Kundapur: Going green - Retired bank official adopts farming as occupation

Silvester D'Souza
Daijiworld Media Network – Kundapur (SP)

Kundapur, Jun 26: At a time when younger generation has been shying away from adopting agriculture as a profession by treating it as uneconomical activity, a retired bank official has shown interest in cultivating a land that had remained barren for several years, by following organic method of cultivation.

B Parameshwar Ganiga and Dakshayani couple from Kundapur always had interest in farming activity. Failing to make much headway in this field because of the compulsions of Ganiga’s job all these years, they have now embraced farming as a profession, in their retired life.

After buying about eight acres of land at Kundabarandadi near Alur, about 20 km away from the taluk headquarters, the couple has undertaken cultivation by following Dapog method, which involves transplantation by following mat method to raise seedlings.

Under this system, paddy seeds are soaked for a period of 36 hours like in nursery. Thereafter, the seeds are packed in gunny bags, and heavy objects are placed on them. This process requires about two and half days. A 20x5 feet mat is required to follow this method. This mat can be spread either on plain land or concreted ground.

On this mat, a one-inch layer of sifted soil from the fields, mixed with organic manure like earthworm manure, should be spread out. The seeds thereafter, need to be spread on this layer. This should then be covered with dry hay, on which water should be sprinkled for two days. After two days, dry hay has to be removed, but moisture should be maintained well. In 14 days, seedlings are ready to be transplanted.

This method is cost effective. Because a mat of the above measurement requires about six kg seed. Seedlings grown here can be transplanted in about 50 cents of farmland. Once the seedlings are ready, the mat is cut in pieces of 2.5x1 ft measurement by using rice transplanter machine. These pieces are then placed into the machine which then transplants these seedlings in the fields.

In the above system, between Rs 1,000 to 1,500 is spent on soil, manure, seeds, labour charges etc per a single mat of seedlings as above. Ganiga hired transplanter machine from Timmanna Hegde, who has won the Best Farmer Award for 2012, besides Dwarakanath Extensive Farmer Award. Ganiga was also by Hegde in conducting other farming activities.

Progressive farmer, Timmanna Hegde, says that farming as an occupation would have died in the region but for mat system of transplantation and Sri farming system. He notes that the people are increasingly abandoning the family occupation of agriculture. “The government needs to extend support to the new systems of cultivation. As there are problems in supply of rice transplanters and their spare parts, the government should take steps to address these problems. The previous government was sanctioning a subsidy of Rs 1,000 per acre for agriculture conducted through transplanters. I am not aware about the policy of the new government,” he says.

“We always had interest in farming activity. In our retired life, we have adopted this activity. This is our first year in agriculture. In the coming years, we plan to buy our own transplanter and a small tractor. We also have plans to raise rabi crop by November end this year,” say Parameshwar Ganiga and his wife, Dakshayini.

For more details contact Parameshwar Ganiga on 9901319991.