In Somankottai village of Tamil Nadu’s Tiruppur district, Dr Kandasami Saravanan has created a lush inexperienced haven of moringa oleifera on 4 acres of land. Departing from standard practices of ready for the timber to bear drumsticks, Dr Saravanan opts to rapidly harvest its leaves.
For many years, his household had been cultivating moringa for harvesting drumsticks. Nonetheless, the crop was turning into more and more unprofitable and unsustainable owing to low market charges.
“For drumsticks, farmers earn between Rs 100 and Rs 150 per kg. However throughout peak manufacturing, the worth reduces to as little as Rs 5 per kg. I noticed moringa farming was turning into unprofitable for farmers regardless of its dietary advantages,” he shares.
“I learnt that the extreme provide of drumsticks resulted in low market charges, whereas its leaves have been in a lot larger demand within the worldwide market. So, I made a decision to modify to moringa leaves farming,” he provides.
With simply moringa leaves, Dr Saravanan has arrange a worthwhile enterprise by processing them into value-added merchandise similar to moringa podi, leaf soup, and powder.
Promoting at over Rs 800 per kg, the previous soil scientist has efficiently tapped into a world market base within the USA, Canada, Europe, and a number of other Gulf international locations.
From analysis to roots: The beginning of a enterprise
Dr Saravanan has over twenty years of expertise in soil science and agricultural chemistry. This, coupled along with his deep-rooted connection to nature and his household’s farming background, permits him to keep up a thriving enterprise mannequin that resonates with environmental conservation and financial empowerment.
After years of devoted analysis and tutorial pursuits, Dr Saravanan realised that his true calling lay within the subject, the place he might straight apply his data and experience to preserve soil well being and promote pure farming methods.
In 2017, he took the daring step of resigning from his prestigious place on the Tamil Nadu Agriculture College, the place he had labored as a soil scientist for about seven years. The choice was not a straightforward one. Dr Saravanan’s father initially opposed his selection, however his unwavering dedication and imaginative and prescient for change saved driving him ahead.
Embracing the rules of zero-budget pure farming, Dr Saravanan devoted himself to selling sustainable agriculture practices that not solely improve soil well being but additionally uplift agriculture earnings.
Returning to his roots in Tamil Nadu, he selected to revive his household’s farming legacy by specializing in cultivating moringa oleifera — a flexible tree identified for its dietary and medicinal properties.
Redefining moringa farming with sustainable practices
Highlighting the distinction between farming methods for harvesting drumsticks and leaves, Dr Saravanan says, “In drumstick farming, timber are planted with a wider spacing of 15 ft, whereas in its leaves cultivation, saplings are planted intently collectively. The leaves are lower when the tree reaches a top of two ft.”
“For those who permit the tree to flower, the diet saved within the leaves shall be used as much as develop the drumsticks. This can lead to lesser-quality leaves. That’s why I harvest the leaves earlier than the flowering section. Additionally, you’ll be able to harvest leaves as much as six occasions at 50 to 60 day intervals. This ensures year-round manufacturing,” he explains.
Dr Saravanan makes use of no-till cultivation to develop the moringa leaves. He implements natural farming practices utilizing goat manure and farmyard waste. Moreover, he has additionally put in drip irrigation to make sure crops are grown with none wastage. To maximise manufacturing and suppress weed development, he makes use of a brand new approach referred to as bundle mulching, the place crop residues, similar to dry leaves are stacked alongside the crop rows to suppress weed development.
“Utilizing standard mulching strategies, I used to be unable to manage weed development. Its impression hardly lasted for 2 months. In the meantime, the weed began rising once more, so the key drawback for which the mulching is completed was not taken care of,” he says.
“By chance, I had put a one-foot bundle of leaves alongside three rows within the subject. After a while, I discovered it was very efficient in checking weed development. This managed the weed development for six to eight months. Extra importantly, it improved soil high quality by making it extra porous and permitting roots to develop simply,” he provides.
Dr Saravanan says the crop residues additionally decompose and launch vitamins, leading to fewer pest assaults and illnesses. “It additionally improves the carbon/nitrogen ratio in soil. So it was an general enchancment,” he informs.
Driving income, harvesting happiness
The 54-year-old scientist-turned-farmer has redefined the idea of moringa farming as a harmonious mix of science and nature. By shade-drying moringa leaves, he transforms them into a variety of value-added merchandise, similar to powder, capsules, and soups.
With this, he earns a web revenue of as much as Rs 40,000 each month. “By investing Rs 1 lakh per acre, farmers can fetch as much as Rs 1.25 lakh yearly simply by promoting their leaves. In the event that they enterprise into worth addition, they will earn as much as Rs 2.5 lakh to double the income,” he says.
By leveraging his experience in soil science and agriculture, Dr Sarvanan has not solely remodeled the fortunes of his household farm however has additionally created a thriving enterprise mannequin that resonates with environmental conservation and financial empowerment.
“I’m very completely happy now and at peace inside myself. Initially, I confronted numerous struggles as I needed to make investments virtually Rs 1 crore in cultivating the farm. However now I get the fruits of my struggles. I went in opposition to my household once I give up my job on the college,” he says, including, “However if you actually do what you like, you’re feeling rewarded on the finish.”
Edited by Arunava Banerjee. All pictures: Dr Kandasami Saravanan.
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