Success Story : Farmers are continuously experimenting in the field of agriculture. By using modern technology, farmers are producing abundantly. The stubbornness of the farmers supported by the government’s schemes bring about radical changes in the fields. Ditto successful farmers has grown pomegranate and cilantro orchards on rocky slopes. He has also successfully farmed crops like kale, onion and ghewda.
Gopal Kadam is a farmer from Warkari family of Satalwadi village in Purandar taluka. A 1986 graduate, Gopal Rao opted for agriculture instead of a job. Actually, government job opportunities were easily available during that time. As he himself said, at that time a teacher was paid between one and a half to two thousand rupees and a good position employee in a bank was paid up to 6 thousand. But, as they were getting more than that amount of income from their few hundred or two hundred Mosambi trees, they decided to do agriculture.
Some of Gopal Kadam’s ancestral land was under cultivation. They used to grow crops such as vegetables, pulses, mangosteen. But the 6.5 acres of land near the hill was barren, rocky, and barren. Gradually he started developing this land. Agriculture cannot be done without a reliable supply of water. So they dug a well in 1999 to 2000. Nearly 6 thousand feet of PVC pipeline was laid to bring water to the newly developed fields and started cultivation. At that time, crops such as bajri, sorghum, matki, hulaga, onion and a small amount of turmeric were cultivated. Planted some pomegranate trees.
Farms from National Horticulture Campaign
Due to well water, agriculture could be done even eight months. Then a group of six-seven farmers decided to take collective farms from the National Horticulture Mission (NHM). With a grant of Rs 3 lakh 25 thousand, a farm measuring 34 meters by 34 meters by 4.7 meters in length, width, height and storage capacity of 50 lakh liters was created. As drip irrigation technique is used for all crops, 25 acres of farm is watered by this farm. At that time, a subsidy of 49 thousand rupees was also received for the drip irrigation system. Due to the sustainable availability of water during periods of need, special emphasis was placed on orchard cultivation of pomegranate and sitafal. During 2016 Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme sanctioned Rs 20 thousand subsidy for Sitafruit cultivation. 225 sitafal trees were planted from it. The previous pomegranate trees had to be removed as they became old. Then again 450 trees were planted in 2017-18 and again 150 trees were planted in 2021.
Maximum adoption of biological methods in agriculture
Gopal Kadam adopts organic method for fruit and vegetable crops. The amount of chemical fertilizers and pesticides has been kept as low as 20 percent. Cow dung, urine, jaggery, jivamrit spray made from dal flour, neem extract spray. To prepare compost, dung, manure, chicken manure, bonemeal, sugarcane press mud are deposited in the field and PSB, NPK bacteria are released on it for nitrogen, phosphorus, palash stabilization. These fertilizers are applied to each plant and bacterial insecticides and fungicides are used to control pests and fungi. A low intensity Bordeaux mixture, a biological insecticide is prepared at home. The advice of the officers and employees of the Department of Agriculture is available from time to time.
Income of 3 lakh 50 thousand rupees from 225 Sitaphal trees
On 4500 pomegranate trees, each tree got 15 kg of goods in the first year. 80 to 180 rupees per kg was fetched in Pune’s Gultekdi fruit market. 8 to eight and a half lakh rupees was earned from it. After that, the third spring of these trees and the first spring of 150 newly planted trees have been taken. This year, the number of fruits per plant has been kept under control so that the size of the fruits remains large. An income of 3 lakh 50 thousand rupees was obtained in the fifth year from 225 sitafal trees of Phule Purandar variety planted in one acre area. The total cost of one tree including fertilizer is Rs 300 and the income is Rs 1.5 to 2.5 thousand.
He has grown the carrot crop on one acre area. Saswad and Dive vegetables are sent to the market for sale every day. It is also making a big profit. Gopalrao Kadam says that since his brothers are focusing on sales management, they have time to focus on the crops. This year the production of onion is also good and it is expected to be more than 80 tons. If the rate is more than 15 rupees, it will be a good profit, he says.
Gopal Kadam availed many schemes
Kadam benefited from schemes such as plantation of orchards from Rohyo, subsidy for drip irrigation sets, collective farms from NHM and purchase of tractor driven implements from Agricultural Mechanization sub-campaign under Krishi Unnati Yojana. 35 thousand rupees for rotavator, 23 thousand rupees for multi plough, 10 thousand rupees for electric pump in 2016. He has also received various awards for his various field experiments. Gopal Kadam’s example shows that it is not at all difficult to turn a loss-making farm into a profitable one if a planned effort is made to increase the income by limiting and reducing the expenditure on agriculture for sustainable income.
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