Fifty seven-year-old farmer B.Brahmaiah of Mangamoor village in Prakasam district used to grow conventional crops including cancer-causing tobacco investing huge sums in his 13-acre farm. With it also came losses everytime the market went southward.
Going organic
Now, the differently-abled farmer has turned a new leaf by taking to vertical gardening and producing a variety of healthy vegetables including greens, the organic way.
Saying no to harmful chemical pesticides and fertilisers, he produces his own organic fertilisers with discarded leaves and other organic matter. Mr Brahmaiah has also adopted the Zero-Based Natural Farming (ZBNF) technique as part of conscious-efforts to cut costs at a time when fellow farmers are grappling with ever-increasing cost of farm inputs. “Vertical gardening enables me grow more in very less space,” says the progressive farmer proudly showing a variety of vegetables grown by him using discarded plastic drums.
Not pricey
As many as 50 plants can be grown in each drum with efficient use of water through sprinklers and by producing own organic fertiliser through vermi-composting.
“I practice cow-based agriculture with liberal use of cow dung and urine and neem-based products to ward off pests and ensure healthy growth of the plants,” he says in a conversation with The Hindu .
Proudly showing the freshly-harvested tomatoes at the top of the barrel, he says “I do not charge any premium for the organic veggies”. There is no marketing problem for the farmer as health-conscious people from Ongole and other places drive down to his farm and grab the heathy, but cheap vegetables. The organic vegetables grown in his farm have four to five more days of shelf life than the one grown using chemical fertilisers and pesticides, he adds.
Seeds and water are the only expenses as no additional cost is incurred in this method of cultivation. Another innovation is growing different types of plants, including creepers slitting the sides of a barrel for quick growth and residue mulching to maintain soil health. “I get yields on all the 365 days to avoid incurring losses due to fluctuating prices for different vegetables in different months,” adds Mr. Brahmaiah, now determined to scale up the operation with more drums.
