My Views
Hello Everyone, I'm an IT professional and currently farming at a very small scale. I have recently returned to India and want to take up farming on a full time basis.
My reasons for getting into farming are more passion than purpose. I would like to offer my views. I think all careers a career in farming also require careful consideration, planning and preparation.
I agree with someone here who made a very valid point about IT professional's interest in farming i think it has to primarily do with increased disposable income. Many IT pros are buying land as an investment (I do not consider that to be wrong at all).
For all those who are planning to get into farming, please do not think in terms of % of returns/profits they will make in x no. of years etc., I think that is a very flawed thinking in the start. But one needs to think of returns at a much later stage of you farming career. Remember you cannot offer yourself an increment before you begin the year.
Like all of you know the most important requirement for farming is land. So first thing to do is purchase the land below are some of things to consider
a) Clear Titles
b) Distance to your existing place
c) Access to road
d) Gradient of the land
e) Source of water (either in the form of bore, open well, or nearby ponds/lakes etc/.)
f) Rainfall pattern
h) Type of soil
I) Neighbors etc., etc.,
Except for Item 1 everything else is subjective and will depend on one's needs & budget.
In terms of practical guidance I would strongly encourage buying land in area where you have some roots/connections eg: native village/relatives/friends etc., this will help you in access to resources & information. Another common problem seems to be that of acreage to buy, again it is very simple driven buy budget. I know farmers who are profitable and hold very small land i.e. 1 acre+ and some are supersized 150+ acres.
My land hunt process has been on for a long time and I suggest if you planning to buy agri land begin at the earliest. It may take a few years and many weekends of travel to find your piece. Another tip I have is, if you have a few friends/relatives who are interested in agri land try and buy at one place at least you will be able to share costs i.e. like a watch man, single bore etc.,
Whilst you continue your hunt for the land start reading agriculture related news/information. Begin with the regional dailies if you are Kannadiga read Prajavani every Tuesday & Kannada Prabha & Udayavani on Monday. Subscribe to Agri magazines, again if you are kannadiga you can get a list of agri publications here
Centre for Agricultural Media [CAM]. I'm sure there are many such publications in almost all Indian languages. Another good source of information is the farmer programmes aired early morning on TV.
In these newspapers/TVs/Magazines there is rich information on successful farmers/techniques/varieties/practices etc.,
Another good way to learn before you actually step in would be to visit successful farmers, there are many farmer heroes across India, and if you are keen you will find them. Know them ask them about lessons learnt, do's & don’ts etc., I have found most of them very willing to help. Be respectful of their time and be polite when you visit them, call them before you go.
Hopefully, you would have found your dreamland and now ready to begin. Before you start hands on work, I would suggest one consider attending training you will find many places to go,
BASIL - Academic Training in Organic and Biodynamic Agriculture for National Interest of Healthy Soil & Healthy Living, Subash Palekar, Bio dynamic association of India and many more offer some sort of training.
All these will ensure you minimize mistakes and are set-up for success. Once you have purchased the land there a few things you need to invest in like
a) Fence to prevent grazing & protect your property from disputes
b) A Water source
c) Shaping the land (to make it ready for agri & also water and soil conservation)
d) Improve soil fertility (there are many methods of doing it please pick whatever suits you)
In my judgement these are pre-requisite before you plant your first crop.
I want to digress a bit here and dismiss the claim that you need a lot of experience in farming. I think you need a lot of experience in everything; before you were an IT Pro you were an amateur and even before that you were a college student, so as you continue you will get better and make fewer mistakes. The reason most farmers in our country is fail is because there are not scientific, disciplined and organized. I do agree there are genuine cases of bad luck and events of god. But farm productivity is very low in India. Many farmers I know are not even hands on. So please remember whatever it takes to be successful in any career take the same in farming too, interest in what you are doing, a curios mind, humility, ability to experiment & learn, hard work, discipline etc., etc.,
Coming back to farming, I suggest one take a phased/multi year approach developing your farm
a) Phase 1/ Year 1
Complete the paperwork
Fence the property
Dig a Bore well
Get power connection
Build a small house/hut etc.,
Explore the possibilities of improving soil fertility +growing the first crop (grains or pulses)
Design the farm i.e. Identify areas for fruit crops/grains/house/veggies etc.,
b) Phase 2/ Year 2
- Plant trees on the fence
- Plan the fruit orchard
What variety
How many per acre
Source & cost of planting material etc., etc.,
- Design & implement the drip irrigation
- Plant fruit orchard
- Grow some short term/medium crops
Some of the ideas I got from successful farmers are
a) Soil fertility is very important
b) Moisture is required by plants not water/flooding
c) Diversity is important (not just one crop but crops that can yield through the year)
d) Clear understanding of markets
e) Quality of the produce is very important to get the right price
f) Think & plan way ahead for your next crop
g) Extensively use things like intercropping both in orchards & otherwise
h) Go for a tree based farming system
I) Quality Planting material/variety is very very important
j) Start small and based on experience scale up/down
Please do not consider farming as a romantic idea it is challenging and hard work but fun for those interested in it. I find buying land to be the most difficult part of the work. I wish you all good luck. Hope this was useful.
As you will notice if you apply logical thinking and yields/returns will come, be prudent in spending your money. And please do not apply a standard template by that I mean if you find a successfully mango farmer just do not plant all your farmland with mango.
