Read about Veljibhai, a farmer from Gujarat who multi-folded his profits through organic farming and has been promoting agrarian sustainability
Gujarat-based Veljibhai’s transformation from a pro-fertilizer farmer to an organic food tycoon is a story of determination and environmental consciousness. Veljibhai, learnt farming from his father, after quitting school at an early age due to poverty.
India ranks first in terms of total fertilizer consumption and the usage has increased multifold. Over the decade, farmers in India have utilized over 500 lakh tonnes of chemical fertilizer.
Veljibhai had witnessed his overdependence on chemical fertilizers at his farm located in Madhapur village, in the Kutch district. He states that his father grew sugarcane and made jaggery from it. Velji toiled hard to help his father sell jaggery, on a bullock cart from their 13-acre farm, which brought in enough to support a family of six.
Over time, his perspective and fortunes toward farming changed and his farm grew to 22 acres.
Farming Health or Diseases:
From 1975, they took up bajra, wheat, grains, and cotton cultivation, using more land for cultivation. Unaware of the implications of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, his farming continued in full swing to include vegetables like brinjal, okra, tomatoes, chilies, coriander, mustard, and castor. Veljibhai prospered, unaware of the environmental effects, to earn 70 Lakhs a year in profits.
The use of chemical fertilizers increased over the years, from three sacks of urea for a 12-acre land which increased to 800 sacks for farming 72-acre. He expanded his presence until he realized that his harvest was a result of inorganic farm practices and less nutritious soil.
After realizing that his farming affected the soil quality and its water-retaining capacity, he decided to change his approach to conventional farming and find more sustainable ways.
Veljibhai soon started feeling the guilt of producing food that directly impacted human health. He started visiting other farmers to understand their practices of organic farming. At first, he was skeptical about the organic farming manure made of cow dung, cow urine, and other organic matter but decided to experiment with it, regardless.
Since two decades of exploring it, this farmer has been practicing organic farming and entered into horticulture as well. Veljibhai installed a drip irrigation method in his farm and made fertilizers using cow urine, cow dung, jaggery, gram flour to help the soil retain its essential nutrients.
Comparing the dependence on pesticides as equal to tobacco addiction, Veljibhai described that his plants did not reciprocate well, initially. Just like a person with addiction takes time to accept the natural environment, the soil, and plants take time to accept the natural and organic nutrients from the organic plant food.
It took almost two years for his farmland to turn entirely organic and his first organic harvest was received in 2004. By then, the soil had no chemical residues and Veljibhai saved ₹15,000 per crop, amounting to ₹ 3 lakhs per year. During his initial foray, Veljibhai harvested 7 tonnes of Kesari mango, the farm production of which gradually increased to 10 to 15 tonnes.
Veljibhai faced difficulties in selling the organic harvest as the market was resistant to accepting innovation and sustainability. In 2006, he set up a food processing unit outside his farm, which bordered a highway, and it instantly became a hit.
With the rise of Organic food and lifestyle, led by global warming and climate change, the demand for organic fruits started increasing. Soon, Veljibhai developed a monopoly in the market and started venturing into organic kiwi, jamun, banana, almond, gooseberry, lemon, and plum.
Today, he offers 47 varieties of fruit items including pulp, juice, syrups, and shakes- natural, organic, and free of preservatives. Apart from the farm income of 16 lakhs per year, Veljibhai earns 7 lakhs from his food processing business.
For the Nature and Sustainability:
Organic farming can be labor intensive, but the output received is of premium quality that stands out in the market. The COVID-19 pandemic made people realize the importance of natural lifetsyle, organic food, and environmental sustainability.
Veljibhai’s commitments extend beyond agriculture to educating the farmers on organic farming. He has helped thousands of farmers with his workshops on preparing organic fertilizers using cow urine and cow dung to prepare the right manure.
India has the largest number of organic farmers in the world, at 4.43 million. Farmers should consider utilizing the present and future demands and take up organic farming that is free of carcinogenic substances, boosting immunity.
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