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 typical practices of ready for the bushes to bear drumsticks, Dr Saravanan opts to shortly 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 value 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 had been in a lot greater demand within the worldwide market. So, I made a decision to change to moringa leaves farming,” he provides.
With simply moringa leaves, Dr Saravanan has arrange a worthwhile enterprise by processing them into value-added merchandise reminiscent of 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 together with his deep-rooted connection to nature and his household’s farming background, permits him to take care of a thriving enterprise mannequin that resonates with environmental conservation and financial empowerment.
After years of devoted analysis and educational pursuits, Dr Saravanan realised that his true calling lay within the area, the place he may straight apply his information and experience to preserve soil well being and promote pure farming strategies.
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 willpower and imaginative and prescient for change saved driving him ahead.
Embracing the ideas 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 revenue.
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 strategies for harvesting drumsticks and leaves, Dr Saravanan says, “In drumstick farming, bushes are planted with a wider spacing of 15 toes, whereas in its leaves cultivation, saplings are planted intently collectively. The leaves are lower when the tree reaches a top of two toes.”
“For those who enable the tree to flower, the vitamin saved within the leaves will likely 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 part. Additionally, you possibly can harvest leaves as much as six instances 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 known as bundle mulching, the place crop residues, reminiscent of dry leaves are stacked alongside the crop rows to suppress weed development.
“Utilizing typical mulching strategies, I used to be unable to regulate weed development. Its affect 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.
“Unintentionally, I had put a one-foot bundle of leaves alongside three rows within the area. 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 total 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, reminiscent of 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’ll 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 pleased now and at peace inside myself. Initially, I confronted a variety of 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 towards my household after I give up my job on the college,” he says, including, “However while you actually do what you’re keen on, you are feeling rewarded on the finish.”
Edited by Arunava Banerjee. All pictures: Dr Kandasami Saravanan.
