Some years ago, Manoj Rajagopal planted green-red anti-carcinogenic wild greens, rich in Anthocyanin and anti-oxidants. He raised them on Siruvani water and produced 25 tonnes. Though his test customers loved it, he could sell just 500 kg; the rest became cattle feed. People had issues with the twin colours! This year, every day, his field yields about 200 tasty papayas, raised organically. Each weighs between 2.5 and 4 kg, but Manoj was told they were too big for the market. He finally found a trader to buy them.
This lack of marketing muscle depresses farming enthusiasts. “You never know why the market rejects you. The reasons are frivolous,” rues Manoj.
The chilli shrubs in Jayanthi Rabindranath’s organic kitchen garden fruited excessively this year. She was left with about three kg even after distribution among friends. “The local grocer offered me just Rs. 25 a kg, but I had to sell because what could I do with so many chillies,” she says. She has planted naatu tomatoes, red pumpkin and brinjal in her backyard and says there are days when the plants yield a bounty. “I wish we had a system where hobby farmers can sell their produce, even if it is at cost price,” she says. Jayanthi has now rediscovered the barter system. She gives the grocer her excess produce and gets other vegetables of equal value.
Bartering is the way forward for small farmers, insists K. Bhaskar of Arya Organic Store on Nanjundapuram Road. Bhaskar sells produce from his farm through his store and in the open market. “Forget giving you a premium because you’ve raised the vegetables organically, sellers club them with regular vegetables,” he says. “To survive, hobby farmers must join hands, form a network and meet often to share ideas and exchange produce!”
Farmer Saravanan Varatharajan says he started Iyal, near Lakshmi Mills, only because he could not find avenues to sell his produce. “Now, I sell some stuff directly in apartment complexes. At the same time, when regular customers tell me they have excess produce at home or the farm, I inspect if it is organic and stock their stuff too. I have sold urad dal, tomato, papaya and star fruit this way,” he says. “But, you have to know the difference between home-grown and organically home-grown,” he says.
Saravanan plans to put in place a system where home farmers don’t have to worry about marketing. “We are looking at door-to-door collection or a common collection centre,” he says. That, Jayanthi says, is a doable solution. “We don’t cultivate this with commercial intent; we do it for passion. But, being able to sell will be a huge encouragement and also prevent wastage.”
Jayamohan, an advocate, has been doing something similar for two years now. He raises vegetables on the terrace of his house on Chettipalayam Road. “The vegetables are used at home or given to friends but the raw bananas go to the local grocer, who tells customers they are home grown. It works well for me,” he says. He is looking at expanding his garden in some time, and says he will have to figure out a distribution channel then.
Manoj, who is chair-environment at Young Indians, Coimbatore chapter, says people must learn to deal with initial setbacks and focus on the larger picture to sustain. “What I’m doing now is a pilot for a long-term project. I must be patient.”
And then, he heads back to his farm to figure out how to sell his next batch of papayas.
