When rubber farming grew to become unprofitable as a result of low-cost imports, Biju Narayanan of Kannur, Kerala, shifted to cultivating unique fruits like rambutan, mangosteen, and pepper. Using high-density farming and multi-level cropping, he now earns as much as Rs 15 lakh per acre.
Kerala is the biggest rubber producer within the nation. Greater than a decade again, its rubber manufacturing began falling as growers discovered it unprofitable owing to rising manufacturing prices and falling costs amid low-cost imports from Vietnam and Indonesia.
Bordering Karnataka, Ulikkal village within the Kannur district was a lush panorama that was as soon as predominantly a rubber-growing space. Amongst hundreds of thousands of rubber farmers, Biju Narayanan’s household who cultivated rubber on one-third of the farmland, additionally misplaced their main revenue supply with plummeting profitability. It grew to become costlier to provide rubber than to promote it.
The typical price of manufacturing was round Rs 160 per kg and the promoting value was Rs 110 per kg. “The charges in rubber had been dwindling as farmers might fetch solely Rs 100 per kg from rubber. A labourer might earn extra wages every day. It was not adequate for farmers,” he informs.
Biju reconsidered the agricultural practices and made the daring resolution to switch seven acres of his household’s rubber bushes with a wide range of unique fruits like rambutan, mangosteen, pepper, areca nut, coconut, cashew, and different crops. “I axed many of the rubber bushes to strive new plantations. Individuals known as me a madman,” laughs the progressive farmer.
This resolution, as soon as criticised and deemed as insanity by many, together with his circle of relatives, has since blossomed right into a profitable agribusiness mannequin. “I knew I need to show my resolution appropriate as a result of my household, neighbours, and pals thought it was a loopy resolution. I took it as a problem and turned agriculture into agri-business,” he provides.
Right this moment, Biju earns Rs 9 to fifteen lakh per acre from rambutan farming alone. We sat down with him to grasp how he rewrote the normal farming script.
Maximising yield with multi-crops on the identical land
Biju is a mechanical engineer by occupation. Educated at Dakshina Kannada’s KVG School of Engineering, he initially juggled his research with managing the household farm. At 18, when he was in his first yr of faculty, he misplaced his father and the accountability of the farm fell on him.
“I needed to handle each the farm and my research concurrently. That was the one technique to handle our bills. I had no selection. I’m the eldest son of my household and I needed to take care of my youthful sister and mom,” he says.
After commencement, he ventured into the company world and labored for 10 years earlier than returning to his roots — farming. “It was somewhat troublesome to do each jobs of managing farm work and company work. Over the time, I had misplaced curiosity within the redundant work of company so I give up the job to deal with my farm,” he says.
Turning away from monoculture, he opted for high-density plantations and multi-crops to maximise returns from land. “I apply multi-level cropping with 4 to 5 vegetation of various heights. As an illustration, I planted coconut bushes because the outermost plantation that grows as much as 45 ft in top. Then, I planted mangosteen that are 25 ft tall, adopted by peppers of 15 ft, bananas of 10 ft, and ginger and tapioca, that are two to 5 ft tall,” he says.
“They get sufficient daylight because the crops are totally different in top. This implies we are able to get produce from 4 to 5 crops concurrently,” he provides. This methodology ensures environment friendly use of area, and ample daylight for every plant, and leads to a bustling, layered inexperienced farm.
Adopting new farming methods
One among Biju’s most profitable ventures has been into the world of unique fruit, notably the Rambutan. By adopting high-density planting, the place he locations 100 vegetation per acre as a substitute of the traditional 50 to 60, he has seen his yields skyrocket.
“In 2010, I planted Rambutan vegetation. I knew that in 5 years, I might get 40 kg of rambutan from every plant and as much as 60 kg in seven years. Right this moment, I get 80 kg produce from every plant,” he shares. Final yr, he harvested over 6,000 kg of rambutan per acre. Promoting them for Rs 250 per kg, he earned Rs 15 lakh per acre by way of Rambutan farming.
He additionally highlights the monetary benefits of direct promoting and utilizing social media platforms to bypass middlemen. “If I had sought assist from middlemen, I might have solely obtained Rs 190 to 200 for my produce. I tapped into the facility of social media, and used Fb to get prospects,” he provides.
Sustainability is one other cornerstone of Biju’s farming apply. His strategy blends 80 p.c natural inputs like cow dung, cow urine, and vermicompost with 20 p.c inorganic substances, similar to potash, to reinforce the expansion of vegetation whereas sustaining soil well being.
Apparently, fertiliser is commonly utilized utilizing foliar methods. “On this methodology, fertiliser is dissolved in water to be immediately sprayed on plant leaves. This on-the-spot vitamin quickens important nutrient uptake by vegetation and eliminates frequent nutrient deficiencies,” he says.
Biju affords a beacon of hope and a mannequin for sustainability and profitability. He says he finds profound private fulfilment on this achievement. “Farmers should be taught new methods of farming to make it worthwhile. Since I began incomes extra from my land, my life has modified totally. I by no means remorse quitting my job; I really feel like a King,” he laughs.
Edited by Pranita Bhat; All photographs: Biju Narayanan.
Supply:
‘Low cost imports threaten 1,000,000 rubber farmers’ livelihood’: By Himadri Ghosh for Enterprise Commonplace, Revealed on 14 January 2016.
