The ochre soil glows a fiery red in the bright morning sun and rows of palm trees cast skimpy shadows on the barren landscape. Dry ponds, vast expanse of seemai karuvelam thickets, parched earth and a hot dusty storm greet us as we enter the interiors of the drought-prone Virudhunagar District. And in the middle of the arid region is the Veerachozhan village where an organic farm is surprisingly/ green and lush. In contrast to the sepia-toned surroundings, the facade of the farm is lined with leafy murungai trees and behind it is a neatly laid tract of inter-crops like ladies finger, brinjal, spinach, tomatoes and pulses. Flocks of country chicken wander around, pecking at insects on crop shoots and a herd of buffaloes graze quietly in a corner.
Madurai,Tamil Nadu, 19/12/2017.Shafeel, a youngster from Kerala, has taen up organic farming of vegetables and Arabian dates in the dry belt of Veerchozhan village, in Virudhunagar District. Photo; G. Moorthy. (FOR METROPLUS)
Emerging from a plantain grove with a bunch of nendran bananas is young Ibrahim Shafeel, who has put in efforts for the past two years to turn around the organic farm. “People tend to dismiss off this area as 'dry land', but I wanted to explore agriculture in the most condemned and unventured pockets of Virudhunagar and Ramnad districts,” he says. It was four years ago, when Shafeel, a Malayali from Malappuram, armed with a degree in Bio-technology, undertook an extensive search for a suitable land and he stumbled upon the area around Veerachozhan.
Madurai,Tamil Nadu, 19/12/2017.Shafeel, a youngster from Kerala, has taen up organic farming of vegetables and Arabian dates in the dry belt of Veerchozhan village, in Virudhunagar District. Photo; G. Moorthy. (FOR METROPLUS)
“Initially, everyone discouraged me saying that agriculture is a major failure in these parts. The locals had lost hope and were selling farmlands for cheap rates. But I found an opportunity. Compared to the green and rich districts like Theni and Dindigul, very few borewells have been dug in dry districts. Hence, the groundwater table is high, though being a rain deficit region. Secondly, the sandy loam red soil of this area is highly potent for cultivation and is untapped,” observes Shafeel, who through sustained efforts has now successfully grown a wide range of vegetables and fruits, including exotic species of Arabian dates.
Madurai,Tamil Nadu, 19/12/2017.Shafeel, a youngster from Kerala, has taen up organic farming of vegetables and Arabian dates in the dry belt of Veerchozhan village, in Virudhunagar District. Photo; G. Moorthy. (FOR METROPLUS)
A 30-acre patch of farm in the neighbourhood resembles the middle-east countryside, with unending rows of over 1500 date palm trees, their thorny foliage swaying in the warm afternoon breeze. “Since, it's a sun-blistered region with really high temperatures and less humidity, I got the idea of cultivating dates. Along with some friends in the Gulf, we started the venture with the Barhi variety. Date palms flower during peak summer and bear fruits in June and July. It's crucial that it doesn't rain in this period. However, since June and July is monsoon time in India, only few places are suitable for dates including Gujarat, Rajasthan and interiors of South Tamil Nadu,” informs Shafeel, who gained experience in tissue culture of dates in Gujarat.
“We planted 60 trees per acre, out of which three are male plants and today ours is the largest date farm in South India. Pollination is done manually through talcum powder since natural wind-facilitated pollination only gives 30 per cent results. However, the entire technique is organic and since our first yield, we have seen consistent growth. Dates grown here are high in demand due to the enriched sweet and juicy taste. We supply it in local markets across India,” he adds. His penchant for experimenting made him introduce Kerala's nendran bananas, kandhari chilli and amara, all of which is a success through drip-irrigation method. He is now trying to grow leafy vegetables including cabbage, beetroot, greens and broccoli through the newly installed hydroponics facility at the farm.
Madurai,Tamil Nadu, 19/12/2017.Shafeel, a youngster from Kerala, has taen up organic farming of vegetables and Arabian dates in the dry belt of Veerchozhan village, in Virudhunagar District. Photo; G. Moorthy. (FOR METROPLUS)
“Dry-land organic farming is a major challenge. It's is like a penance and you need lots of patience as it's a trial-and-error method. There are various degrees of being organic and my farm is entirely organic where I don't use the so-called 'Bio fertilizers'. It's only cow dung for manure and a natural mixture of neem oil and turmeric that's used to keep away pests. The 200-odd country chicken in the farm are fed nothing. They are left on their own to find and eat anything. I don't give readymade supplements in the fodder to my buffalos either but only a mixture plain rice bran and water,” says Shafeel. “My style of farming is a combination of traditional methods, knowledge that I gained by interacting with old farmers and new-age infrastructure.”
With the rise in trend of organic diet, there's a clutter in the market, says Shafeel. “It has become diffcult to identify what's truly organic. I believe, only a farm-to-kitchen model can assure that to the customers. Hence, I started selling my farm produce directly by opening an organic outlet in Madurai,” he says. His shop Feel Nature at K.K.Nagar has a limited yet regular customer base of 100 takers to whom Shafeel gives a steady supply of whatever grows in the farm, from vegetables and pulses to eggs and chicken. “I hope to inspire more people to take up small-level organic farming,” he says.
