Background
Mr. Shanu M, 33 year old, from Karingannur in Kollam district, Kerala,( mobile 9633872300) a young Fire and Safety Officer who gave up his white collar job in Kolkata due to dissatisfaction in job and returned to his village in 2013. He tried to take up employment at Kollam but went vane as the work culture did not tune to his nature. He wanted to be his own boss and did not have the mind to work for others. More over the ambiance of his village always beckoned him back to his agricultural back ground. He realized that he got satisfaction in agriculture. According to him agriculture is a business with low investment and endless scope. Hence he started banana and vegetable cultivation on commercial scale in 2 ha of leased land. Though he got a bumper yield, the huge quantity of organic waste became a problem and he also realized that keeping all his eggs in one basket was a huge risk. So he approached Krishi Vigyan Kendra for a solution to his dilemma. As a first step he underwent 4 vocational trainings viz Organic Input Production, Terrace Farming, Wick Irrigation, Farm Machinery Operation and Vermin compost production. After the successful completion of these Capacity building programme he started organic input production at a small scale level utilizing funds from his own source as he was of the opinion that organic farming was the booming avenue. In his own words ‘ All persons are interested in organic cultivation in homesteads and terraces especially in urban and peri urban areas. There is a scope for the supply of organic inputs. As the town dwellers are in search of organic inputs especially organic manures and vermicompost for their cultivation’.
Interventions
Process: A series of vocational training and technical support
Shanu underwent vocational training on organic input production and marketing (15 days) in the Kendra under the project ‘Establishment of organic input production and marketing outlet funded by DoA,GoK during May 2015. He was exposed to the production and marketing of different organic inputs like coir pith and vermicomposts, growth stimulants, biofertilizers, bio pesticides, ready made vermin/ compost units and wick irrigation. Followed by a 5 day training on terrace farming which includes the establishment of scientific terrace gardens with vegetables and tubers, azolla, vermicompost units and poultry. He was also under gone ASCI training on Job role of Vermicompost producer. Based on this he started a small scale production unit for organic inputs viz vermicompost, fish amino acid, enriched goat manure and coirpith compost but when he approached the authorities to get license for marketing his produce he faced difficulty. These complexities sparked an idea to him that ‘without license how I can market my produce?’So instead of sale as inputs in a piecemeal manner he decided to sale it as a package. Joining him in his efforts were two other persons a doctor (Dr Alwin Raj) and an IT professional (Subin C Sudhakar). This was gneiss of Orgaayur Production Private Limited in the year 2018. The idea popularizing a package for terrace farming aspirants that includes pots with wick irrigation with different crops including vegetables, tubers, ginger, curry leaf (may change according to customer’s interest), drip or wick irrigation system, floor carpets, sprayer, manure kits and yellow sticky traps etc, he is marketing quality seedlings, organic inputs as quality potting mixture, organic inputs along with service. The company does not stops at just setting up of terrace units they monitor the garden set by them and offer maintenance of garden after one season at a cheaper rate ie., customer support on call. Club ‘organic farmers club-earth’ was initiated by them. In which organic farming is promoted by them (by trying to inculcate safe crop production practices). In addition to it they are venturing into new avenues of Aquaponics, Hydroponics, Vertical farming and micro greens as per customer demand. Now Shanu is planning to take license for marketing bio inputs like composts, organic growth stimulants, enriched manures for which he has undergone Certified course on Integrated Nutrient Management from Kerala Agricultural University and has applied for Diploma course for fertilizer dealers organized by MANAGE.
Technology
The technology support received from KVK Kollam-
- Safe production of vegetables, tubers and fruits in households
- Scientific production techniques of enriched organic manures, vermi and coir pith compost, organic growth stimulants, on farm and commercial production of azolla, AMF, bioagents and botanicals, scientific terrace farming, wick irrigation.
Impact
Horizontal Spread:
- Has set up 208 terrace vegetable garden all over Kerala
- Formed a group entitled organic farmers club which has a face book account with more than 4000 followers (link:www.facebook.com/OrgaAyur)
- Floated a company ORGAAYUR PRODUCTIONS PRIVATE LTD along with a doctor and an IT engineer which promotes organic farming and value addition. It provides services, guidance and materials for safe food production
- He is also maintaining a whatsaap group with his clients which includes 99 persons
- Sharing good agriculture practices through you tube, face book and instagram (www.instagram.com/p/ByUpMZAGcO)
- Social media content makers also supported his initiative by sharing his activities on their page resulting in wider reach.
Economic gains: Earning Rs 100000 per month
Employment Generation: Providing employment to 16 persons comprising of 6 office staff, 1 driver and 10 labourers
Timeline of Shanu
