Crop diversity, key to success

There is a general notion that farming is sustainable only if a farmer has a large land holding. But of late, trends have changed, and even small farmers have achieved success by maintaining crop diversity in their farms.

In fact, in the current scenario of scanty rainfall and frequent drought-like situations, it has become inevitable for small farmers to diversify farming with the integration perennials, short-term crops and fodder crops. Activities like dairy and sheep rearing improve the prospects of farming. We can see a few such innovative farmers in every village who have reaped a good harvest in one or two acres. 

Gangaiah Vibhutimath, a marginal farmer of Madapur village in Savanur taluk of Haveri district, is one such person. He owns one and a half acre dry land and was earlier cultivating only annual crops like sorghum, maize, chilli and pulses under rainfed farming system. Since 2008, he has started diversifying the crops by adopting mixed farming. Along with sapota, curry leaf, mango and lemon plants, he also grows flowers (aster and kanakambara), fodder and field crops.

After obtaining saplings with the help of Deshpande Foundation, Hubballi and BAIF Institute of Rural Development-Karnataka, he took proper care of the plants. The horticulture plants started yielding in 2013. In 2015, he earned over Rs 10,000 from the sale of sapota and guava. On an average, he gets an income of Rs 20,000 per month from the sale of flowers. He sells flowers at Savanur market, 10 km from his village.

While these crops bring income, grains and pluses are grown for home consumption. “Mixed farming system has brought good returns. I could meet the marriage expenses of my daughters without much difficulty,” says a confident Gangaiah. Borewell is the major source of water for Gangaiah. In the upper catchment, he has grown fodder grass along with sapota. In the lower catchment, he has grown floriculture plants along with mango and sapota.  He has done farm bunding across the slope and planted forestry species on the bunds. Cowdung manure is used for the farm. For marketing flowers, he has established linkages with agents at Savanur taluk, sends flowers by bus and gets weekly payments.

Similarly, Channappa Kundagol, of Jekinakatti village in Haveri district, has opted for mixed cropping system with vegetables, flowers, mango, curry leaf, grains and pulses grown in his two-acre dryland. He has also taken up water harvesting and conservation structures. This has helped improve the soil quality and water availability. While a borewell is dug to supply water to the farm, mulching practices have helped retain soil moisture and reduced water requirement.

These two farmers have also tried direct marketing and become successful to a certain extent. Farmers are depending on middle men for marketing of vegetables, flowers and other produce. Keeping this in mind, Deshpande Foundation and BAIF have come together to group farmers and set up farmer facilitation centres with focus on direct marketing.