According to Ambaprasad Nerlikar, Owner, VenuMangal Organic Fresh, Village Nerli, Belgaum District, Karnataka, organic farming is a method of growing crops and raising animals without using synthetic chemicals, pesticides, or genetically modified organisms. It focuses on natural processes to maintain soil fertility, control pests, and produce healthy food. By connecting the farm directly to the customer, organic farming ensures fresh produce while promoting transparency and trust in food quality.
I am from an agricultural family and a civil engineer by profession. But later I realised the input costs were very high, and poor rainfall added to our misery. Then we decided to go organic. I use the microorganisms that are very effective, and they are available everywhere now. Within a few years, all the issues got sorted out and became easy. We should ensure we do not destroy things. About 25% of the land should be diverted to horticulture to manage the losses. We should not go for a single crop. Lots of naturally wild flowering trees to attract pollinators and birds should be there. Once we get into this groove, things become easy.
I have been in the field for nearly 28 years now. Organic or natural farming implies that we are considering crop diversity so that the soil retains its fertility and health. I have about 25 acres of land, which is organically certified and is irrigated by well water and borewell water. All kinds of crops are grown here, mainly sugarcane, which is processed into jaggery also. In our area, sugarcane is grown in rows that are 3 to 4 feet wide, but we grow it in rows that are 8 to 10 feet wide, allowing us to utilise the space to cultivate different crops depending on the season. We sow sugarcane from October, the winter season. During this time, we can grow Bengal gram, buckwheat, and vegetables to add diversity and earn more profit. We also grow watermelon, muskmelon, pumpkin, and bottle gourd. In the initial two to three months, the growth of sugarcane is slow, and we can utilise that time to grow vegetables and other crops. We can also grow beetroot, sweet potato, and leftover watermelon, and other crops add to the humus of the soil and act as natural mulch. We can, thus, control weeds and use less irrigation water when compared to traditional farmers. When we feel the soil, it is so soft that we can easily dig up to 12 inches of the soil with our bare hands. We can also see earthworms. After harvesting the vegetables and other crops, the earth is prepared for the sugarcane. If the weather and water availability permit, we can grow a green manuring crop, which, after some time, is cut and dropped on the soil to take care of the nutritional requirements of the sugarcane crop. The same is repeated for the ratoon crop also.
After the sugarcane is harvested, the stubbles are not burnt. We do consistent mixed farming like the earlier generation did, and it helps to diversify the risk and enhance diversity. If a particular crop does not grow well, there are other crops to help us break even and get a good income. Green gram or peanut is intercropped with pigeon pea. While green gram and black gram take two and a half months, toor dhal is harvested after six months. The rains help retain the residual moisture and mitigate the risk, and get extra income without spending any additional amount. The intercrop with maize is used as fodder. An important aspect of organic farming to be profitable is having a close watch on the market. We should be aware of what is being sold in the area more and try to sell those things directly without involving any middlemen to get more profit. We can fix our own rates, and based on the customer's requirement, we can grow such crops. We have our own WhatsApp groups where we inform what is available and harvest based on the orders to sell directly to the customers. This also makes organic farming profitable. Mixed farming helps improve the flora and fauna and reduce pest and disease incidences when compared to traditional farming, which uses chemicals on the farm. All along the borders, we have all kinds of trees, such as timber, fruit trees, and moringa, which are good for the soil and provide fodder.
There are trees such as teak and Malabar neem, which are long-term crops and are harvested after 10 or 20 years, which adds to the profitability. Apart from the mixed cultivation, we can also have a few cows or bullocks in the farm to recycle the farm waste. They give us something which is very vital for the farm in the form of urine and dung, which is converted into compost and applied again on the soil and used as sprays. I follow a specific pattern in my land, such as 60% of the land is used for regular agriculture, and the remaining 40% for horticultural crops such as guava, papaya, coconut, sitaphal, ramphal, lemon, large lemon, and such varieties. Initially, I used to get 8 varieties of mango. For the first 3 to 4 years, we can have a lot of intercrops, sow them for green manure, chop them off, and let the vegetation drop on the soil. This will make the soil soft as microbes can be found in the soil, which keep multiplying. The plants get nutrition and organic mulch. We do not get anything from outside for the field. The plants are grown, the litter or the extra fruits fall on the soil and make it nutritious.
Since the farm is natural, there are lots of beehives in and around the farm. We can see plenty of beehives that help in pollination and improve the profitability. Small animals and birds can be seen on the farm that eat the pests. Whatever we do not harvest is food for them. So we improve the diversity by having more birds, bees, animals like rabbits and foxes, and my farm is not too far away from the village. We have found many plants and trees growing naturally, such as neem and acacia, that grow on the borders and thus maintain the microclimate. When compared to the other farms around mine, the water level is much better in our borewells and wells. No rainwater is wasted but is absorbed in the soil. We have trenches, live hedges, and bunds. So even in case the rainfall is heavy, the water is absorbed into the soil throughout the year. Apart from these, I do not venture into any other activity, such as goat or sheep rearing. We have a direct marketing setup, and we have a farmers' market twice a week where the fresh produce is harvested and distributed in the evening. All these make the venture profitable.
Land area overview
The farm is located in a place called Nerli, about 55 kilometres from Belgaum, towards Kolhapur, Maharashtra, on the highway. It is about 25 acres of land, black cotton soil, fully certified by the Reliable Organic Certification Organisation, Bangalore. We have about 5 permanent male staff and two to three women workers. We hire people as per the requirement from time to time, especially during harvesting. Most of our seeds are self-sourced. We have companies like Saahaas and Aero Seeds that provide organic seeds. For some crops, unfortunately, there are no organic seeds, such as cauliflower and cabbage. So we have to get what is available in the market. We give gomutra treatment and sow the seeds. About 99% of the vegetables are grown from local seeds. There are lots of leafy vegetables that are easy to propagate. We also exchange our ideas and seeds with other farmers.
Cane cultivation and use
Normally, it is the CO86032 variety that is well-suited for our soil. Whenever we need, we need to take from one part of the field and shift to the other part. It is in-house only. We mainly focus on keeping more ratoons than replanting every time, which does not show any drop in the yields. There is a lot of sugarcane straw left after the harvest, and when it falls on the same land, it adds to the nutrition of the soil. We make jaggery from sugarcane and sell it. There are a few farmers who have a jaggery unit also. So I can sell the sugarcane to them for a better price than factories. They also get good-quality sugarcane for their product. There is no need to transport them. We go for all kinds of jaggery. Usually, we go for a hard one, which is about 1 kg in weight. We do not go beyond that, as the storage and shelf life of the jaggery is good when it is of a small size. We also have granulated, made into powder, and liquid jaggery, a syrup of the jaggery. We ensure that whatever we grow is processed to the maximum possible level. Every step adds to the value and profit of the whole setup.
Nature-led cultivation
We have to try it in our own place under natural conditions. The books and advice from other farmers can only be used as guides, because each farm is different from the other. We cannot follow the same model everywhere. Each one has its own style of propagating and farming. But it all boils down to how well the resources and the farmland are managed. Firstly, we should ensure a proper irrigation facility. If we are going to diversify into organic farming from the beginning, it is not difficult. We can use the certified inputs as suggested by agricultural universities, such as sprays, pesticides, and fungicides. We can use them, and also if we can have a couple of cows or bulls in the farm, we can make many formulations. We use a lot of effective microorganism culture prepared by ourselves, which keeps the soil healthy and reduces the expenditure on inputs and sprays. Livestock depends on the size of the farm and the availability of labour, apart from the time that we can spend on the farm. We need cow dung, and we use bullocks for agricultural operations. We use fewer machines on the farm. In our farm, most of the things are done by the bullocks. When we want more income from the farm, we can go for a poultry unit or honey bee rearing, or goat rearing, which are feasible and profitable.
The location can be anywhere. We should know what was actually done a few decades ago. I am from an agricultural family background, and it was easier for me. It will be slightly difficult for people who are thinking of shifting to farms from cities. We need to have a water facility, approach roads for the farms, and we can do the farming. Most importantly, we should never opt for any exotic varieties initially, as suggested by the media. We need to observe what is grown locally and consumed locally, and sold locally. So, we need not worry about things not getting sold. The produce should be consumable by humans or serve as fodder for the cattle. If we plan so, the chances of incurring loss are less. There is a lot of confusion between organic, permaculture, natural farming, etc. We should just follow what is suitable for our geographical location and the people. We have to depend on human labour, as organic or natural farming is more human-centric. Preparation of land, sowing of seeds, and removal of weeds are to be done by labour only. We have to instruct them on what we want to have a smooth sailing.
Nature-powered fertility
With a few farm animals, we can get good compost of all the waste material from the farm and the animal waste. When we opt for horticulture, it is easy to maintain soil fertility because there will be no tilling. We have to remove the weeds before they become a problem at the time of flowering. We can spray cow dung slurry on the plants, which will help in the absorption of organic matter quickly. If there is moisture in the soil, the organic matter dumped on the soil gets absorbed into the soil easily. We can have 2 or 3 such cycles per year, and within 3 years, the soil becomes smooth. We have bananas in our farm, and each bunch weighs about 20 kg, and the plant about 70 kg. So, once the bunch is harvested, we chop off the top of the plant and keep chopping down as it dries. This helps in the growth of the suckers and also adds to the soil nutrition. In a banana field, we get about 25 tons of produce, and we get 80 tons of organic matter to the soil. This has paid very rich dividends for us. Our soil is now nice, and this has resulted in fewer incidences of diseases. Around our farm, there are many farmers who use chemical inputs, but our produce is better than theirs in terms of taste and quality. We have fewer incidents of pests and diseases also.
The urine of the animals can be diluted and used. There will be lots of plants that are not consumed by humans or animals. We can identify them if they will be medicinally useful. When we have neem, we get the leaves, grind them coarsely, and add them to the urine of animals. We store them in plastic buckets. Or we can also use water and spray it on the plants. This controls pests and diseases also. We can also use buttermilk. We mix the garbage enzyme, which is a mixture of one part of jaggery, three parts of fruits and vegetables, and ten parts of water. This has to be fermented for 3 months and can be used as a spray. This also helps in controlling pests and diseases and increasing the fertility of the soil. It has given us good results. People also buy it from us for their gardens as it is very economical and yields good results.
Role of certification
We can approach the certifying agencies. The initial period is four years; the first three years are called the conversion period, and in the fourth year, the land becomes fully organic. Then we can get the organic certification. There will be an audit every year at a fixed time. The auditors visit the field to check the records. We need to explain what we are doing on the farm, the seeds stored, and other things. There is a nominal fee, and when done in groups, the fee is less. There are 2 to 3 kinds of certifications in India.
Profit through diversity
The crop rotation is followed by the monocot and dicot, which will help in improving the nutrition. When a crop becomes a dhal, it is good for nitrogen fixation. So, we have to go for mixed cropping only. We need to have, for example, four lines of maize and four lines of green gram or black gram to have the diversification. We can bear any risk of losing the crop. There will be some crops to enhance the profitability. We can grow marigolds along with vegetables, as they control nematodes in the soil, and the flowers attract pollination for better yield and income. I personally prefer sprinklers, and for small leafy vegetables, I prefer flood irrigation. Sprinklers clean the plants from the dust and manage the temperature. It is best if we can market products directly. We can have a few more farmers in a group doing organic cultivation, distribute products according to the strength of the person and farm, and have a larger basket. In Belgaum, there is a lot of awareness about organic cultivation. We can make use of social media. WE have to win and retain the trust of the customers. They will know the difference in taste between the products. We invite customers to visit our farm and get what they want.
Contact details
Ambaprasad Nerlikar
Owner, VenuMangal Organic Fresh, Village Nerli, Belgaum Dt, Karnataka 590006
Mob: 9845662737
Email: arnerlikar24@gmail.com
I am from an agricultural family and a civil engineer by profession. But later I realised the input costs were very high, and poor rainfall added to our misery. Then we decided to go organic. I use the microorganisms that are very effective, and they are available everywhere now. Within a few years, all the issues got sorted out and became easy. We should ensure we do not destroy things. About 25% of the land should be diverted to horticulture to manage the losses. We should not go for a single crop. Lots of naturally wild flowering trees to attract pollinators and birds should be there. Once we get into this groove, things become easy.
I have been in the field for nearly 28 years now. Organic or natural farming implies that we are considering crop diversity so that the soil retains its fertility and health. I have about 25 acres of land, which is organically certified and is irrigated by well water and borewell water. All kinds of crops are grown here, mainly sugarcane, which is processed into jaggery also. In our area, sugarcane is grown in rows that are 3 to 4 feet wide, but we grow it in rows that are 8 to 10 feet wide, allowing us to utilise the space to cultivate different crops depending on the season. We sow sugarcane from October, the winter season. During this time, we can grow Bengal gram, buckwheat, and vegetables to add diversity and earn more profit. We also grow watermelon, muskmelon, pumpkin, and bottle gourd. In the initial two to three months, the growth of sugarcane is slow, and we can utilise that time to grow vegetables and other crops. We can also grow beetroot, sweet potato, and leftover watermelon, and other crops add to the humus of the soil and act as natural mulch. We can, thus, control weeds and use less irrigation water when compared to traditional farmers. When we feel the soil, it is so soft that we can easily dig up to 12 inches of the soil with our bare hands. We can also see earthworms. After harvesting the vegetables and other crops, the earth is prepared for the sugarcane. If the weather and water availability permit, we can grow a green manuring crop, which, after some time, is cut and dropped on the soil to take care of the nutritional requirements of the sugarcane crop. The same is repeated for the ratoon crop also.
After the sugarcane is harvested, the stubbles are not burnt. We do consistent mixed farming like the earlier generation did, and it helps to diversify the risk and enhance diversity. If a particular crop does not grow well, there are other crops to help us break even and get a good income. Green gram or peanut is intercropped with pigeon pea. While green gram and black gram take two and a half months, toor dhal is harvested after six months. The rains help retain the residual moisture and mitigate the risk, and get extra income without spending any additional amount. The intercrop with maize is used as fodder. An important aspect of organic farming to be profitable is having a close watch on the market. We should be aware of what is being sold in the area more and try to sell those things directly without involving any middlemen to get more profit. We can fix our own rates, and based on the customer's requirement, we can grow such crops. We have our own WhatsApp groups where we inform what is available and harvest based on the orders to sell directly to the customers. This also makes organic farming profitable. Mixed farming helps improve the flora and fauna and reduce pest and disease incidences when compared to traditional farming, which uses chemicals on the farm. All along the borders, we have all kinds of trees, such as timber, fruit trees, and moringa, which are good for the soil and provide fodder.
There are trees such as teak and Malabar neem, which are long-term crops and are harvested after 10 or 20 years, which adds to the profitability. Apart from the mixed cultivation, we can also have a few cows or bullocks in the farm to recycle the farm waste. They give us something which is very vital for the farm in the form of urine and dung, which is converted into compost and applied again on the soil and used as sprays. I follow a specific pattern in my land, such as 60% of the land is used for regular agriculture, and the remaining 40% for horticultural crops such as guava, papaya, coconut, sitaphal, ramphal, lemon, large lemon, and such varieties. Initially, I used to get 8 varieties of mango. For the first 3 to 4 years, we can have a lot of intercrops, sow them for green manure, chop them off, and let the vegetation drop on the soil. This will make the soil soft as microbes can be found in the soil, which keep multiplying. The plants get nutrition and organic mulch. We do not get anything from outside for the field. The plants are grown, the litter or the extra fruits fall on the soil and make it nutritious.
Since the farm is natural, there are lots of beehives in and around the farm. We can see plenty of beehives that help in pollination and improve the profitability. Small animals and birds can be seen on the farm that eat the pests. Whatever we do not harvest is food for them. So we improve the diversity by having more birds, bees, animals like rabbits and foxes, and my farm is not too far away from the village. We have found many plants and trees growing naturally, such as neem and acacia, that grow on the borders and thus maintain the microclimate. When compared to the other farms around mine, the water level is much better in our borewells and wells. No rainwater is wasted but is absorbed in the soil. We have trenches, live hedges, and bunds. So even in case the rainfall is heavy, the water is absorbed into the soil throughout the year. Apart from these, I do not venture into any other activity, such as goat or sheep rearing. We have a direct marketing setup, and we have a farmers' market twice a week where the fresh produce is harvested and distributed in the evening. All these make the venture profitable.
Land area overview
The farm is located in a place called Nerli, about 55 kilometres from Belgaum, towards Kolhapur, Maharashtra, on the highway. It is about 25 acres of land, black cotton soil, fully certified by the Reliable Organic Certification Organisation, Bangalore. We have about 5 permanent male staff and two to three women workers. We hire people as per the requirement from time to time, especially during harvesting. Most of our seeds are self-sourced. We have companies like Saahaas and Aero Seeds that provide organic seeds. For some crops, unfortunately, there are no organic seeds, such as cauliflower and cabbage. So we have to get what is available in the market. We give gomutra treatment and sow the seeds. About 99% of the vegetables are grown from local seeds. There are lots of leafy vegetables that are easy to propagate. We also exchange our ideas and seeds with other farmers.
Cane cultivation and use
Normally, it is the CO86032 variety that is well-suited for our soil. Whenever we need, we need to take from one part of the field and shift to the other part. It is in-house only. We mainly focus on keeping more ratoons than replanting every time, which does not show any drop in the yields. There is a lot of sugarcane straw left after the harvest, and when it falls on the same land, it adds to the nutrition of the soil. We make jaggery from sugarcane and sell it. There are a few farmers who have a jaggery unit also. So I can sell the sugarcane to them for a better price than factories. They also get good-quality sugarcane for their product. There is no need to transport them. We go for all kinds of jaggery. Usually, we go for a hard one, which is about 1 kg in weight. We do not go beyond that, as the storage and shelf life of the jaggery is good when it is of a small size. We also have granulated, made into powder, and liquid jaggery, a syrup of the jaggery. We ensure that whatever we grow is processed to the maximum possible level. Every step adds to the value and profit of the whole setup.
Nature-led cultivation
We have to try it in our own place under natural conditions. The books and advice from other farmers can only be used as guides, because each farm is different from the other. We cannot follow the same model everywhere. Each one has its own style of propagating and farming. But it all boils down to how well the resources and the farmland are managed. Firstly, we should ensure a proper irrigation facility. If we are going to diversify into organic farming from the beginning, it is not difficult. We can use the certified inputs as suggested by agricultural universities, such as sprays, pesticides, and fungicides. We can use them, and also if we can have a couple of cows or bulls in the farm, we can make many formulations. We use a lot of effective microorganism culture prepared by ourselves, which keeps the soil healthy and reduces the expenditure on inputs and sprays. Livestock depends on the size of the farm and the availability of labour, apart from the time that we can spend on the farm. We need cow dung, and we use bullocks for agricultural operations. We use fewer machines on the farm. In our farm, most of the things are done by the bullocks. When we want more income from the farm, we can go for a poultry unit or honey bee rearing, or goat rearing, which are feasible and profitable.
The location can be anywhere. We should know what was actually done a few decades ago. I am from an agricultural family background, and it was easier for me. It will be slightly difficult for people who are thinking of shifting to farms from cities. We need to have a water facility, approach roads for the farms, and we can do the farming. Most importantly, we should never opt for any exotic varieties initially, as suggested by the media. We need to observe what is grown locally and consumed locally, and sold locally. So, we need not worry about things not getting sold. The produce should be consumable by humans or serve as fodder for the cattle. If we plan so, the chances of incurring loss are less. There is a lot of confusion between organic, permaculture, natural farming, etc. We should just follow what is suitable for our geographical location and the people. We have to depend on human labour, as organic or natural farming is more human-centric. Preparation of land, sowing of seeds, and removal of weeds are to be done by labour only. We have to instruct them on what we want to have a smooth sailing.
Nature-powered fertility
With a few farm animals, we can get good compost of all the waste material from the farm and the animal waste. When we opt for horticulture, it is easy to maintain soil fertility because there will be no tilling. We have to remove the weeds before they become a problem at the time of flowering. We can spray cow dung slurry on the plants, which will help in the absorption of organic matter quickly. If there is moisture in the soil, the organic matter dumped on the soil gets absorbed into the soil easily. We can have 2 or 3 such cycles per year, and within 3 years, the soil becomes smooth. We have bananas in our farm, and each bunch weighs about 20 kg, and the plant about 70 kg. So, once the bunch is harvested, we chop off the top of the plant and keep chopping down as it dries. This helps in the growth of the suckers and also adds to the soil nutrition. In a banana field, we get about 25 tons of produce, and we get 80 tons of organic matter to the soil. This has paid very rich dividends for us. Our soil is now nice, and this has resulted in fewer incidences of diseases. Around our farm, there are many farmers who use chemical inputs, but our produce is better than theirs in terms of taste and quality. We have fewer incidents of pests and diseases also.
The urine of the animals can be diluted and used. There will be lots of plants that are not consumed by humans or animals. We can identify them if they will be medicinally useful. When we have neem, we get the leaves, grind them coarsely, and add them to the urine of animals. We store them in plastic buckets. Or we can also use water and spray it on the plants. This controls pests and diseases also. We can also use buttermilk. We mix the garbage enzyme, which is a mixture of one part of jaggery, three parts of fruits and vegetables, and ten parts of water. This has to be fermented for 3 months and can be used as a spray. This also helps in controlling pests and diseases and increasing the fertility of the soil. It has given us good results. People also buy it from us for their gardens as it is very economical and yields good results.
Role of certification
We can approach the certifying agencies. The initial period is four years; the first three years are called the conversion period, and in the fourth year, the land becomes fully organic. Then we can get the organic certification. There will be an audit every year at a fixed time. The auditors visit the field to check the records. We need to explain what we are doing on the farm, the seeds stored, and other things. There is a nominal fee, and when done in groups, the fee is less. There are 2 to 3 kinds of certifications in India.
Profit through diversity
The crop rotation is followed by the monocot and dicot, which will help in improving the nutrition. When a crop becomes a dhal, it is good for nitrogen fixation. So, we have to go for mixed cropping only. We need to have, for example, four lines of maize and four lines of green gram or black gram to have the diversification. We can bear any risk of losing the crop. There will be some crops to enhance the profitability. We can grow marigolds along with vegetables, as they control nematodes in the soil, and the flowers attract pollination for better yield and income. I personally prefer sprinklers, and for small leafy vegetables, I prefer flood irrigation. Sprinklers clean the plants from the dust and manage the temperature. It is best if we can market products directly. We can have a few more farmers in a group doing organic cultivation, distribute products according to the strength of the person and farm, and have a larger basket. In Belgaum, there is a lot of awareness about organic cultivation. We can make use of social media. WE have to win and retain the trust of the customers. They will know the difference in taste between the products. We invite customers to visit our farm and get what they want.
Contact details
Ambaprasad Nerlikar
Owner, VenuMangal Organic Fresh, Village Nerli, Belgaum Dt, Karnataka 590006
Mob: 9845662737
Email: arnerlikar24@gmail.com