This farmer sees green shoots even on dry land

A good number of farmers in Pappampatti belt of Coimbatore’s Palladam taluk have given up vegetable cultivation - for which the area was once known for – because of the persistent dry spell and acute water shortage in that belt.

However, one farmer – Balasubramaniam sees green shoots in agriculture in that belt, literally.

He is a progressive farmer and mentor to many others in that area. Since 1984, he has steadily consolidated his holding from 5 acres to 100 acres at present.

If dry spell and water scarcity were the reasons for the villagers to give up agriculture, Balasubramaniam thought otherwise. He went in for mulching on 30 acres to conserve water about three years ago. Now that has started to pay off.

"The Government is offering 50 per cent subsidy for mulching, but not many are aware of this. It costs ₹20,000 an acre and 50 per cent of this is given as subsidy," he told Business Line during a recent visit of his farm.

"Mulching helps conserve water and fertiliser requirement; there is no problem of weeds and labour requirement is also not much," he explained.

Stating that he has not undergone any formal education or training till recently, this farmer, who is basically a producer of seeds for crops such as greens (keerai) – both red variety and Solanum nigrum (manathakkali) and broad beans (avarai), he also cultivates pandal vegetables such as snake gourd, ridge gourd, ivy gourd (Coccinia grandis) and bitter gourd.

He is one of the two farmers selected in that block by the Farm Varsity here for training in pandal vegetable cultivation under the National Agricultural Development Programme.

And like any other farmer, problems are aplenty for Balasubramaniam too. ‘Vegetable rates have hit rock bottom levels this year. The Government should extend some support by announcing a minimum support price,’ he said.

However, he has not lost hope on seed production.

"The Tamil Nadu Government is not offering any support price for production of seeds. I offload the entire quantity of seeds produced in Kerala. Ten years ago, the Kerala Government procured one kilo of greens seed (red variety – Arun) at ₹250. (The seed yield per acre is 400 kg. The offer rate has doubled to ₹500/kg now; bitter gourd seeds are procured for ₹1,000/kg and the seed yield is 200 kg. These are neither labelled nor hybrid seeds," he added.

Despite the adversities, Balasubramaniam is seeing green shoots even on dry land.

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