Scientists teach Indian farmers to earn more

[Paul n Shelley]

Monday, July 17, 2000 
www.ptconnect.com/archive/today/biz04.asp


                                         Scientists teach Indian farmers to earn more 

                                         By Krishnan Guruswamy - Associated Press 

                                         KEELMANAKKUDI, India When agricultural experts told the villagers in this
                                         barren swath of southern India they could make their farms better, one indigent
                                         man told the scientists to try it themselves.

                                         M.S. Swaminathan, who fathered India's "Green Revolution" by developing
                                         higher-yielding crop varieties for large-scale farming, took up the challenge.

                                         The independent research foundation that
                                         bears his name adopted a small farm in
                                         this village close to the Bay of Bengal, 150
                                         miles south of Madras. Two experts
                                         moved onto the 4.2-acre site owned by P.
                                         Manivel, who agreed to try all their new
                                         ideas.

                                         Five years later, Manivel has doubled his
                                         annual income to 120,000 rupees, the
                                         equivalent of about $2,740.

                                         "I now earn money every day," he said, rubbing his thumb and forefinger
                                         together. "When I see the currency notes I become happy, even greedy."

                                         The area is dry much of the year and farmers have been dependent on the
                                         Cauvery River, which flows into the nearby Bay of Bengal.

                                         For seven months a year, Manivel and other farmers in Keelmanakkudi raised
                                         only two crops rice or lentils because of lack of water.

                                         "If it rained, we grew one more crop. Otherwise, our fields were barren," Manivel
                                         said.

                                         A. Gopalakrishnan, one of the experts who worked here, said the study's goal
                                         was to see if "the intensive integrated farming system will work at a small farm
                                         level."

                                         "We also wanted to identify the optimum level for various types of crops and
                                         ensure that laborers have work throughout the year," he added.

                                         The researchers taught Manivel the rudiments of organic farming as well as the
                                         integrated system that the center is devising for small-scale farming. It has
                                         seven principles: soil care; water harvesting; crop, pest and energy
                                         management; post-harvest care; market links; organization; and
                                         empowerment.

                                         Manivel dug big ponds to trap every drop of rain that falls during the monsoon
                                         season water that once flowed into the river. It was enough to raise shrimp and
                                         five types of fish.

                                         He planted different types of fruit trees, grew vegetables, bananas, marigold
                                         and mushrooms, and raised honeybees.

                                         He bought two cows and a goat and raised ducks, pigeons and chickens to
                                         supplement his income. The dung went into a biogas plant to produce cooking
                                         gas and manure. Waste organic matter was fed to earthworms to make
                                         compost.

                                         He raised barn owls, which swooped down silently at night to grab rats from
                                         the farm saving money he had spent on chemicals to kill rodents.

                                         There is now plenty of work throughout the year on Manivel's farm. And other
                                         farmers in the district, who see the patch of green in the dry, dust-brown
                                         landscape, are beginning to adopt some of Manivel's practices.

                                         M. Nageswaran, another of the resident experts, said the organic content in
                                         the soil on Manivel's farm doubled during the five-year project.

                                         "The soil used to be rock hard. It's now soft and crumbly," Manivel said,
                                         scooping up a handful of black dirt.