Hi All,
Myself Prashant and soon will be a proud owner of 18 acres land in northern Maharashtra .
Brief of the land that will help you to provide better ideas and suggestions.
Land is at downstream of dam almost 7 kms away on the bank of river . One of gates of the dam will be always open and plenty of water will be there in riverbed always.
In Recent developments some of the farmers got electricity nearby riverbed and pumping water for few hundred acres in surrounding .
This land is having pretty good slopes and entire land can be divided in 4 pieces depending on slope .
This land is having a big cone shaped gulley almost 100 to 150 feets max depth, length 900+ feets and width of 300+ feets on wider end .
So overall land will be like 2 flat pieces of 3 to 4 acres each, 3rd piece of 5 to 6 acres nearby gulley with sharper slope and fourth piece of 4+ acres of gulley itself.
Land is not cultivated for past 4/5 years and prone to grazing of neelgaay (Protected animal by forest department).
Soil is reddish and nearby farmer are planting banana, sweet lemon, lemons, groundnut, onions etc .
Farmers say land is ideal for fruits . This area is famous for world class bananas (Jalgaon/Bhusaval district ).
I won’t be able to visit frequently since I work in a metro city so my farther will be looking after the land along with some caretaker .
I have strained by financials already enough to own this piece of land and am a absolutely new to farming.
I need to have combination of some cash crops and majority of fruits plantation which will yield good in long run with minimal laborer requirement and lesser personal attention.
I remember words from one of the boarders “remote management of farm is disaster” but my father will be helping to keep watch.
My inclination is towards organic farming to reduce input costs and earn more on long run.
Immediate things that I will take up are as below.
*Clear land using earthmover (clear Bushes few bigger trees at gulley am willing to spare).
*Soil testing
*Electricity and permission to use water from river .
*Avail government scheme for subsidy on horticulture and get help for plantation.
In long run I am planning for below things in this piece of mother earth.
Servant quarter
Water tank(Not elevated one) on place with highest elevation .
A Gulley dam to develop a watershed .
Shed for few cows .
Place for developing compost or gober gas .
I am looking for effective usage of slopes at the land for irrigation and chandra suggested a s/w for drawing landscape which I will take up soon.
I have tried to make you all aware of my situation .
Please suggest the course of action in terms of combination of plantation to take up on how much piece of land.
I thought of UHD mango plantation, lemons, sweet lemons, pomegranate + some cash crop if possible .
Awaiting for your valuable inputs so that I could start my journey .
Thanks & regards,