Many progressive farmers have adopted integrated farming system. A common characteristic of integrated farming system is that they invariably have a combination of crop and livestock enterprises and in some cases may include aquaculture and trees.
The objective of integrated framing system includes improvement in crop cultivation, subsidiary enterprises like dairy, poultry, apiary fisheries, sericulture, piggery among other agricultural activities.
Integrating profit
M Kempanna is a progressive farmer who has adopted integrated farming system and earns good profits cost effectively.
His expertise earned him the Krishi Pandit Award in 2012. The award is given by the department of agriculture to farmers who have made their unique contribution in practising integrated agriculture, organic farming, crop diversification, efficient utilisation of water and other categories.
He has implemented several agricultural experiments in 65 acres of arable land and another 15 acres of irrigated land. Of this 40 acres are under mango, 10 acres under sapota besides vegetable crops. For over two decades, Kempanna has been has been rearing sheep and has also been engaged in sericulture.
Rainfall
The rains have been declining in the taluk year after year leading to a rise in the water crisis.
To tide over the water crisis looming large, Kempanna with a grant of Central Government created a pond in a three-acre area to facilitate drip irrigation for 50 acres. For the time being he does not face water crisis.
Kempanna has also been growing vegetables for several decades now. He has also been engaged in sericulture. Due to the increasing labour shortage he has mechanised his farm with harvesting machine, ragi and paddy cutting machine, pesticide spraying machine and tractor.
Goat farm
He also rears the popular Jamunapari breed for goats which are popular in Rajasthan. Jamunapari is a breed of goat bred for both milk and meat. The name is derived from the river Jamna Par in Uttar Pradesh. Each goat delivers two kids in a year. Each goat is priced around Rs 30,000 to Rs 40,000.
Kempanna also has 150 heads of Australian modern mix breed of Rambouillet sheep. The breed is well known for its wool, but also for its meat, both lamb and mutton. It has been described as a dual-purpose breed, with superior wool and near-mutton breed characteristics. A kid grows at the rate of 60 kg in a year. This breed has a demand not only from the state but also from outside the state.
He uses the cattle dung as manure leading to a better yield in the crops. Kempanna has visited various states to learn the agricultural practices there. He has been selected as a member of the state delegate to study agricultural practices in Israel.
