M.N.Kulkarni and Prakash Bhat.
Shri Nagappa Athergunchi, a farmer belonging to Kamplikoppa village in Hubli taluk of Dharwad district is one of those who is reaping immense benefits by following LEISA system of farming. Nagappa despite owning 2.5-acre land, was depending on farm labour for his livelihoods, sometime back.. He was struggling to meet the family requirements. Lack of resources to take up soil and water conservation measures, agroforestry systems and lack of awareness regarding low cost, low external input sustainable agricultural practices forced Mr.Nagappa to give the land on share cropping basis. On this land, only pearl millet, hybrid sorghum, hybrid cotton, cowpea, green gram were grown. Practices like mixed cropping and crop rotation were never followed. He did not own any livestock and sold fodder. As a result he did not recycle biomass and apply organic manure. The dependency on chemical fertilisers was therefore, high. He was using 100 – 150 kg DAP and 50-100 kg Urea per year. Dependency on fuel wood too was high. Nagappa was earning his livelihood, working as farm labour along with his wife, for nearly six months in a year. Many times he migrated to other areas in search of employment.
The Transfer of Technologies for Sustainable Development (TTSD) project of BAIF, an NGO working in that area, identified Nagappa in 1997, for promoting sustainable agricultural practices on his farm. SHGs were formed in the village where Nagappa was an active member. The project supported him with inputs such as Sapota and mango seedlings, ten to twelve species of forestry seedlings, earthworms to start vermicomposting and in field bunding efforts. He also participated in study tours to BAIF campus at S.Lakkihalli, IGFRI farm at Dharwad and in various other training programmes pertaining to soil and water conservation measures, tree based farming systems and LEISA approaches. Following the support provided by the project, Nagappa started adopting various activities like tree based farming system, zero cultivation, vermicomposting, use of biological methods for pest and disease control, use of organic manures, crop rotation, biomass recycling etc.
Under the tree based farming practices, Nagappa planted fruit trees like sapota, mango, cashew, pomegranate, lemon, and Moringa plants. He also planted about 1200 forestry plants of different species on his 1.5 acre. Sapota and mango plants have started production. He adopted zero cultivation. He has also taken up biogas unit and vermicompost production. Mixed and multiple cropping system – fodder trees, fodder grass, horticulture trees and forestry trees in 1.5 acre upland improved the economic status of Nagappa.
Growing of fodder grasses such as Stylosanthes hamata, Bracharia sp. (signal grass), guinea grass etc., helped him to maintain two crossbred cows. The cows are stall fed in the farm itself. The costs incurred by Mr.Nagappa in maintaining the cows are for cutting the grass and feeding them. The dung produced by the animals is used in the biogas unit. The slurry and the remaining fodder is diverted to the vermicomposting pit located in the backyard. Vermicompost is being applied to the field. Nagappa has completely stopped purchasing chemical fertilisers and pesticides. The forestry plants planted during the year 1997 have started producing enough fuel wood and are a source of biomass to the land. These measures have helped in improving the fertility status of the soil. Thus, the fodder and fuel needs are being totally met from his own farm.
To make use of abundant fodder available during rainy days, Nagappa generally buys livestock at Rs. 3000-5000 (usually 2), that are milking but debilitated. The family consumes some milk and sells the remaining quantity. As the condition of the animals improve they are also artificially inseminated. Then they are sold for high prices ranging between Rs.10000-18000 per animal. As fodder is coming from the farm, this can also be considered as income from the farm. This is how he integrates livestock into his farming system.
Nagappa has started to reap the fruits of low cost, sustainable agricultural practices. The input costs have gone down drastically as the only input which is purchased is the hybrid seeds from the market. The rest of the inputs- vermicompost, organic manure, fodder, fuel wood etc are being produced on the farm. He does not incur any cost of ploughing or harrowing the land as zero cultivation has been adopted.
After three years of adopting LEISA practices, on an average, Nagappa earns Rs 20000/- per year from his land. Now, that the Sapota and mango plants have started yielding, his earnings since two years now stands at Rs. 50000/ year. Earlier he used to spend around Rs. 5000/ year towards watering of fruit plants. But now the family labour is fully involved particularly for activities like basin preparation for fruit plants and pruning of forestry species.
The food grains produced in the one-acre low land are used for home consumption, thus ensuring food security. When all the fruit trees start production, the income is expected to double.
Financially, what Nagappa earns today is higher, even if the opportunity cost of labour is taken into account. (as a farm labour he could have earned Rs. 7000/- to 8000/-, in six months at Rs. 40/ day). Finances apart, the social status which Nagappa has earned by working on his own land, cannot be quantified in terms of economics. “The days of going to rich farmers for want of labour are over. Now, I am in a position to help others in need” says Nagappa confidently.
Kamalavva, Nagappa’s wife, is proud to be a part of this success story and says, “There was no recognition to my family before joining the project. Workload increased during the initial years for activities like watering trees in the summer season. But there have been a lot of benefits too”. In fact, Kamalavva feels that the drudgery is now reduced as enough fuel wood is produced for the household. Thus the project intervention helped her to have clean kitchen, biogas, toilet etc. Moreover, the support and motivation provided by the project has helped her gain confidence. Now, she is an elected President for the Executive committee of the Sujala watershed project in the village.
The farm also contributed a lot for the promotion of LEISA activities among the farmers within and around Kamplikoppa village. About 25 farmers in the village are adopting 0.02 to 0.03 ha land under zero cultivation and growing only fodder apart from growing fodder on bunds. Nagappa’ s brother, Shri Shivappa has adopted zero cultivation in his 0.4 ha land. In order to promote and popularize this concept, the villagers have formed a group called “Nandini fodder growers association” and have organized fodder festival to motivate the other farmers.
His farm has become a model for zero cultivation and efficient energy recycling – fodder fed to cows, dung goes to the biogas, slurry is composted (vermicomposting) and comes back to the field. Many farmers and officials from NGO and government used to visit his farm regularly and interact with him. This itself has given him a special place and status in his village.
M.N.Kulkarni, BAIF, Hemanth nilaya, 5th cross, Vijayanagara, Devanur road, TUMKUR-572102.
Ph- 0816- 2279068 (Res), 0816-2292191 (office)
Dr.Prakash Bhat, Addl Programme Director, BAIF, Kusuma nagar, Kelageri road, Dharwad.
Phone: 0836-2774622, email: bhatps@gmail.in, baifdwd@sancharnet.com
