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Honey bee publish details |
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Organic Farming |
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Going Organic |
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One of the most arid and dry regions in India is the Kutch. And it is here, in the midst of the sun baked saline landscape, where one would find 42 acres of lustrous green land. Located in village Rayan, further South of Kutch, Gujarat, the farm is skirted with date palms. Fruits, vegetables and medicinal herbs are also grown.
Idiosyncratic as it may sound, but Vijay Shah, the owner of the farm has christened his date palms with names like Maska and Bootwala. The 42-year-old’ s passion for farming started in the year 1986, when he began tilling his ancestral land. Before this, he ran a publishing business. Dissatisfied with the business, he eventually gave in to farming.
The Change
Vijay Shah began farming by growing maize, watermelons, pomegranates, figs and dates. The chemical fertilisers and pesticides fetched him a bumper yield. It was five to six times more than the other farmers in the neighbourhood.
However the bounty was short-lived. Seven years later, the soil lost its fertility. Summer winds eroded the topsoil, while rainwater washed away the top fertile soil. It was a failed attempt to fidget with nature. To which Vijay says, “ Each one of us has to realise in life that failures are stepping stones to success.”
It was during this time that Vijay got involved in Vipassana (form of meditation). His guru’s advice changed his approach to farming, “If you are seeking peace, first see that your livelihood reflects it.” And it was after this that he realised he must look for alternative means to improve the farm yield.
Organic Beginning
His first step was to restore the natural fertility of the soil. Chemical fertilisers did not work. In July 1996, Vijay turned to organic fertilisers. The soil that had grown accustomed to chemical fertilisers needed micronutrients. Traditional fertilisers like cow dung were insufficient. He scoured the area and found a natural source of micronutrients, seaweeds. Seaweeds, which he got from the Gulf of Kutch, were dried in the sun and then cleaned. The weeds were powdered in a thresher. The powdered seaweeds were stored in polythene bags and sprinkled in both dry and liquid forms. Of eight tonnes of powder produced annually, Vijay used two and distributed the rest among other farmers.
The next three to four years saw no significant increase in the yield. To maintain biodiversity, Vijay began cultivating neem, mango, akado (Calotropis gigantea), thor, dudheli (Euphorbia hirta) and kanvar patho (Aloe barbadeniss), African dindhan, sarago and five-leaf chestatan.
Experiments
Vijay also experimented and learnt a great deal in the process. When insects like beetles attacked date palms, he poured hot water on the affected parts. It worked. Through observation he learnt the benefits of termites. Termites, unlike other insects, do not eat anything green. Instead they distribute dry soil and ventilate the roots.
Vijay imported certain seeds from Taiwan based AVRDC (Asian Vegetable Research and Development Center) between the years 1992 to 1994. He imported improved varieties of Mung beans from AVRDC. After which Vijay Shah partnered with a private seed company in Taiwan and bought super sweet corn and musk melons from them. Later however, he stopped importing seeds.
In a region that receives scant rainfall (a mere three inches), Vijay realised he had to conserve water. He built two ponds to store rainwater, and created channels for rainwater to flow into them. His perseverance finally began to bear fruit. The farm flourished and the soil became increasingly fertile and moist.
Much to his delight, he found that the annual yield of his small farm was much more than the farmlands that used chemical fertilisers. With chemical fertilisers, the yield of date palms decreased every year. In organic farming, however, the palms remained fruit bearing for many years. His wife, Kusum says, ‘When there is deep awakening within, the vision and path change for better.’
Aloe Business
In addition to experiments in organic farming, Vijay started processing Aloe Vera. It began, when one day he saw a tiny Kanvar Patho (Aloe barbadeniss) plant growing unaided near the gate of his farm. Vijay was aware of its manifold properties, and so he and his wife Kusum tried various ways to extract its juice. It took four years of research and several experiments to finally get the extract from the plant.
A Close Up of the New Tech Farm
Aloe Vera is grown and processed to produce a gel, which is supplied to cosmetic manufacturers in Mumbai and Delhi. It is also being exported to Turkey, Nigeria and Pakistan. Now efforts are being made to export Aloe Vera products to European countries. Today the entire 17-member Shah family is actively involved in the Aloe vera business. The family is intending on marketing an Aloe Health drink, which they feel, will find a very large market.
Symbiosis
Vijay recalls, “Prior to organic farming, it was tough as productivity declined, there were fertility and pest problems, and there was no guidance at all.” But the couple continued and decided on concentrating on Aloe vera and fresh dates and has now carved a market for these products.
Vijay draws inspiration from great philosophers and eminent thinkers around the globe. Among the books that have influenced him are Small is Beautiful, Third Wave and Gandhiji’s Gram Swaraj. Vijay and Kusum have two daughters, Jyoti and Dipti.
Vijay wanted to extend his knowledge and resources.He and other organic farmers started an informal organization called Kutch Sajivkheti Manch. Vijay invites people from all walks of life to stay and work in his farm.
A Gujarat delicacy, Khakra is made from the organically grown variety of local bajra or pearl millet, homemade ghee and organic sesame and cumin.
How They Farm
The crops at the farm are grown not with routine organic methods, but with innovative organic techniques. For instance, compost manure and shredded wood chips are added to the soil. Also a mixture of bone meal sprinkled with phosphoric culture (to ensure sustained release of phosphorus) and seaweed, together with green algae (sprinkled with sour buttermilk solution to unlock abundant supply of potassium and microelements) are added before final soil preparation, onto raised beds.
Cows and Green manure
Fertility and soil structure is maintained using the cultivar of Sesbania rostrata as green manure. The plant provides shade in summers and is mulched before and after monsoons. It is also a good source of natural nitrogen. Cattle feed on it as fodder. Fruits, grain, pulses, oil seeds, vegetables and medicinal plants grow around the Aloe plots. Cattle graze on them rotationally. Hence weeds are controlled and cows can feed on the grass rather than being fed in the stalls. The farm has eight cows (six milking), eight heifers, one bull and two bullocks. The cows are kept primarily for manure. The urine of the cow is also a valuable source of nutrients and is sometimes supplied through the irrigation system.
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| Volume No. |
Honey Bee, 14(3): 9 & 16, 2003 |
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