Software Professionals Turned Farmers

[antony_pratap]

Wow- Venki

Wow Venki- to what you put down here, i can really imagine what you had gone thru- yes agriculture is not fun and easy as people think, but yes people here request for 2-3 acres of land, people nothing really can be done with that kind of land, if you want to do commercial a min of 10 acres to 20 acres and that too is for for agricutlure it's best to start with goat production emu or any contract farming take it really slow, grow stuff like coconut or fruit bearing check your soil to see what's best.

we can write pages but the simple advice is take is slow and one step at a time, i'm someone who is venturing into agriculture and i have planned to make it my bread winner not immediately but in about 2 -3 yrs meanwhile i have decided to spend all my weekend there ensuring that things are going to be going the righ way.

thaks for sharing your experience venki- forget cattle if you ask me that's no fun either goat or emu in contract basis is good well in 8 acres u can both that and u can start seeing profit in about 2 yrs and for both you can make projects and funds from NABARD.

anyways all the best people.

Antony
(Future Farmer)

 

[thirpaaa66]

From an another IT person...

Dear Mr. Venki,
I am also an employee of Infosys and basically from Pollachi. My father is a farmer and we are mid-size farmers. Since we are doing agricultural from last 40 – 50 years and still we are doing. Basically my father is spinning mill sider (That’s what I heard from my father).

My father’s hard work and planning gifted him 20 acres of dry land (hardly 1000 – 3000 rupees / acre) those days. Hardly had we got max 30,000 to 50,000 per year. That earning made me to do my post graduate and I became an IT profession. We sold nearly 15 acres of that land and bought 7 acres land with coconut trees (nearly 2.5 lakhs / acre) with very good water source and getting good income from coconut cultivation.

Still we have some 7 acres of dry land. And now we are converting that with coconut plantation.

Why I m saying all these stories is, agricultural is really a good and profitable business if you know the in and out and with curiosity.

Week end I go to my native and take care the outside works like purchasing fertilizers, seeds etc. I got very good relief from day to day projects schedule, client calls, delivery, Tokens, appraisal etc, etc…

If you people are having interest in agricultural with resources, Please do.

Today it mightn’t give benefit for you but definitely for your descendant.


Thanks,
Thiru

 

[tvbjagadish]

i wuld like to add my ideas for this thread

Hi Friends,

By seeing this thread,i can express my experience.Many of software employees grouping together and approaching us to purchase farm lands in and around of Andhra Pradesh/Hyderabad.We are actually in realtyebusiness.Yes u are right,getting small income with proper plan will give you peaceful income and stress free when compared to income earning as software engineer.

Getting small income with constant phase is also good income for future planning.My exp is some people will ask for land farming and some for appreciation.

My idea is ,purchasing farm land is good and at the same time plz look into the land appreciation.If you see these two points,your investment will not be wasted.Eitherway you will get benifit.If u want to sell, the land value all high if u purchase in good location.Like that we suggest people who want to purchase land for farming.We will provide customers in the same manner for giving benifit in both ways to customers.There are many oppertunities,those who want to invest in realty.

Thanks and Regards....Jagadish

 

[maheshraots]

Hello there,

Its good read the agri project of Mr. Venkat. Though its difficult task mr. venki has gone thru but its inspiring for all us.

When i joined job, I gave more interest to my parents property and planted Areca Nut and Coconut trees. Now they are 10 years old and started giving me fruits. We have total of 2.5 Acres and our profit is around 60K per year. Though this is not a good profit still I feel happy visiting our Farm. Its very relaxing and peaceful. I manage most of my work thru the pone in week days and in week ends I visit my farm.

I purchased one more agri land and same like Venki I did everything. Cleaning the land, making the land FLAT, dividing the land, putting fence, putting the borewell (got failed), taking electricity, constructing a house etc, etc.. I spent good money on that 5 acres land and finally I planted mango trees. Its 1.5 year now they are growing good.

Mr. Venki as others suggested, you can try Arecanut, coconut, mango, Teak tree or other farming like Emu farming, etc,

We can make good money in PADDY field but sometime NATURE plays with our life and we may incur loss.

This uncertanity is COMMON in agriculture. This is the reasons, farmer's life is difficult.

Regards,

Mahesh Rao

 

[patil123456]

hi to all
pls tel me where to get traing about new agri business,to whom i has to contact , im keep on searching for details.stil now i m not got any infornationif any body hve the info pls cal or send thje mail. mine mail id is .

 

[arumughams]

From the experience of Venky. One can understand the following.

1) One has to take up in small steps as there is lot of uncertainty and risk to handle
like Climate, Labour, Disease etc.,

2) If you take up in small you won't get much profit.

3) But it gives lots of pleasure to see things growing in the field. This can give
a tremendous mental satisfaction.

There is another point one can notice from Thiru's experience. It is a good
business to develop a waste land to a farm and sell the farm. We all should think about. The figure he has shown is really worth taking it as a business.

With regards,
Saravanan A

 

[jain_biz]

Correct Thiru. I am also from Pollachi. Now in US, i am concentrating on Dairy (My brother is managing)and we started a small in Kerala where we have some land...It is good to hear that pollachi infy man is also intrested in agri...Good Luck.

 

[thirpaaa66]

Agri...A profitable businees

Hello friends.
Thanks for your reviews. As Patil said, investing in dry lands to converting it into farms, is a good profitable business. One of my friends family in my village doing the same. They get the lands in cheap rates and by hardwork and plan they converts it into farms and sell the same with very good profit. As per my knowldge they have done the same 4/5 times. Now they are crorepathis but leading simple life. People who are really interest in agri and profit can follow this.

Regards,
Thiru

 

[arumughams]

Hi Thiru,

One request from me, Can you please talk to your friend to get the
steps they follow in converting the waste dryland to a farm. As you
are saying they have repeatedly done this for 5 times, They would have
standardized this process by now. Their experiences will be very much helpful
for others. Hoping reply from you.

Thanks & Regards,
Saravanan A

 

[thirpaaa66]

Agri...Profit business

For sure...I will take notice of my friends, ways to converting the dry lands into farm and post in this thread.

Regards,
Thiru

 

[ib_india]

Hi Venki,

That was a touching story! Indeed a clear casestudy!!!

I am also IT head working outside India. In the past 5 years i am also failing to manage a farm house with coconut trees because of as you mentioned people and the rainy weather as well!!! Now i dropped the idea and planning to sell the farm because my learning (as you mentioned) was if you are not on the field and its not so easy to get it done!!!

Wish you good luck!!!

Hi Guys!
Really interesting Thread. Well, Let me introduce myself first. I am Venkatesh working as Senior project Manager in Infosys. As you know everyday client call, project meeting, delivery schedule etc. I am just 33 and almost i have all problems in my body because of this stress. So i decided one year back that we need to do some business. So i selected Agri is my prime business. because i am seeing lot of potential area for the next 20 years.

For the same first i brought 8 acres of land in outskirt of chennai. Do you know how much struggle i faced

1) cleaning the area,
2) did fencing
3) made a hut
4) applied for electricity
5) digg bore
6) pipeline conenction etc etc.....

To get into the shape i spend moeny like anything , i can say lakhs and lakhs. Then only i relaised why farmers doing sucide... For each and everything i paid money for every department like VO, AD, Register etc.

Finally my land is ready for farming. So i decided to go with organice farming. I did a complete planning.

I went to agriculture department and brought a drum seeding machine - Hand move.

Very first time, i spreaded the seeds using this drum seeding machine and waited for 10 days... everything come properly but ... if paddy stawr grows for 2 inch... the cross is growing 5 inch. afetr 10 days.. i can't able to find out which one straw and which one paddy. So total floop.

Waitied for next season, now this time i went with regular method. This time i have put sufficient vitamins for my land. All my paddy straw grown well. I can say almost in arround 15 kms from my land.. my paddy straw was too good and grown well. every one in the town talking about my paddy starw. i did everything on time. i have taken care of medicine on time. So grown well. finally after 90 days i am seeing lots and lots of paddy grains in the straw.

I was so Happy that my project is success. i have to wait for another 20 days to do harvest. One fine day rain started. it was continues 4 days rain and all my paddy straw floating in the rain water. Inside i was crying liek anything. Not only because of money... money i can get that if i go one more time onsite. But the amount of hard work which i put in that was totally lost. so all the yellow grains are changed to black grains. finally i got some money.

As per my calculations i suppose to get 10k in one acre land. but i end up with 10k loss per acre plus my effort.

That's it i stopepd that day.. now it is more than 9 months i didn't do anything.. i am still thinking whether i should start a dairy cow farm in that land or goat form or thinking of cultivating casurina..

i have complete idea about all these things, but affriad to start. But surely i will start by next 3 to 3 months.

So what i want to convey here for the "Software Professionals" are Don't think that it is a easy business.

1) getting labour is a big problem. That too, if they think that you have money that's it they will suck you rblood liek anything.
2) You can't do pilot project or POC before doing this business.
3) on the field you have to jump and you have to learn, There is no NIIT,CSC or Aptech is there an doffcourse No Google is there to help you. You have to help yourself always.
4) On top of that you have to have Luck & god blessings.

5) To my understanding, i don't know how come they derived 24% ROI. The margin is less so if you decided to put your effort put it in the large size so that you will get very good amount.

Example.
1) In one cycle if eevrything goes fine minimum 5000 maximum 10000 you will get per acre.
IF you do it for 100 acres which is 5 lacs to 10 lacs per cycle. Per cycle meas end to end 4 to 5 months.

So what ever you are earning in IT , you can get the same in Agri too provided if you do it large size.

Always Poor agri man,
Venki.

 

[sands]

On Professionals into Agriculture

Guys:

It is not only IT professionals who seek Agriculture as an opportunity but die hard professionals with IIT/IIM and CA background who make over 4-5 million a year.

Anyone who wants to pursue agriculture seriously first will have to have a passion for it. It requires tremendous amount of patience, perseverence and hard work to make things happen. Guys, you are used to project management in IT. You are aware how you find it difficult to hand educated subordinates in trying to understand a process before they step into coding. The mindset of the farm hands are a lot different. The dynamics are different.

You will have to spend precious time in seeing how thing work at various farms. Look at and process followed, the practices followed and look beyond the normal process to refine some of the practices. That is where the challenge is.

You should be willing to experiement with various formats. Agri management has essentially the following components:
1. Soil preparation
2. Soil management
3. Crop selection
4. Seed selection
5. Crop planting and management
6. Pest control
7. Water management
8. Fertiliser appplication
9. Weed management
10.Harvesting
11. Marketing.

In all the above, there are inefficiencies. You will have to choose techniques which suit the local farm hands to adapt themselves.

The process is typical of any project management techniques. Only thing in agriculture is that you are at the mercy of nature.

Mechanisation is possible if the holdings are large. Water management techniques can be best implemented in large holdings.

Thumb rule today is that you can make around say 25-30K net in an acre if you have water. Some long term plants lime the casurina give a return of about 75-80K in 30 months with just the initial 6 months of effort. It is not very water intensive to cultivate it.

My own experience shows that if you give your best, you get the best. Just to conclude, we are half a dozen professionals who do farming along side our profession/job. It is just that we incorporate effective management practices built over the years.

End of the day, you sweat it out to get the best out of agriculture. Guys living for large part of your time in Airconditioned atmosphere, you will have no choice than to shed some sweat if you want it to make it big in agri.

There is tremendous opportunity available in the long run. Nothing succeeds like food business. You will have to feed the business with your produce. That is where the magic is.

 

[dvenkat77]

Hi Sands,

Admitted..... Each and every word is perfect....

Cheers!
Venki

 

[shanmuga06]

It professionals likes Agriculture

Dear all members,

I am welcome everybody to this site.The it people are switch over to the agriculture its a nice and great one.And also its a miracle.So what we know that their orgin was agriculture.I am also invited as an intensive agriculturist all it people to the world of Agriculture,Horticulture,Arboriculture,Silviculture,Apiculture ,Viticulture and vermiculture.Kindly render your valuable service to nation to make as green.

Vandamodharm JaiKissan Jaihind


Thank you

with kind regards

A Sivakumar
Priya Nursery Garden,
KARAIKUDI-630001 T Nadu.
09843080275
priyagar06@yahoo.co.in

 

[reddyvb]

Hi All,

Its great to see so many IT folks interested in Agriculture.
As Mr.Sands pointed out its "Passion" which is the key word for Agri business.
Its not advised to venture into agriculture If you are looking at ROI's & expecting high returns from day one, returns will be on a slower pace in agriculture.
Its evident that you see lot of IT professionals tumble when venturing into Agri business. May be that's because of not doing proper ground work, and not selecting the right area in agriculture.
In case of Mr.Venki's case study, everything seems to be perfect, but he ran out of Luck. In the present rickety climatic conditions "LUCK" too plays a major role in the success of Agri business.
Since Monsoon patterns are irregular nowadays in India, I suggest IT professionals to avoid getting into direct cultivation.Rather they can venture into areas like Stocking up of food grains/pulses and sell them when the prices increase, Dairy farm, Sheep farm etc.
I myself being a IT professional was very much interested in getting into some sort of Agri business, after one year of thorough research of all areas, I identified Dairy as one of the profitable venture, though its Labour intensive.
My dream has come true and I have just started off with a 100 animal dairy farm. The first year is very crucial and I have to wait and watch on how it progresses.
I believe I have shaped out a way of reliveing my weekly stress, IT field cannot give the self satisfaction what you get in Agriculture.
First identify the key area of interest and the limitations in that area, look into the negatives of that area first and if you feel you can overcome those negatives, then nothing can stop you.



"Krushi tho nasthi durbiksham"

 

[dvenkat77]

Hi,

Good luck for your new dairy business. You said you have started with 100 animals. May i know what animal you brought?

Cheers!
Venki.

 

[manjun_papanna]

Interesting subject that IT guys turning to agris.
I'm one of them. I was in software/computers for 20 years and It was my interest to start agri work on my own. I bought mango farm and did every thing like fencing, bore, electricity, cleaning etc... initially we tried with 2 acre of tomoto where the rate peaked very recent. but my plannng and execution was not good enough for the crop where I lost every thing. Also I planted groundnut on one acre land which did not yield good result and ended-up consuming within my family teams.
It was a great and costly experience for me as I or my family is not from farming background. Infact I worked in the field like every other so that I could grasp little.
But my mango gives me consistent income. Now I'm in the process of banana plantation which I think would be better with respect to returns, experience and service. As you guys said planning and arrangement is formost important in this field to achive our own goals.
Good Luck IT guys.

 

[hmpo]

try natural farming

If you are trying agriculture to get away from the stress of IT, don't manage it like IT. Try natural farming, or permaculture where you use the everything that god provided to your advantage. If you look at the forests, some of the seeds that landed on rocks managed to send their roots into the nearby soil and grow huge. Don't spend time pampering your plants, find traditional varieties of seeds and let them grow on their own. Avoid the "tennis ball" type hybrid tomatoes that can last for 45 days on the shelf, and most other hybrids. If you stack many varieties of plants together, your overall yield will be good, and risks of failure will be reduced. Just 1 or 2 acres can give you a great deal of satisfaction with plenty of opportunities to observe the natural world as it is meant to be, not the chemical poisoned, machine ripped, lifeless soil, and tedious routine with casino style risk of conventional agriculture.


Untitled Document
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[reddyvb]

Hi Venki,

I have started with Murrah buffalo's

 

[naveentk]

i have bought a hilly farm

Friends,

I am also in IT, recently i bought around 8 acres of land bordering western ghats in Udipi district.

It has established arecanut farm in 2 acres(1000 bearing trees) where i can plan for intercropping.

I have another 1.5 acres where new areca is 2 yrs old.

so ihave hilly region of around 4 acres which can be developed. need your suggestions on these.
Water is plenty and i plan for fish culture in 5-10 cents (100 cents = 1 acre) area of low lying land (bottom of the hill slopes) Let me know your experince on this.
Also i plan for a cow farm where traditional variety are kept and a sustainable organic manure and power generation model is established i.e Cows --> manure --> Power --> Fed to Water lifting and trees as manure --> cows get farm feed. In nut sheel from traditional cow breed whole farm should be self sustaining.

Dear friends, please suggest me ideas to develop and make our farm economically better and evolve on novel ideas.

Friends the farm is very scenic especially in rainy season, i invite all interested nature lovers to visit our farm.

Thanks
Naveen.