Farmer shows the way to lucrative farming

Chinturu (East Godavari): Most of the farmers even in Godavari delta where the water is abundant depend on irrigation projects for the cultivation and never think for the alternative sources when the availability of water is scarce. But, a farmer in remote village of East Godavari agency, believes that one has to create opportunities instead of begging the authorities for help which is mere waste of time.

• Sode Ramisetty was ridiculed when he proposed to construct a water tank, but now he is making profits
• Instead of depending on rain water, he stores water before summer sets it and then uses it for farming
• He doesn’t use pesticides for organic farming

This is the success story of Sode Ramisetty, a farmer from Valumuri Gondi village of agency mandal of Chinturu in East Godavari district who showed the way to make farming a profitable business proposition. Ramisetty hails from village where the cultivation is rain-fed and plight of the crop depends on rain. He was fed-up with the cultivation which is always in the hands of rain gods as only single phase power is available in his village.

Taking cue from a farmer in Nizamabad, he constructed a large water tank with Rs 1.50 lakh comprising Rs 1 lakh of his own money and loan of Rs 50,000. When he was investing so much of money in constructing water tank, his wife and villagers laughed at him. But, he went ahead and constructed the tank.

He draws water from bore wells before summer sets in and stores in the tank. This water is used not only by him for agriculture but also supplies it to other farmers who have now formed into sort of a cooperative and have taken up organic farming. The newly-constituted ITDA has sanctioned two new bore wells and has also agreed to buy vegetable grown in these farms for tribal welfare schools.

Ramisetty does not have to depend on rains now and cultivates all kinds of vegetables in his one acre of land and irrigates his entire field by switching on 2hp motor as and whenever he wants. Another unique feature in his farming method is that he doesn’t use pesticides.

Inspired by natural farming methods initiated by Subhash Palekar, he uses Jeevamrutham in which cow dung, cow urine, jaggery and water is mixed to prepare alternative for urea. Ramisetty explains, “I mix 200 litres of water, 10 litres of cow urine, 10 kilos of cow dung and jaggery in a drum and let it ferment for one week.

After one week, the microbes will develop in the mixture which can be used with the irrigation water. I only purchase jaggery in this method”.

Ramisetty uses NADEP method of composting which can be used as alternative to DAP. In this method, he said,” “Compost can be prepared with organic materials like dead plant material like crop residues, weed, forest litter and kitchen waste. So I don’t need buy DAP which costs Rs 1,500 per bag”.