Dear friends: While I sit to write this column the only thought that comes to me is the passing away of Nel Jayaraman in a city hospital after a prolonged battle with cancer, I am at loss as to where to begin writing about the great contributions of a simple man. Most media tributes say he is a...
My dear friends, following my last week column on kangayam cattle some of you had called me and asked if kangayam breed alone is the solution for organic farming? What about other breeds? Are local breeds in different regions not useful etc? For all of their queries I decided to take the case...
My dear friends, my last week column on an Erode farmer making soap from his Kangayam cow and living profitably has kicked off interest in a section of farmers. Many have asked me if it is necessary that only the dung of Kangayam cows serves the purpose of making soaps and whether other local...
My dear friends, the aim of farming is earning money. Unfortunately, however, farming as a whole is unrenumerative today for several reasons that have been highlighted in my past columns. But this also does not mean there is no one to do farming in villages today. The secret lies in how to...
My dear farming friends, while I am writing this column, our brethren in delta districts are undergoing unimaginable hardships due to Gaja cyclone which has rendered hundreds homeless, destroyed homes, uprooted trees, and damaged crops and electricity poles. Our brothers and sisters have been...
My dear farming friends: For those who think farming is not renumerative, or for those who think it is the job of illiterate, dhoti-clad old men, the time has come for you to think again. The profile of many of today's farmer is a natty, educated young man who has quit his lucrative career and...
My dear friends: Farming is the art of growing food, a full time vocation no doubt. At the same time, not all farmers are just farmers. In many villages across the country, there are several scientists and innovators in the guise of farmers trying to find an answer to a problem which is...
My dear friends: Let's say all goes well for us and we have a good harvest. Will it bring prosperity in our lives? Will the harvested crop turn into money? Till date nobody has been able to give us a definite answer on this.In areas like the delta regions our farmers know how to get good...
My dear friends: What is the main objective of you doing agriculture? Most of you will say earning earning money. Agriculture is just not a service. It is a vocation. Nothing is free here. Everything comes with a price. Successful agriculture involves deploying a tested method to reduce input...
My dear friends: Our country’s daily turnover from vegetables and fruits could be easily about Rs 290 crore (US$ 59 million). The estimated cost of ‘wastage’ per day is around Rs 100 to Rs 140 crore (US$ 27 million), which is a lot more than the daily turnover of some of the big industrial...
