Please give us a brief introduction about the irrigation product you have come up with.
Our company Avanijal Agri Automation Pvt Ltd is based out of Bangalore. We help farmers automate their agriculture irrigation and nutrient/ fertilization. Once you have the drip/sprinkler or, for that matter, any controlled water delivery system, we can automate it to ensure precision irrigation. Everything is app-based and is connected to the controller through a GSM network. We provide the app to the customer whereby he can schedule his irrigation time, date, etc. as per his need. Also, at the farm place we will have a smart controller installed. It opens different valves for different zones on the farm. It also manages filter cleaning systems, which is optional. This system controls the fertigation system up to 4 fertigation channels. So this application does most of the things that the farmer needs to do in terms of irrigation and fertilization at the farm. Except for mixing the fertilizer into the tank, everything can be operated via the mobile phone.
Benefits:
1. It improves the yield and this aspect is proven through many research papers across the globe.
2. It saves water which is again a proven fact. Hence, it saves up to 50-60 % water. Naturally, it saves electricity, because the person runs it only when it is required. The big challenge to farmers is that given we are a total of about 1.3 billion people, but agricultural labourers are hard to find. Even I come from an agricultural family and I see the challenges.
3. It also saves nutrients to some extent as well as over irrigation. Assume that all the pipe is open and you have already done the fertigation, you end up wasting the fertilizer. Instead of going to the crop, it reaches the ground water and pollutes it. Our product can limit that also to some extent. I won’t say it will get eliminated.
As of now, we have the system in place to set the time to irrigate, or you can set the volume – how many litres you want to be delivered to different zones. Something we are working towards is also to satellite imaging. Analysing the satellite image, you can understand the water content in the soil and you know how much water is required that day for a given crop in a given area and we deliver only the delta – that is deficit requirement between required and existing. Over and above, we can have basic data stored – how many times the land got irrigated, how many times was the fertilizer used, etc. is stored in the system and can be retrieved at any time. Once the crop is harvested, this can be reset and set for the next cycle. We are also trying that we upload data to the server with timestamp so that we can analyse and give actionable feedback to the farmers, like how much irrigation was done vs how much the land required etc. We also have a lot of protection system in place in our controller. Even if the farmer is elsewhere and he doesn’t know what is happening, our system will give a report of each and every activity that happens on the farm and it also protects assets on the farm like the motor and the valve – the motor should run within a prescribed voltage. If the voltage goes beyond the prescribed limit, it sets off the system. In case of the valve, it will monitor if it is electrically opened or not. If not, we move to the next one and we make the farmer aware of the issue. The pipeline pressures – high and low – are measured. A point to be noted is that the electricity is like horse hunting. No book in the world can give you information on what the electric condition is and what should be there on the farm. In the morning it will be something and in the evening it will be something else. It took us almost a year to figure how this can be done and provide a solution. Another thing is all farmers in India have their own ways of irrigating their land. Listening to advises and changing his methods is a rarity. He works on the thumb rule that as long as his pump works, the irrigation works. Whatever state of the art niche product you come up with, if it doesn’t meet his requirement, he won’t care. So everything in our system is software configured, and so it is customizable as per farmer’s unique needs. Our system supports Indian farming conditions and practices and this is a very relevant feature. It is not a standardized system which works on one farm and doesn’t on the other. Another fact is that our price is the cheapest in terms of what we deliver. That is my brief of my product and how it works. If you have any questions, please go ahead.
Does this have the ability to look at a patch of land, break it up into smaller pieces, and help release water to the area that needs water?
More or less. What you said is right. There are so many people globally and locally delivering similar solutions. But it isn’t the same. Our system works in any set up. You can plug it into a three-phase system, neutral, only one phase working – anything, it will work. Drip irrigation already has a control in place – they have different valves reaching out to different places. The farmer can irrigate places of his choice.
But he should take that decision himself, right?
Yes, that is true. Assume that he wants to irrigate for half an hour. Even though you have a dedicated mind, it is difficult for you switch it on and off when you have so many other things to cater to. It is humanly impossible. That is where the electronics systems help.
Does your system have sensors on the ground which track the moisture content?
Earlier we thought of using sensors. Sensors are too expensive for farmers in India, for that matter abroad as well. It is mighty expensive. We are doing a lot of research on the ground. We get to know what the moisture content of the soil is, and based on that we know what the water requirement of the crop that day is. The required amount will be delivered without farmer intervention.
If I have a coconut farm and I already have my drip irrigation in place, in what way would we collaborate?
We won’t replace any of the technologies existing on your farm. We will place a controller above your motor board room, and will place our equipment in series with the existing ball valves. The only thing is you should keep the ball valve switched on all the time. Once we have a signal at the controller, it is passed on to the system to turn on or turn off. So yes, it will be viable when we come up with the individual farmer approach.
How does it know which valve should be turned on/off?
All that the system will decide. The farmer has to make a schedule. Assume that the satellite imaging is in place and the system will take care of the whole thing. It will deliver the water as per requirement.
Through the satellite images you take care of which area needs to be irrigated?
Yes, the controller is connected to a GPRS network. Once it is switched on, all the history of irrigation is brought to light, and as per inputs it will take care of the present irrigation needs.
So, do I have to turn it on/off manually?
The system will take care of it all. You have to watch your farm and go and sleep. This way farmers won’t need irrigation manpower to irrigate the land.
Is this system viable for small-time farmers?
Yes, it is viable. Per my experience, even if the highest technology is given to farmers, they will not use it. I personally come from an agriculture family. Whatever I tell my brother, he won’t gulp the idea. I have given this to a coffee estate person. How much ever the system takes care of the irrigation, they are always doubtful as to what is happening on the farm. So, we will inform everything whatever happens on the farm.
Where have you implemented this so far?
We have implemented it in Maharashtra – Nasik area. We have also implemented in Tumkur, etc. The reality is that the farmers over there are much more progressive and much more forward in terms of entrepreneurial spirit.
What will the cost come up to per acre?
It will come up to Rs 15000/- per acre.
Is it a one-time cost or are there recurring costs involved?
It is a one-time cost. But with the satellite imaging, it will be a subscription, which cannot be charged up front. That will be charged yearly. If a farmer has 5 acres and he wants to subscribe only for 2 acres – that can also be done.
Are there any other benefits in terms of yield?
Of course, that is what I mentioned in the beginning. The yield will definitely improve by 15-20%. I come from North Karnataka. We grow sugarcane every year. Our yield is around 35-40 tonnes – very low. We have improved it by 4 tonnes.
How does the yield increase?
The thing is – today farmers are either over irrigating their land or under irrigating it, which adversely affects their yield. When the irrigation is up to the mark, the yield increases. In fact, over irrigation is a bigger evil than under irrigation. Unfortunately, most of our farmers think that if they give more water it is better for the yield, when the fact is that the growth will reduce with over irrigation.
What is the life span of your system?
It is designed for 8 years. It should work efficiently at least for 6 years. The design is done perfectly. Every component is imported. We don’t buy secondary components – even the fuse. For example, on the field if a fuse gets blown off, you won’t get a duplicate fuse of the same specification. The best you get is a physical match which is not good enough. Many people don’t know this but it is true.
Do you have the network to provide service at other places as well?
We are open to any area. Our initial implementation has nothing to do with limitations in an area. We can implement this anywhere. We are a start-up, so we have restricted manpower. We are looking for partners. We are working with a couple of big companies. In Maharashtra and Karnataka we are working with big companies who will sell our product. Last week we had a person enquiring from Ranchi. They want us to supply. But we cannot do that directly, we are open to dealership. Basically, we are technically very strong, coming from the IT industry. So we have developed solutions for so many complex systems. I am, like I mentioned before, from a farmer family, and I know what the complexities are. But, we don’t have a huge distribution network as of now. So, we have restricted ourselves to sell this product only through partners.
There must be other irrigation companies also doing this, right?
They do. But those are systems developed for the entire world. They are standard systems – not smart, intelligent and customizable to benefit Indian conditions. They work based on standard inputs fed into them. Another thing is, our farmers don’t want that because it is not required here. If you go to the US, water is regulated. On certain days there is limited water and on others surplus. For example, you want to irrigate your farm on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. But our situation is different. That is not the solution we need. We don’t have anything fixated here. Also, who would go into their fields to irrigate it at night? Another thing is – most of our lands are separated from each other. A farmer will have a land at 1 km, another at a distance of 10 km, and then a third at a further 10 km distance. When it comes to sugarcane farms, nobody dares get into a sugarcane farm during the daytime, forget about irrigating it during the nights. 1. The system is built to suit Indian farmers and Indian conditions.
2. We are extremely cost effective in comparison to any imported or even any Indian system. Most Indian controls are basic ones.
How has your business been so far? Are you being funded?
No, we are funding ourselves at the moment. Nobody has funded us yet. We worked with a few firms and we have been using their wireless for our controller to the valve connection. We have been awarded some money. But that is a reward, there is no funding from anywhere. Agriculture is difficult anywhere in the world. In India, it is too difficult. In terms of response, it is not as great as we expected. But it is not too bad either. It is okay as of now.
You are not getting the expected response from farmers?
Right. We started selling this product roughly two years back. It took almost two years to develop and another year to test, because testing in itself is a challenge, and testing with an entirely different electrical set up is a big challenge. In some areas you have less voltage and in others you have high voltage. Unfortunately, this is a truth. Voltage fluctuation is very high in the country. That is a huge problem – one of our biggest challenges. Another challenge is if you visit 10 farmers, you will get 10 different implementations of irrigation systems. So building a system to adapt it all was a Herculean task.
Is Internet connectivity an issue?
It is a problem in the rural areas. But, the communication to the server happens in the form of text messages, so that is working fine.
CONTACT
Mr. Channabasappa Kolar
Avanijal Agri Automation Pvt. Ltd.,
949, 39th Cross, 24th Main, Jayanagar, 4th T block
Bangalore – 560041 Karnataka
Email: cbkolar@avanijal.com
Phone: 9880652209
Mr. Ganesh
What do you feel about the product and how useful is it for you?
I wanted to automate my field via mobile operation. I spoke about this to my friend. He gave me Mr Channabasappa’s contact. He advised that the controller he fits is good and will serve my purpose. So, I got it installed. I have used a lot of other controls so far, and this is by far the best. The technology the system used is very advanced. It takes care of most of the farmers’ needs – A C Meter, Ph Reading, etc. You can irrigate your land as per volume or based on time. I liked the product so I purchased it.
How much money did you spend on it?
The deal has not completed as of now. I have paid an advance of Rs 30,000/-.
Have you experienced the system understanding on its own which plant has less water and automatically turning on the water for that place alone?
The field where I have this control in place is a 12 acre field. I have cultivated sugarcane in that field. Now even if I had different types of crops in that plot, this system gives me the option of managing each crop as per the need of that crop. I can irrigate the plot the way I need.
Have you tried using the system for different needs?
Last year, on the same field I had 8 acres of pomegranate. This year I have switched the whole plot to sugarcane. So, now I only have a single crop. It works well. If I had 3 different crops on my field, I have the option of giving all three crops different treatment.
Have you ever tried the system for different crops?
Yes, I have used it for two crops. I have used it last year for sugarcane and pomegranate.
Are other farmers using this technology for their irrigation?
From the year 2014, I have automated my fields. I used Mobitek’s controller first. It was the most economical one I got at that time and so I got it installed. I used it for about 4 years. It didn’t have auto-fertigation, EC reading, PH reading or satellite reading. Those were the drawbacks in that system. With the passage of time, technology also develops. I saw another controller at an exhibition, which I liked after they demonstrated it. I replaced the old one with the one I saw at the exhibition. The neighbouring farmers are solely depending on drip irrigation. They are not very interested in automating their fields. They are not willing to expand their way of thinking. In the last two years I’ve seen those farmers installing systems in their fields who have more than 30 acres. The farmers having plots below 30 acres are not showing any interest in such things.
Do you feel that this product is better than other products?
See, I am a farmer. I will always think in terms of lowering my cost. There is a big farming exhibition that takes place every year and I keep visiting the exhibition every year. I keep seeing different kinds of controllers over there. The minus points in most of them is that they won’t have satellite connects, auto fertigation, no Ph value readings etc. I have seen some drawback or the other in most of them. Now, if there were products that had a lot of features and advantages, it would be too costly – 1.5 lakh – 2 lakh. Buying a product that high in cost is too big a risk for me. I wanted a person who doesn’t necessarily have to come to my field to help me if I happen to have an issue with the product, but solving it over a phone call also would do. That way, in a matter of an hour, my issues will get solved. Now, finally I have got a product close to my imagination, at a reasonable cost.
Will you recommend this product to other farmers?
There are companies selling products whose price vary with location. If farmers come and ask me about automation, I will give them full details of whatever I know. Now coming to this product, I would definitely recommend this Avani controller because there isn’t a more advanced technology you can get at this point in time. Honestly, in the agricultural sector, there isn’t any controller other than this. There is another I have come across, I have to make the whole thing. It is a Mumbai-manufactured product. I have that also with me. Hence, I have two including Avanijal. Avanijal works far better than the other. The multiple software installed in the product makes it possible for me to use it for multiple purposes. So I don’t need multiple controllers for multiple purposes. In total I have used three types of controllers and I would definitely vouch for Avanijal being superior. I would definitely recommend this product. I am open to talking to farmers if they would like to talk to me directly.
Contact – Mr. Ganesh Balasaheb Shinde,
At. Kanheri, post. Katewadi,
Tal. Baramati, Dist. Pune, Maharashtra state
Pin code 413102
Mo.9823272525/9325542525
Our company Avanijal Agri Automation Pvt Ltd is based out of Bangalore. We help farmers automate their agriculture irrigation and nutrient/ fertilization. Once you have the drip/sprinkler or, for that matter, any controlled water delivery system, we can automate it to ensure precision irrigation. Everything is app-based and is connected to the controller through a GSM network. We provide the app to the customer whereby he can schedule his irrigation time, date, etc. as per his need. Also, at the farm place we will have a smart controller installed. It opens different valves for different zones on the farm. It also manages filter cleaning systems, which is optional. This system controls the fertigation system up to 4 fertigation channels. So this application does most of the things that the farmer needs to do in terms of irrigation and fertilization at the farm. Except for mixing the fertilizer into the tank, everything can be operated via the mobile phone.
Benefits:
1. It improves the yield and this aspect is proven through many research papers across the globe.
2. It saves water which is again a proven fact. Hence, it saves up to 50-60 % water. Naturally, it saves electricity, because the person runs it only when it is required. The big challenge to farmers is that given we are a total of about 1.3 billion people, but agricultural labourers are hard to find. Even I come from an agricultural family and I see the challenges.
3. It also saves nutrients to some extent as well as over irrigation. Assume that all the pipe is open and you have already done the fertigation, you end up wasting the fertilizer. Instead of going to the crop, it reaches the ground water and pollutes it. Our product can limit that also to some extent. I won’t say it will get eliminated.
As of now, we have the system in place to set the time to irrigate, or you can set the volume – how many litres you want to be delivered to different zones. Something we are working towards is also to satellite imaging. Analysing the satellite image, you can understand the water content in the soil and you know how much water is required that day for a given crop in a given area and we deliver only the delta – that is deficit requirement between required and existing. Over and above, we can have basic data stored – how many times the land got irrigated, how many times was the fertilizer used, etc. is stored in the system and can be retrieved at any time. Once the crop is harvested, this can be reset and set for the next cycle. We are also trying that we upload data to the server with timestamp so that we can analyse and give actionable feedback to the farmers, like how much irrigation was done vs how much the land required etc. We also have a lot of protection system in place in our controller. Even if the farmer is elsewhere and he doesn’t know what is happening, our system will give a report of each and every activity that happens on the farm and it also protects assets on the farm like the motor and the valve – the motor should run within a prescribed voltage. If the voltage goes beyond the prescribed limit, it sets off the system. In case of the valve, it will monitor if it is electrically opened or not. If not, we move to the next one and we make the farmer aware of the issue. The pipeline pressures – high and low – are measured. A point to be noted is that the electricity is like horse hunting. No book in the world can give you information on what the electric condition is and what should be there on the farm. In the morning it will be something and in the evening it will be something else. It took us almost a year to figure how this can be done and provide a solution. Another thing is all farmers in India have their own ways of irrigating their land. Listening to advises and changing his methods is a rarity. He works on the thumb rule that as long as his pump works, the irrigation works. Whatever state of the art niche product you come up with, if it doesn’t meet his requirement, he won’t care. So everything in our system is software configured, and so it is customizable as per farmer’s unique needs. Our system supports Indian farming conditions and practices and this is a very relevant feature. It is not a standardized system which works on one farm and doesn’t on the other. Another fact is that our price is the cheapest in terms of what we deliver. That is my brief of my product and how it works. If you have any questions, please go ahead.
Does this have the ability to look at a patch of land, break it up into smaller pieces, and help release water to the area that needs water?
More or less. What you said is right. There are so many people globally and locally delivering similar solutions. But it isn’t the same. Our system works in any set up. You can plug it into a three-phase system, neutral, only one phase working – anything, it will work. Drip irrigation already has a control in place – they have different valves reaching out to different places. The farmer can irrigate places of his choice.
But he should take that decision himself, right?
Yes, that is true. Assume that he wants to irrigate for half an hour. Even though you have a dedicated mind, it is difficult for you switch it on and off when you have so many other things to cater to. It is humanly impossible. That is where the electronics systems help.
Does your system have sensors on the ground which track the moisture content?
Earlier we thought of using sensors. Sensors are too expensive for farmers in India, for that matter abroad as well. It is mighty expensive. We are doing a lot of research on the ground. We get to know what the moisture content of the soil is, and based on that we know what the water requirement of the crop that day is. The required amount will be delivered without farmer intervention.
If I have a coconut farm and I already have my drip irrigation in place, in what way would we collaborate?
We won’t replace any of the technologies existing on your farm. We will place a controller above your motor board room, and will place our equipment in series with the existing ball valves. The only thing is you should keep the ball valve switched on all the time. Once we have a signal at the controller, it is passed on to the system to turn on or turn off. So yes, it will be viable when we come up with the individual farmer approach.
How does it know which valve should be turned on/off?
All that the system will decide. The farmer has to make a schedule. Assume that the satellite imaging is in place and the system will take care of the whole thing. It will deliver the water as per requirement.
Through the satellite images you take care of which area needs to be irrigated?
Yes, the controller is connected to a GPRS network. Once it is switched on, all the history of irrigation is brought to light, and as per inputs it will take care of the present irrigation needs.
So, do I have to turn it on/off manually?
The system will take care of it all. You have to watch your farm and go and sleep. This way farmers won’t need irrigation manpower to irrigate the land.
Is this system viable for small-time farmers?
Yes, it is viable. Per my experience, even if the highest technology is given to farmers, they will not use it. I personally come from an agriculture family. Whatever I tell my brother, he won’t gulp the idea. I have given this to a coffee estate person. How much ever the system takes care of the irrigation, they are always doubtful as to what is happening on the farm. So, we will inform everything whatever happens on the farm.
Where have you implemented this so far?
We have implemented it in Maharashtra – Nasik area. We have also implemented in Tumkur, etc. The reality is that the farmers over there are much more progressive and much more forward in terms of entrepreneurial spirit.
What will the cost come up to per acre?
It will come up to Rs 15000/- per acre.
Is it a one-time cost or are there recurring costs involved?
It is a one-time cost. But with the satellite imaging, it will be a subscription, which cannot be charged up front. That will be charged yearly. If a farmer has 5 acres and he wants to subscribe only for 2 acres – that can also be done.
Are there any other benefits in terms of yield?
Of course, that is what I mentioned in the beginning. The yield will definitely improve by 15-20%. I come from North Karnataka. We grow sugarcane every year. Our yield is around 35-40 tonnes – very low. We have improved it by 4 tonnes.
How does the yield increase?
The thing is – today farmers are either over irrigating their land or under irrigating it, which adversely affects their yield. When the irrigation is up to the mark, the yield increases. In fact, over irrigation is a bigger evil than under irrigation. Unfortunately, most of our farmers think that if they give more water it is better for the yield, when the fact is that the growth will reduce with over irrigation.
What is the life span of your system?
It is designed for 8 years. It should work efficiently at least for 6 years. The design is done perfectly. Every component is imported. We don’t buy secondary components – even the fuse. For example, on the field if a fuse gets blown off, you won’t get a duplicate fuse of the same specification. The best you get is a physical match which is not good enough. Many people don’t know this but it is true.
Do you have the network to provide service at other places as well?
We are open to any area. Our initial implementation has nothing to do with limitations in an area. We can implement this anywhere. We are a start-up, so we have restricted manpower. We are looking for partners. We are working with a couple of big companies. In Maharashtra and Karnataka we are working with big companies who will sell our product. Last week we had a person enquiring from Ranchi. They want us to supply. But we cannot do that directly, we are open to dealership. Basically, we are technically very strong, coming from the IT industry. So we have developed solutions for so many complex systems. I am, like I mentioned before, from a farmer family, and I know what the complexities are. But, we don’t have a huge distribution network as of now. So, we have restricted ourselves to sell this product only through partners.
There must be other irrigation companies also doing this, right?
They do. But those are systems developed for the entire world. They are standard systems – not smart, intelligent and customizable to benefit Indian conditions. They work based on standard inputs fed into them. Another thing is, our farmers don’t want that because it is not required here. If you go to the US, water is regulated. On certain days there is limited water and on others surplus. For example, you want to irrigate your farm on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. But our situation is different. That is not the solution we need. We don’t have anything fixated here. Also, who would go into their fields to irrigate it at night? Another thing is – most of our lands are separated from each other. A farmer will have a land at 1 km, another at a distance of 10 km, and then a third at a further 10 km distance. When it comes to sugarcane farms, nobody dares get into a sugarcane farm during the daytime, forget about irrigating it during the nights. 1. The system is built to suit Indian farmers and Indian conditions.
2. We are extremely cost effective in comparison to any imported or even any Indian system. Most Indian controls are basic ones.
How has your business been so far? Are you being funded?
No, we are funding ourselves at the moment. Nobody has funded us yet. We worked with a few firms and we have been using their wireless for our controller to the valve connection. We have been awarded some money. But that is a reward, there is no funding from anywhere. Agriculture is difficult anywhere in the world. In India, it is too difficult. In terms of response, it is not as great as we expected. But it is not too bad either. It is okay as of now.
You are not getting the expected response from farmers?
Right. We started selling this product roughly two years back. It took almost two years to develop and another year to test, because testing in itself is a challenge, and testing with an entirely different electrical set up is a big challenge. In some areas you have less voltage and in others you have high voltage. Unfortunately, this is a truth. Voltage fluctuation is very high in the country. That is a huge problem – one of our biggest challenges. Another challenge is if you visit 10 farmers, you will get 10 different implementations of irrigation systems. So building a system to adapt it all was a Herculean task.
Is Internet connectivity an issue?
It is a problem in the rural areas. But, the communication to the server happens in the form of text messages, so that is working fine.
CONTACT
Mr. Channabasappa Kolar
Avanijal Agri Automation Pvt. Ltd.,
949, 39th Cross, 24th Main, Jayanagar, 4th T block
Bangalore – 560041 Karnataka
Email: cbkolar@avanijal.com
Phone: 9880652209
Mr. Ganesh
What do you feel about the product and how useful is it for you?
I wanted to automate my field via mobile operation. I spoke about this to my friend. He gave me Mr Channabasappa’s contact. He advised that the controller he fits is good and will serve my purpose. So, I got it installed. I have used a lot of other controls so far, and this is by far the best. The technology the system used is very advanced. It takes care of most of the farmers’ needs – A C Meter, Ph Reading, etc. You can irrigate your land as per volume or based on time. I liked the product so I purchased it.
How much money did you spend on it?
The deal has not completed as of now. I have paid an advance of Rs 30,000/-.
Have you experienced the system understanding on its own which plant has less water and automatically turning on the water for that place alone?
The field where I have this control in place is a 12 acre field. I have cultivated sugarcane in that field. Now even if I had different types of crops in that plot, this system gives me the option of managing each crop as per the need of that crop. I can irrigate the plot the way I need.
Have you tried using the system for different needs?
Last year, on the same field I had 8 acres of pomegranate. This year I have switched the whole plot to sugarcane. So, now I only have a single crop. It works well. If I had 3 different crops on my field, I have the option of giving all three crops different treatment.
Have you ever tried the system for different crops?
Yes, I have used it for two crops. I have used it last year for sugarcane and pomegranate.
Are other farmers using this technology for their irrigation?
From the year 2014, I have automated my fields. I used Mobitek’s controller first. It was the most economical one I got at that time and so I got it installed. I used it for about 4 years. It didn’t have auto-fertigation, EC reading, PH reading or satellite reading. Those were the drawbacks in that system. With the passage of time, technology also develops. I saw another controller at an exhibition, which I liked after they demonstrated it. I replaced the old one with the one I saw at the exhibition. The neighbouring farmers are solely depending on drip irrigation. They are not very interested in automating their fields. They are not willing to expand their way of thinking. In the last two years I’ve seen those farmers installing systems in their fields who have more than 30 acres. The farmers having plots below 30 acres are not showing any interest in such things.
Do you feel that this product is better than other products?
See, I am a farmer. I will always think in terms of lowering my cost. There is a big farming exhibition that takes place every year and I keep visiting the exhibition every year. I keep seeing different kinds of controllers over there. The minus points in most of them is that they won’t have satellite connects, auto fertigation, no Ph value readings etc. I have seen some drawback or the other in most of them. Now, if there were products that had a lot of features and advantages, it would be too costly – 1.5 lakh – 2 lakh. Buying a product that high in cost is too big a risk for me. I wanted a person who doesn’t necessarily have to come to my field to help me if I happen to have an issue with the product, but solving it over a phone call also would do. That way, in a matter of an hour, my issues will get solved. Now, finally I have got a product close to my imagination, at a reasonable cost.
Will you recommend this product to other farmers?
There are companies selling products whose price vary with location. If farmers come and ask me about automation, I will give them full details of whatever I know. Now coming to this product, I would definitely recommend this Avani controller because there isn’t a more advanced technology you can get at this point in time. Honestly, in the agricultural sector, there isn’t any controller other than this. There is another I have come across, I have to make the whole thing. It is a Mumbai-manufactured product. I have that also with me. Hence, I have two including Avanijal. Avanijal works far better than the other. The multiple software installed in the product makes it possible for me to use it for multiple purposes. So I don’t need multiple controllers for multiple purposes. In total I have used three types of controllers and I would definitely vouch for Avanijal being superior. I would definitely recommend this product. I am open to talking to farmers if they would like to talk to me directly.
Contact – Mr. Ganesh Balasaheb Shinde,
At. Kanheri, post. Katewadi,
Tal. Baramati, Dist. Pune, Maharashtra state
Pin code 413102
Mo.9823272525/9325542525
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