குறுக்கே எனது பதவிக் காலத்திலேயே 240 தடுப்பணைகள் கட்டப்பட்டன. மானாவாரி காடுகளில் நீரை தேக்க 1500 ஏக்கருக்கு மண் கரைகள் அமைக்கப்பட்டு பலப்படுத்தப்பட்டது. 

பின்னர், தேர்தலில் போட்டியிடாமல் மேற்குமலை தொடர்ச்சி மேம்பாட்டுத் திட்டம் என்ற சங்கத்தை தொடங்கி, அதன் தலைவராக இருந்துகொண்டு தோட்டக்கலை பொறியியல்துறை மூலம் ஆண்டுதோறும் 5 தடுப்பணைகள் வீதம் 10 ஆண்டுகளில் 50 தடுப்பணைகளும், வனத்துறை மூலமாக 48 தடுப்பணைகளும், நமக்கு நாமே திட்டத்தின் கீழ் விவசாயிகள் பங்களிப்புடன் இரண்டு பெரிய தடுப்பணைகளும் என, இதுவரை 400-க்கும் மேற்பட்ட தடுப்பணைகள் கட்டப்பட்டுள்ளன. 

மேலும் 36 தடுப்பணைகள்

தற்போது தோட்டக்கலை பொறியியல் துறை மூலம் 36 தடுப்பணைகள் கட்ட திட்ட மதிப்பீடு தயாரிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது. இதற்கிடையில் மழைநீர் சேமிப்பு, மண்வள பாதுகாப்பு விவசாயிகள் சங்கம் என்ற மற்றொரு புதிய சங்கத்தைத் தொடங்கி சேதமடைந்த தடுப்பணைகளை அரசு உதவியை எதிர்பார்க்காமல், இதுநாள் வரை விவசாயிகள் பங்களிப்புடன் சீரமைக்கும் பணிகளை மேற்கொண்டு வருகிறோம். 

இப்பகுதியில் மானாவாரி விவசாயமே நடந்துவந்த நிலையில் நிலத்தடி நீர்மட்டம் உயர்ந்ததால், கடந்த சில ஆண்டுகளாக தென்னை, வாழை, கொத்தமல்லி என மற்ற பயிர்களும் விளைவிக்கப்பட்டு வருகின்றன.

வெளியூர் சென்ற விவசாயிகளும் சொந்த ஊருக்குத் திரும்பிவந்து விவசாயத்தில் ஈடுபட தொடங்கி விட்டனர் என்றார். 

நன்றி : தி இந்து

The Man From Andhra Pradesh Who Created Google Alerts, Is Now A Farmer

When Naga Kataru first joined Google, he never knew that he is going to create such a wonder for Google by being the pioneer of much known Google Alerts. Getting into the company was not easy for him but Google saw a spark in him and selected him as the 40th employee in the 110 employees Google. Kataru who was brilliant right from the start of his school. He grew up in Gampalagudem, a farming village in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. His father, the school’s principal, was determined to make his son attain a college education. So Kataru graduated with a college degree in computer science and engineering and then enrolled at the Indian Institute of Technology, in one of the country’s best computer science programs. 

Image courtesy : vikatan.com

When the idea of Google Alerts flashed into his mind, he faced tough resistance from his colleagues to implement it. When he presented the idea in front of his manager, the idea was discarded. “My manager didn’t like it,” said Kataru. “He said Google makes money when people come to us. If we set alerts, then we’re losing money because we’re sending people away from Google.” Kataru didn’t give up and presented the idea directly to Sergery Brin and Larry Page with a prototype and a simple user interface. There begun the journey of Google Alerts with billions of users. Kataru has three patents listed for Google Alerts. Working for Google for 8 years, Kataru felt uneasy and was eager to move with something else. Kataru left Google and jumped into completely new territories — documentary short films and improv theater. He applied to and was accepted into a directing program at Second City, the world-famous improv group, whose alumni include Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. Kataru’s thirst for education didn’t end here and his career took a new sharp turn when he took to farming. 

Image courtesy : turner

In 2008, he bought a 320-acre farm in Modesto, California. “I thought I would sell it after five years,” said Kataru. But the farm laid a deep emphasis on his heart and reminded him of his life in India. “I missed the way the fruits and flowers smelled differently in India,” he said. So he insisted on converting it into a profit generating almond farm instead of selling the money-losing farm. Naga had no idea of farming and that’s where his education stepped in. He taught himself and started generating revenues from the farm. Today the farm is employing 8 employees and generating a revenue of $ 2.5 million annually not only by growing almonds but by growing apricots as well. Kataru is all set to make farming technology driven.

 To achieve this target he is pursuing two degrees at Stanford — an MBA and an MS in Environment & Resources and preparing himself for the challenges ahead. “It’s ironic that even though there are farms just 90 miles outside of Silicon Valley, technology hasn’t been used much to improve processes and crop yields,” he said. “As a technologist, I think I can do something about it.”

source:thelogicalindian.com

Farm photographs

One single plant of Gujarati desi variety.

வறட்சியில் இரண்டு மடங்கு அறுவடை சாதித்த லாத்தூர் இயற்கை உழவர்

Article & image courtesy : The hindu

மகாராஷ்டிர மாநிலத்தில் இருக்கிற லாத்தூர், வறட்சியின் மையம் என்ற அடையாளத்தைப் பெற்று நாடெங்கும் உள்ள மக்களின் கவனத்தை ஈர்த்திருக்கிறது. இந்த ஊருக்கு மிக அருகே வசிக்கும் உழவர் சந்தீபன் பட்கிரே, இப்போது மும்முரமாக அறுவடையில் ஈடுபட்டிருக்கிறார். 

அதெப்படி முடியும்! நிலமெல்லாம் காய்ந்து வெடித்து, மக்கள் நீருக்காக அல்லாடுவதைப் பார்க்கிறோமே. ரயிலில் வரும் நீரை நம்பித்தானே மக்கள் நாட்களைக் கடத்திக் கொண்டிருக்கிறார்கள் என்ற கேள்வி வேகமாக எட்டி பார்க்கும். லாத்தூரின் நிலைமை என்னவோ, அதுதான். 

அந்த மாவட்டத்தின் சுற்றுவட்டாரப் பகுதிகளில் உள்ள விவசாயிகள் பயிர்களைக் காப்பாற்ற அவசர அவசரமாக ஆழ்துளைக் கிணறுகளுக்குத் துளைகளைப் போட்டு நீரை உறிஞ்ச முயற்சித்துக்கொண்டிருக்கிறார்கள். தொடர்ச்சியாகக் கடன் வலையிலும் வீழ்ந்துவிடுகிறார்கள். 

பாடம் கற்றேன்

“என் நிலத்தில் போர்வெல் கிடையாது. அப்புறம் மற்றவர்களைப் போல நான் கரும்பைப் பயிரிடவும் இல்லை” என்கிறார் சந்தீபன் பட்கிரே. அப்புறம் அவருடைய நிலத்திலிருந்து என்னதான் கிடைக்கிறது? அதுதான் விஷயமே. 

சந்தீபன் பட்கிரே ஒரு இயற்கை உழவர். பல்வேறு இயற்கை உழவர்களைப் போலப் பலபயிர் சாகுபடியில் நம்பிக்கை கொண்டவர். பலபயிர் சாகுபடியில் விளைச்சலுக்கு நிச்சயமான உத்தரவாதம் உண்டு. 1988-ல் சந்தீபனுக்கு 35 வயதானபோது, அவருடைய தந்தையின் 5 ஹெக்டேர் நிலத்தில் விவசாய வேலைகளில் ஈடுபட ஆரம்பித்தார். 

அப்போது லாத்தூரில் இயற்கை வேளாண்மை தொடர்பாக எந்தத் தகவலும் பரவலாகவில்லை. எல்லா விவசாயிகளையும்போலவே வேதி விவசாயம், உரம், பூச்சிக்கொல்லியையே சந்தீபனும் நம்ப ஆரம்பித்தார். அடுத்த ஐந்து ஆண்டுகளுக்கு வேதி விவசாயத்தில் ஈடுபட்டாலும், காலப்போக்கில் விளைச்சல் சரிவதையும், பூச்சிக்கொல்லிக்கான செலவு அதிகரிப்பதையும் சந்தீபன் உணர்ந்தார்.

மாற்றுப் பாதை

உள்ளூர் மராத்தி இதழ் ஒன்றில் இயற்கை வேளாண்மை பற்றி வெளியாகியிருந்த கட்டுரை ஒன்றைப் படிக்க அவருக்கு வாய்ப்பு கிடைத்தது; அது அவருடைய சிந்தனையைத் தூண்டிவிட்டது. புனேயில் நடைபெற்ற விவசாயிகளின் கூட்டங்களில் பங்கேற்றதுடன், இயற்கை வேளாண்மை தொடர்பாகவும் கூடுதலாக அறிந்த பிறகு அந்த முறையைக் கடைப்பிடிக்க அவர் முடிவு செய்தார்.

கிடைத்த குறைந்த தகவல்களை வைத்துக்கொண்டு 1993-ல் இருந்து 2000 வரை மானாவாரி விவசாயத்தையும் இயற்கை வேளாண்மையையும் பரிசோதித்துப் பார்த்தார். அவருக்குக் கிடைத்தது என்னவோ நஷ்டம்தான். இருந்தாலும் அதிலிருந்து அவர் விலகி நகர்ந்துவிட வில்லை. 2000-க்குப் பிறகு விஷயங்கள் மாற ஆரம்பித்தன. ஏழு ஆண்டு அவர் பாடுபட்டதற்குப் பலன் இருந்தது, நிலத்தின் உயிர் வளம் மேம்பட்டிருந்தது. அதற்குப் பிறகு சந்தீபன் ஓரடிகூட பின்னோக்கி நகரவில்லை.

விளைச்சல் சரிவில்லை

“என்னுடைய நிலத்தின் ஆரோக்கியம் குறைந்துவிடாமல் பாதுகாக்க ஊடுபயிர், பயிர் சுழற்சி முறையைப் பின்பற்றுகிறேன். மூன்று ஏக்கரில் துவரம் பருப்பு, இன்னொரு மூன்று ஏக்கரில் இருங்கு சோளம், மற்றொரு மூன்று ஏக்கரில் பச்சைப் பயறு ஆகியவற்றையும், இரண்டு முதல் மூன்று ஏக்கர்வரை சோயாபீன்ஸும் பயிரிட்டிருக்கிறேன்.

வேதி விவசாயத்தில் விளைச்சலில் நிச்சயமான சரிவு இருக்கும். ஆனால், என்னுடைய விளைச்சல் எப்போதும் சரிவதில்லை, அதிகமாகவே இருக்கிறது. நிலத்தின் வளத்தைக் கூட்டுவதற்குச் சாண உரத்தையும், பயிர்களுக்கான பூச்சிக்கொல்லிகளைத் தயாரிக்கக் கோமியத்தையும் பயன்படுத்துகிறேன்” என்கிறார் பட்கிரே. அத்துடன் ஓரளவு வறண்ட பகுதியான மாரத்வாடா பகுதிக்கு உகந்த புளிய மரம், கருவேல மரங்களைத் தன்னுடைய நிலத்தில் அவர் வளர்த்துவருகிறார்.

வறட்சியில் விளைச்சல்

இந்த ஆண்டில் ஏற்பட்டுள்ள கடுமையான வறட்சி காரணமாக, இந்த மாவட்டத்தின் பெரும்பாலான உழவர்கள் கடந்த இரண்டு பருவங்களாகப் பயிரிடவே இல்லை, பயிரிட்ட சிலரும் பயிரை இழந்துவிட்டனர். சந்தீபனுக்குப் பக்கத்தில் ஒரு ஏக்கர் நிலம் வைத்துள்ள விவசாயிக்குச் சோள அறுவடை பொய்த்துவிட்டது.

“அதேநேரம் வறட்சியையும் தாண்டி, ஒவ்வொரு ஏக்கருக்கும் தலா 100 கிலோ சோளம் விளைச்சலை நான் எடுத்திருக்கிறேன். வேதி விவசாயத்தில் கிடைக்கும் வெள்ளை கொண்டைக்கடலை அறுவடையைப் போல, இயற்கை வேளாண்மையில் நான் எடுக்கும் விளைச்சல் இரண்டு மடங்கு” என்று பெருமை பொங்க சொல்கிறார் சந்தீபன். 

நன்றி : தி இந்து