In agriculture, personal experience and an inquisitive mind are two known ingredients for success. ‘Krishito nasthi durbhiksham’... goes an ancient Sanskrit adage, which means that there shall be no drought, where agriculture is practiced.
Leading life to this great ancient thought is Kondana Chandrashekar Gatty in Kotekar village of Mangalore taluk. The innovation in his farm has been recognised at the national-level and has won him special award instituted by the Coconut Development Board.
He has been selected for endeavouring into cultivation of dwarf and hybrid coconut for venturing into new marketing strategy of trading tender coconut.
He has demonstrated the art of coconut culture in popularising the dwarf coconut as well as an aesthetic brand promotion of tender coconut market in the area. Though he calls himself a ‘small’ farmer, if one goes around his three acre land, one will know the true power and greatness of this ‘small’ farmer.
A staunch believer of organic farming, Gatty has shown in his farm the strength of keeping chemical fertilisers at arm’s length and depending on natural manure.
He has grown around 350 coconut trees in his three acre land and has been getting 125 tender coconuts per tree.
In fact, this 36-year-old Gatty is software professional who had turned to coconut farming. On joining for a diploma course in engineering, Gatty simultaneously began farming as his hobby.
The cultivation of ‘Kalpavruksha’ has been a good beginning of the great wisdom and prosperity in his life, he says. He could earn more income as he was cultivating coconut trees which belong to Chowghat Orange Dwarf (Kendale) and hybrid DxT, West Coast, Malayan Yellow varieties which give more yield. Similarly, inter-crops like banana, cocoa, nutmeg and apiculture could make him more comfortable in terms of money, he added.
He has constructed 10 tanks for vermiculture with the help of Horticulture Department in his farm. All the waste from his plantation is converted into manure in the unit.
After the Coconut Development Board conferred him with the Special Award, scientists from Bagalkote Agriculture University visited his farm and have taken five saplings for the DNA test and to improvise the yield.
Progressive farmer
In the past, he was recognised as a Best and Progressive Farmer by the Horticulture Department for his commitment and dedication in the farming activities.
Gatty credits the saga of success in life mainly to Horticulture Department, Krishi Vijnan Kendra and the Agriculture Department. He had adopted most of the modern technology in agriculture with the help of the departments.
He also provides demonstration in his land for those aspiring farmers.
Gatty says “with the agriculture suffering from severe shortage of labourers, I am planning to start agri processing industry by concentrating on agriculture once or twice in a year and develop industry related to agriculture.”
He says: “I am also studying the medicinal plants. I want to cover my five acre land with medicinal plants. I have already started planting Hippali and Chitramoola.”
He also has a nursery for the coconut plants.
He directly sells tender coconut in Mangalore market which fetches Rs 20 to Rs 25 per tender coconut. He is also a guest lecturer at RUDSETI in Ujire.
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