editorialteam
New Member
Banker turns farmer to increases coffee and pepper production in his family run farm
Sri Siddalingeswara Estate has rich cultivation of coffee and pepper. Mr. Hoysala M.G quit his secured job at Bank in 2009-10 to take care of his ancestral coffee and pepper estate. Robusta and Arabica coffee and pepper are the main crops grown along with rearing fishes commercially. “Our Plantation is well managed by my father Mr. M.C.Gokhale, who is an experienced planter. My expertise is in taking it forward by using scientific knowhow integrated with traditional practices. I attended different training programs in coffee, pepper and ginger cultivation to enhance my knowledge,” he adds. Changes in the estate were mainly water and nutritional management in addition with infrastructural development and high density planting. The estate spreads in 40 acre. Located at Hardur, Kodagu, Karnataka.
Mr. Hoysala M.G
When asked about taking the decision to turn farmer he says, “Every field has its own high potential, we have to recognize and reach that height. I moved to agriculture to take care of my ancestral coffee and pepper estate.” Mr. Hoysala could increase farm production by systematic integration of traditional practices with high scientific adaptation and even transformed infrastructural ability such as irrigation systems, water ponds, bore wells, spraying systems, drying yards, store houses, coffee and pepper processing units, etc.
Building ponds in the farm has become mandatory for survival. Yet to effectively attain the best benefit from ponds for rainwater harvesting, “We have mainly concentrated on the depth of the ponds in co-relation to its length and breadth as it proves to have more water holding capacity in terms of volume and less loss in evaporation. We have water capacity of around 3 crore liter plus. Besides all our water sources be it bore wells or ponds are mainly situated in valleys where the ground water table is maximum. Thereby rain water can be harvested to its full extent,” he highlights.
To have an add-on income from the ponds it is apt to get engaged in fishery. “We rear fresh water fishes like rohu, grass carp, common carp and catla. This brings an additional income and further the water used for fish cultivation is an excellent plant growth promoter. We use it along with cattle manure and other nutritional elements to get nutrition rich water for farm irrigation. It improves the production hence double advantage,” he asserts.
Speaking about shade regulation Mr. Hoyala says, “Indian Coffee Estates are mainly agro-forestry system, (i.e coffee grown under shade trees) and thus shade regulation is a general traditional practice done at estate operations. It is basically regulating shade by way of systematic pruning of shade trees in order to achieve sufficient sunlight required for both coffee and pepper.
Usually pepper is grown with coffee as intercrop. However pepper is extremely vulnerable to pest and disease attack, “Yes it is! Pepper is intercropped parallel to coffee but pepper is susceptible to pest and fungal attacks due to exhaustion because of high productivity, over sunlight exposure, lack of moisture in soil during dry periods and improper nutrition management, says Mr. Hoysala and adds, “Exhaustion can be managed by timely irrigation and proper nutrition management. Over sunlight scorching can be addressed by avoiding improper shade regulation. Application of organic matters will be the right approach to retain moisture in the soil as long as possible.”
To manage pest at Sri Siddalingeswara Estate integrated nutritional management practices are adopted. “This implies we integrate organic manure application as well as fertilizers by perfecting the actual requirement of the plants,” he adds.
Mr. Hoysala brought one of the major changes in the estate by going 100% chemical free. “Natural farming inputs play a supportive role in supplying required nutrition to the plants. As our understanding goes its' main role is to increase the soil holding capacity and act as food to the bio-organisms which are beneficial in protecting the plant system as well as in transportation of minerals and nutrients,” Mr. Hoysala elaborates.
On asking if it is possible to quit chemicals completely, he clarifies, “With proper nutritional management and by achieving plant systemic resistance, it is possible to avoid high concentrated insecticide/fungicide to a very great extent, even nil.”
Coffee is directly sold to coffee curing works/exporters to avoid middlemen as much as possible so as to maximize or profits. Whereas pepper is sold to local traders as the estate is situated in the pepper growing zone. “Prices depends on the exchange houses trading/price fixations like (NYCE) New York Commodity Exchange, (ICE) Inter-Continental Exchange, LIFFE (London International Financial Futures and Options Exchange),etc. for coffee. And the pepper prices depend on MCX Black Pepper, (NMCE) National Multi Commodity Ex-change, (NCDEX) National Commodity & Derivatives Exchange, Commodity Exchange Cochin, etc. Both the commodity prices are related to local and International Pipeline Stocks as well as demand and supply,” he shares.
In time to come Mr. Hoysala plans to take the estate to the next level in terms of production, high density and disciplined planting and sufficiency in infrastructure. “We are already moving in this direction to the best extent possible. Growth and prosperity is part of any business but we are focused on our techniques and making farming sustainable,” he signs off.
Contact Details:
Sri Siddalingeshwara Estate
Hardur P.O., Suntikoppa, Kodagu, Karnataka–571 237
Phone: 09449682430, 08276-262430
Email: hoysala.mg@gmail.com
Sri Siddalingeswara Estate has rich cultivation of coffee and pepper. Mr. Hoysala M.G quit his secured job at Bank in 2009-10 to take care of his ancestral coffee and pepper estate. Robusta and Arabica coffee and pepper are the main crops grown along with rearing fishes commercially. “Our Plantation is well managed by my father Mr. M.C.Gokhale, who is an experienced planter. My expertise is in taking it forward by using scientific knowhow integrated with traditional practices. I attended different training programs in coffee, pepper and ginger cultivation to enhance my knowledge,” he adds. Changes in the estate were mainly water and nutritional management in addition with infrastructural development and high density planting. The estate spreads in 40 acre. Located at Hardur, Kodagu, Karnataka.
Mr. Hoysala M.G
When asked about taking the decision to turn farmer he says, “Every field has its own high potential, we have to recognize and reach that height. I moved to agriculture to take care of my ancestral coffee and pepper estate.” Mr. Hoysala could increase farm production by systematic integration of traditional practices with high scientific adaptation and even transformed infrastructural ability such as irrigation systems, water ponds, bore wells, spraying systems, drying yards, store houses, coffee and pepper processing units, etc.
Building ponds in the farm has become mandatory for survival. Yet to effectively attain the best benefit from ponds for rainwater harvesting, “We have mainly concentrated on the depth of the ponds in co-relation to its length and breadth as it proves to have more water holding capacity in terms of volume and less loss in evaporation. We have water capacity of around 3 crore liter plus. Besides all our water sources be it bore wells or ponds are mainly situated in valleys where the ground water table is maximum. Thereby rain water can be harvested to its full extent,” he highlights.
To have an add-on income from the ponds it is apt to get engaged in fishery. “We rear fresh water fishes like rohu, grass carp, common carp and catla. This brings an additional income and further the water used for fish cultivation is an excellent plant growth promoter. We use it along with cattle manure and other nutritional elements to get nutrition rich water for farm irrigation. It improves the production hence double advantage,” he asserts.
Speaking about shade regulation Mr. Hoyala says, “Indian Coffee Estates are mainly agro-forestry system, (i.e coffee grown under shade trees) and thus shade regulation is a general traditional practice done at estate operations. It is basically regulating shade by way of systematic pruning of shade trees in order to achieve sufficient sunlight required for both coffee and pepper.
Usually pepper is grown with coffee as intercrop. However pepper is extremely vulnerable to pest and disease attack, “Yes it is! Pepper is intercropped parallel to coffee but pepper is susceptible to pest and fungal attacks due to exhaustion because of high productivity, over sunlight exposure, lack of moisture in soil during dry periods and improper nutrition management, says Mr. Hoysala and adds, “Exhaustion can be managed by timely irrigation and proper nutrition management. Over sunlight scorching can be addressed by avoiding improper shade regulation. Application of organic matters will be the right approach to retain moisture in the soil as long as possible.”
To manage pest at Sri Siddalingeswara Estate integrated nutritional management practices are adopted. “This implies we integrate organic manure application as well as fertilizers by perfecting the actual requirement of the plants,” he adds.
Mr. Hoysala brought one of the major changes in the estate by going 100% chemical free. “Natural farming inputs play a supportive role in supplying required nutrition to the plants. As our understanding goes its' main role is to increase the soil holding capacity and act as food to the bio-organisms which are beneficial in protecting the plant system as well as in transportation of minerals and nutrients,” Mr. Hoysala elaborates.
On asking if it is possible to quit chemicals completely, he clarifies, “With proper nutritional management and by achieving plant systemic resistance, it is possible to avoid high concentrated insecticide/fungicide to a very great extent, even nil.”
Coffee is directly sold to coffee curing works/exporters to avoid middlemen as much as possible so as to maximize or profits. Whereas pepper is sold to local traders as the estate is situated in the pepper growing zone. “Prices depends on the exchange houses trading/price fixations like (NYCE) New York Commodity Exchange, (ICE) Inter-Continental Exchange, LIFFE (London International Financial Futures and Options Exchange),etc. for coffee. And the pepper prices depend on MCX Black Pepper, (NMCE) National Multi Commodity Ex-change, (NCDEX) National Commodity & Derivatives Exchange, Commodity Exchange Cochin, etc. Both the commodity prices are related to local and International Pipeline Stocks as well as demand and supply,” he shares.
In time to come Mr. Hoysala plans to take the estate to the next level in terms of production, high density and disciplined planting and sufficiency in infrastructure. “We are already moving in this direction to the best extent possible. Growth and prosperity is part of any business but we are focused on our techniques and making farming sustainable,” he signs off.
Contact Details:
Sri Siddalingeshwara Estate
Hardur P.O., Suntikoppa, Kodagu, Karnataka–571 237
Phone: 09449682430, 08276-262430
Email: hoysala.mg@gmail.com