Agriculture to grow bigger than Software

Farm Questions
1

Hi All,

I am a software engineer working for a big MNC giant. I am getting good salary but there is no peace. I have some land in Tumkur, Karnataka, India. I have decided to look after the land. I also have an idea that why cannot we youngsters think something about agriculture than software.

Can anyone suggest me how can we make agriculture bigger than software industry? I am new to this field. I am not sure about the new techonology in agriculture. If someone can guide me what I should grow, what I should do to become a successful farmer, it would be great and I am thankful to them

I have a dream to make the coming generation to think more of agriculture than software so that we can save our nature. I want to make money more than software and show all the youngster to think about agriculture.

Please suggest me about new techonology in agriculture, and how i should start.

2

RESPECTED SIR,

THIS IS SUNDAR ,AS YOU SAID IT IS TRUE THAT AGRICULTURE IS THE NEXT BOOMING INDUSTRY ,WE ARE YOUNGSTERS IN AGRICULTURE AND HAVE STATE OR ART TECHNIQUES FROM LAND PREPARATION TO VALUE ADDED AND END PRODUCT MARKETING IN ALL AGRICULTURE AND ANIMAL FARMING.
SUNDARSMNM AT GMAIL DOT COM
FOR FURTHER BUSINESS RELATION PLEASED FEEL FREE TO CONTACT SUNDARSMNM@GMAIL.COM

3

Hi Sundar,

I am really thankful to your reply. Could you please guide me in making money from agriculture? I am not sure what all i should start with. but i have confidence that i will do something great in agriculture.

I just want our leaders dream “Agriculture is the back bone of the our Country” should be true and next generation should start thinking about agriculture.

I need support and guidance from agriculture enthusiastic people.

Replies, suggestions are welcome

Faithfully
Raitha

4

RESPECTED SIR,

PLEASE GIVE DETAAILS OF YOUR LAND INFORMATION LIKE AREA, LOCATION, SOIL TYPE AND DISTANCE FROM NEAREST BIG CITY

I WILL SEND THE PROJECT REPORT AND PROPER GUIDENCE TO YOU

KIND REGards
SUNDAR
sundarsmnm@gmail.com

5

Hi Raitha,

I am in the same boat as yours. Recently I quit my IT job and picked up 6.5 Acres of land just to do what you have in your mind. That is to have some “peace of mind and some piece of money”. All these I did because my gut feeling was same as yours. Did a lot of running around to all GKVK, IIHR, etc etc including agri fairs and numerous web sites. Now with sufficient theoretical data I am confident that it can be done !!. And I am going to do it no matter how the hardship is. Out there, there are many who have done it. Yours and my advantage is we have technical background, I mean we can put reason and logic to succeed.

At present I am building a small house there once it is thru, I will be at my fields experimenting. My short visits during my house construction itself was thrilling.

Feel free to join me in this thrilling journey. By the way I do not have any experience in farming, except for growing some in my back yard.

You can mail me. kgmural@gmail.com or nakshatrithota @ gmail.com

Cheers, with super duper food chains and retail marketing coming, its not a road with dead end, in agriculture.

Murali

6

Hi Murali,

Great to hear this. I am feeling very proud that people are showing more interest in agriculture.

I am Puttaswamy and my number is 9663843297. You can call me any time. Where is your farm and what all are you growing?

As you have quit the job I cannot do that as of now. I am thinking of quitting the job after 5years. But mean while I have to gain knowledge on agriculture.

Let me know if I can come to your field so that even i can have some knowledge.

Keep in touch

7

Hi,

Sure you can join to gain / share some knowledge. I will keep posted on my farms development in a separate thread (Economics , technology etc )once the following are ready.

  1. My small house at the farm.

  2. Electricity for this farm house. (This is taking a huge amount of time, I am getting impatient on this ).

  3. A bore well and its fitment (Pump, casing, power etc etc).

  4. Drip irrigation fitment. (5 ft x 5ft drippers )

Any suggestions on how to go about on Bore well (Water diviners or Geologists) and any good source from Drip irrigation are most welcome. ( ie info on inline drippers vs drippers vs microtube etc).

Regards

Murali

8

Hi raitha,
however I appreciate your interest in farming. How come you say agriculture is the next booming industry. See My lovely raitha, first think what exactly n realistically will happen in the coming years. The entire world shrinks into a size of small village like a ball in the hands of a play boy.And think what is happening around the world with respect to agriculture business.The developed countries paying huge subsidies to the producer, encourage them to produce more , dump them into some other developing countries , sell it at cheaper rate which our farmers will not prefer to sell at the cost below to the production cost.Developed countries procreate less and produce more.Where as our indian procreate more and produce less.So, they export we import. Moreover if you want to earn more from agriculture, the ruling formula is profit= interplay of Factors (Quality produce of high value crop* More quantity per unit area* standard higher price* market demanddistance from the field to effective consumer market competitor * value additionlabourwater ie, gambling monsoonnatural calamitiestechnical competency of the growers etc). For new comers Agriculture seems like a young man dreaming of making love to a beautiful princess.May it become successful or sometime failure.Its like people seeing the beauty of Tajmahal,often failing to remember the deep grief hidden behind the structure.Also quitting IT job for Agriculture is like divorcing an understanding wife for an unknown queen.No doubt you undertake agriculture business. After stabilizing your position in every aspect , you quit your present job.Also you ask for your spouse opinion.It concern not just with an idea of earning in agriculture but your family members inclination too needs consideration.There is no dearth for idea and advice in india.Once you loose everything,then life will become like the story of a hag ie , an old lady making vada in the moon.

I am not discouraging you.but I advice you to be extra cautious.

Wish you best of luck

Ramu

9

Hi Ramu,

I agree with you and whatever you told is 100% true. I am not leaving the job immediatly. And even I have lot of responsibility.

And also I am not telling the agriculture will become huge industry. What I am telling is why can we youngster think of making agriculture a huge industry. I know its difficult but not impossible.

I am very thankful to your suggestions. I am planning to start with a small plan and see if it grows then I will quit my job and then concentrate on agriculture.

First I am plannig to plant 1000 areca plants and some 500 to 600 banana plants in the same land (mixed crop). I am planning areca for long term and banana plant for short term. And the advantage for me is my cousin is a farmer and we have a small piece of land (2 acres with water supply) to grow. That is why I got the idea of becoming agriculturist.

In future if everything happens as per my dream, I will continue with the same.

Once I had been to GKVK, Krishi Mela, where I met a person who is growing Banana in 20 acres and getting good profit. Lets think positive and start. If Narayan Murthy thought he will be in loss, he would have not grown INFOSYS. I know agriculture cannot become so much rich, but atleast we can try.

Once again I am very thankfull to all of them who gives suggestions, ideas and correcting me when I am stepping wrong.

Thanks a lot
Faithfully
Raitha

10

Dear Mr.Raitha,
I welcome your decision.your project of mixed crop proposed for 2 acres is good idea.One suggestion I may tell if your good self accept it.You said arecanut + banana. I say multiple crop.You cover the border with coconut,main field with arecanut, plant pepper vine around coconut and arecanut. Inbetween arecanut go for banana.In between banana plant turmeric,Along the irrigation channel plant onion. Then if you visit your land with your consort, really she will hug you

regards,
Ramu

11

Hi Raitha

What Ramu is saying is right. Being from south, coconut is a must. Go for variety of crops to avoid loss from flooding of goods in market.

Plus one to it, if you are serious then 2 Acres is nothing, Ideal is 10 to 15 Acres. (Coz one lac / acre / year, more or less IT income ;D ;D with lots and lots of spare time & its Tax Free :astonished: :astonished: )

With great difficulty I managed to buy 6 Acres. Whether you intend to do cultivation or not, if you have spare moolah, buy who is selling nearby !!

I have decided to for coconuts for the border in a big way. High density. Go to the coconut board and their farm near Mandya, Its around 50 Acres and the visit is worth it. The guys there are very helpful.

As per them the whole of Tamil Nadu is now going gaga over coconuts, that too the tender coconut variety which starts bearing from 3 rd year onwards.

Well where do you plan to source the Arecanut plants ?? I am told a new variety called Mangala has been around. Do let me know who deals to good Arecanut saplings. Also pepper vines.

Avoid turmeric this year, its over cultivated due to fall in last year prices. Looks like our guys will never learn.!!

Unlike you, I had to bulldoze my way in entering into this field. Its was a great saga buying the land itself. Now its phase II.

All what you hear about loss making in Agriculture etc is because of remote management and week end visits. If you need to do something passionate and make money out of it, you need to look at it as your main one.

" Trying and failing, is better than failing to try"

My lands value in one year has almost doubled ! ;D

Regards

Murali

12

Hi Murali,

Yes even coconut is a good idea. I have plans for that also. I have land in Tumkur. And in current situation I am not in a position to invest on land. So whatever I have in that only I am planning to work. I already have coconut trees and areca trees. Last year my cousing got 1Lak from coconut. So we decided to plant areca and coconut.

We have plans for taking more land next year. Lets see what will happen.

13

Hi Mr.Raitha,
But I forget to note one thing here.4Ahau3 is a date in the Mayan calender which is ancient,oldest,accurate,scientific and precise in its prediction of events.On that specific day , the mayan calender foretells about end of this world with cataclysmic upheaval of this earth. The corresponding date in Gregorian calender is 23 December 2012, evening 11 hours, 42 minutes, 24 seconds.The mayan calender also ends on that day.No further day comes. so better you may start experimenting your project in your earliest possible convenience.

Regards,

Mr.T.RAM

14

Mr. Ramu,

I am not sure whether earth ends on Dec 31st, 2012. Lets not think of this part now. Because if this was true no one on earth will do anything. Suppose it happens, its not in our hand. But anyways, while doing something each everything should be considered. Let me keep this also in mind. But I completely dont belive in this.

But I really appriciate your suggestions, you think of each and everything in detail. I think you are a professional bussiness man :slight_smile:. Great to have your contact.

15

Hi Raitha,

Where do you plan to get the Areca saplings from. Do you know any reliable place ?. I am in need of it. Say around 3 to 4 k saplings.

What is the world coming to an end. Its another hoax, :astonished: :astonished: Dont believe it.

Regards

Murali

16

Hello Friends,
I am very happy to see that more and more people from the younger generation are getting into agriculture. My childhood dream has been to go into farming. However, due to various circumstances, I went into employment in the banking and financial services sector. I have certain pressing commitments which are preventing me for going right away into full-time farming. I intend to take up farming full time in a couple of years’ time. In the meantime I have not been idle and have taken quite a few steps to realise my dreams and passion. Since I am outside the country right now, but have all my family living in India, I have organised for purchase of land - it is a 35 acre farm; developed water resources by digging huge well; have planted 23 acres orchard consisting of mango, mosambi and sapota trees; with the other land being used for cash and other crops according to the season (chilli, paddy, ground nut, cotton, etc). The fruit trees should give the first crop next season. Fortunately I have family members who are able to take care of the farm. Of course, when I am there it will be different, as I intend to stay at the farm and be an intensive farmer. Once I move in, I intend to develop it into an integrated farm with all activities. I hope to be able to contribute more actively when I am actually in the farm dirtying my hands.
During my annual visits to India I have interacted with officials from KVK, Agl University, Horticultural University etc. At my request quite a few of these officials have visited our farm and have given us encouragement, suggestions and advise.
All good wishes to all who wish to take up agriculture. All I can say to the newcomers is, have lots of patience (you are dealing with living plants), be prudent and logical, take all the possible advise you can, visit as many farms as possible and interact with successful farmers and above all timing is most important (sometimes delay of even a day can make all the difference between profits and losses).
With best regards,
John

17

Hi John,

Good to know that. We are still tiny toddlers in this field. Yes many have taken a passion for this.

But the big problem is free hold land. Every one says farming and agriculture is nothing but loosing money. But strangely agriculture land rates are all heading towards sky. :'( You ask for land, even barren ones. You will be shocked to hear the prices. :astonished:

Regards

Murali

18

Hi farming business enthusiast !
Nearly 60% of indian population are directly or indirectly engaged in Agriculture activities now.Farming activities evolved from shifting agriculture in the primitive period to modern agriculture now.Except for a few rare cases most of the farmers practicing agriculture incurred losses. know why? It is either because of uncertain market value for the produce during harvest or glut in market due to excess supply or natural calamities or increased cost of cultivation and so many other unpredictable causes. This is the reason why most of the farmers were caught up in vicious cycle of poverty and happen to sell their land and move to city in search of other jobs in order to sustain their lives.In the midst of these adversities , still there exist hopes if youngsters properly plan to make agriculture grow bigger than software.Here under is some of my suggestions

  1. All able like minded youngsters form a consortium where members assemble at particular period regularly to discuss and deliberate on core issues in respect of selection of crops, Technical issues and marketing point.
  2. May be the member farmers pool their money and invest in infrastructure like retail outlet ( super market) in the urban areas where demand for farm produce is increasing in consonance with ever increasing population.In this way the member farmers can find not only market but better price for their produce.
    3)You can also create employment opportunities for so many other persons.

When petrol/Diesel price increases, bus fare and other transport hire charges have been automatically increased. when seed cost , fertilizer cost increases the cost of cultivation also increases . But the value of farm produce is not correspondingly increased.In this pathetic condition, what is the chance of getting profit in agriculture.

5 years back software industries were in flying colors. Now it has gone down leaving many jobless.when software industries itself were dragged into bad fate, what will be the destiny of agriculture amidst all uncertainties.

Think cleverly before heading into ocean of turbulent agri-business

Regards,

T.RAM

19

hello, you can also try for poly house, though it is costly but you can get more profit in less time span.

20

Mr.Amit-Dhumal
Of course pollyhouse is a proven technology.But we should understand one thing. In the cold countries located above 33.5 degree latitude on either side of equator and more particularly near 66 degree latitude the extreme climate will affect normal plant growth and its development. In such countries, the temperature goes below 10 degree celsius. So structures like poly house will artificially maintain micro climate conducive to plant growth.That is why it is aptly called protected cultivation. Where as Indian climate is mostly tropical and a bit sub-tropical which is more favorable for growth of varieties of plants.So why spend so much on this?
Anyhow if you are satisfied that you can gain appreciable profit, better you proceed. Also I request your good self to post statistics of net return from poly house farming.Also post details of area under polyhouse and its cost, type of crop grown and its cultivation cost covering details of seeds, fertilizers, chemicals, labours and other associated cost.

with regards,

T.RAM