Daijiworld Media Network - Bantwal (SP)

Bantwal, Dec 1: Niranjan Semitha from Kambadabettu in Thenkabellur village in the taluk has proved that it is possible to become successful in agriculture even with relatively less capital, if integrated method of farming if followed. He has undertaken dairying and poultry farming in a small piece of his land by systematically planning everything.

After completing SSLC education, Niranjan got involved full time in agriculture. In the land he inherited from the elders, he has been growing areca nut, coconut, banana, black pepper, rubber and vegetables. He has been getting good harvest and making profit. In areca nut plantation, he has been harvesting 50 quintals every year. Since the last 22 years, he has been putting in systematic planning and hard work, and found happiness in agriculture.

Semitha has two cattle sheds, one in front of his house, and another in the rear. He has been raising cows of Gir, Jersey and HF breeds of cows. He has a total of 11 cows. Every day he supplies 30 litres of milk to the dairy. He milks the cows with bare hands as he is not comfortable with machines. The cow dung which is produced every day is used for gobar gas while the slurry flows into the plantation. Manure from the urine of the cattle and organic manure are fed into the areca nut plantation.

In addition to other crops, he also grows fruits like papaya, mango, sapota etc besides vegetables like long beans, okra, ash gourd and pumpkin. He has levelled the hillock on the left of his house where areca nut plantation has come up. He also built a mini dam across a small stream that was flowing down and used it for enriching the water table of bore well and well. He plans to raise fishes in this pond where water is available aplenty.

By the side of the cattle shed, he has his goat rearing unit and poultry farm. He has 25 goats. He has separate pens for Swarnadhara chicks and local breeds of chicken and BV 380 breed of Kerala which lays eggs for two years without the need for roosters. Under the Dharmasthala Rural Development Project, over 400 farmers have visited Semitha to learn the nuances of integrated farming. He has been chosen for the taluk level integrated farming award.

Semitha advices others to follow the integrated method of farming where anyone can earn a good income. He says that he gets 30 litres milk from dairying and poultry and rearing of goats have also proved beneficial.