Month: November 2017

Sustainable Agriculture Farmers Going Greener

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Sustainable agriculture refers to the creation of a system whereby farmers can farm their land indefinitely. Sort of like a battery that could provide power and be recharged simultaneously. Sustainable agriculture depends upon the ability of farmers to anticipate problems caused both naturally and unnaturally, i.e. as a result of farming, and overcome them.

An example of a natural problem would be drought; an unnatural problem would be nitrogen depletion in the soils as a result of harvesting crops. While man cannot directly control natural occurrences like drought or other extreme forms of weather, they can control their own impact on the land and that’s where the practices of sustainable agriculture are focused.

The common problem of nutrient depletion in the soil can be addressed in a few different ways, some of which are actually feasible right now, some of which are only proposed and depend upon the further development of technology in order to be viable. One possibility is to recycle crop waste and livestock or human manure. Another is to grow legume crops that engage in a symbiotic relationship with nitrogen-fixing bacteria.

A modification of the Haber Process (which produces nitrogen industrially with hydrogen gas) could be sustainable if the hydrogen were obtained from electrolysis powered by wind mills or solar cells instead of getting the hydrogen from natural gas as the Haber Process currently calls for. The last solution, while ideal in many respects, requires greater advancement in the field of genetic engineering.

That solution would be to engineer non-legume crops that produce nitrogen either through symbiosis or without it. Like nutrient depletion problems, the ability to irrigate crops without using up water supplies also demands attention.

Unfortunately for farmers, rainfall does not supply an adequate amount of water for crops in many areas of the world. Irrigation addresses this problem, but when a resource of water is tapped for irrigation and the rate of water use from the resource is greater than rate of water renewal at the source of water, then the water will be depleted. In such situations the sources of water cannot be considered renewable and therefore do not qualify as viable options in creating a sustainable farm.

However, when water can be used at a rate lesser than or equal to the rate of recharge at the source, a farm can be sustainable. Sustainable farms can support those who desire to produce natural products.

Natural products are ones that have not been influenced with inorganic compounds like pesticide or growth hormones in animals. Farmers wishing to market natural meat as a product raise their livestock on sustainable farms in order to be self-sufficient. Some successful farmers, catering to a growing organically inclined market, even sell steaks online.

Agriculture Not Be A State Subject

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CII today organized a Seminar on Reforms in the APMC (Agricultural Produce Market Committee) Act , and its impact in the Southern States. This is an initiative of the Agri Business Sub-Committee, CII-Southern Region. Speaking at the occasion, Mr. Shankarlal Guru, Chairman-International Society for Agricultural Marketing said Agricultural sector is in urgent need of reforms by the respective State governments to help drive the economy to a higher growth rate that is expected by the policy makers, but a comprehensive agenda for reforms in this crucial sector is yet to emerge. Hence, the need for Agriculture to be made a central subject and not a state subject, thus alienating it from politics, said Mr. Guru. Contract farming should be encouraged as it will help bring technology and modern practices into the agriculture sector – opined Mr. Guru.

The APMC Act in each state of India requires all agricultural products to be sold only in government – regulated markets. These markets impose substantial taxes on buyers, in addition to commissions and fees taken by middlemen, but typically provide little service in areas such as price discovery, grading or inspection. A key impact of this regulation is the inability of private sector processors and retailers to integrate their enterprises directly with farmers or other sellers, eliminating middlemen in the process. Farmers also are unable to legally enter into contracts with buyers. This leaves no incentives for farmers to upgrade, and inhibits private and foreign investments in the food process sector.

Also addressing the audience was Mr. Sivakumar, Chairman Agri Business Sub-Committee, CII-Southern Region and Chief Executive – Agri, ITC Ltd. Said that Agri business in India is at a transition point. Having sailed through the shortage economy to an economy with surplus in grains, it is important that Governments at the Centre and State recognize the need for inclusive growth to take agriculture forward in India. Setting the context for the day’s discussion, Mr. Sivakumar emphasized that in spite of employing about 57% of the population of the country, agriculture on contributes 27% to the GDP of India. This distortion makes agriculture not a lucrative employment generator and hence, keeping with the global view, India needs to carve out opportunities in agri-exports sector. Contract farming and direct marketing to retail chains and processing units are the need of the hour he said.

Regulations to keep pace with these needs are required, which need alternative marketing mechanisms. Hence, reforms in the APMC Act are recommended in various fields, he added.

Making a presentation on “Aligning State Policies with emerging new marketing models”, Prof. S Raghunath from the Indian Institute of Management-Bangalore, emphasized the need for an effective and efficient distribution system for agri-produce and provision for supply-demand transparency. Since the main objective of the APMC Act was to prevent exploitation of farmers by various intermediaries, reforms were required in the Act, with changing face of agriculture and the agricultural supply chain, opined Prof Raghunath. India is the largest producer of vegetable in the world, with a total share of 15% of global produce. 8% of world’s fruits are produced in India, ranking it second in the world market. In spite of this, there is a high cumulative wastage of 40% in India, informed Prof. Raghunath. Inadequate infrastructure and lack of organized supply chain were the main cause for such a disparity, he said. Thus, reforms in this sector need to catch up with the pace of development in the economy and dis-intermediation and participation of organized players in the sector will remove the lacunae, opined Prof. Raghunath.

Centre asks states to amend APMC Act

In a move to allow farmers to directly sell their produce to industry, contract farming and setting up of competitive markets in private and cooperative sector, the Centre has asked the state government to amend the Agricultural Produce Marketing Act.

Under the present Act, the processing industry cannot buy directly from farmers. The farmer is also restricted from entering into direct contract with any manufacturer because the produce is required to be canalised through regulated markets. These restrictions are acting as a disincentive to farmers, trade and industries.

The government has recently approved a central sector scheme titled Development/strengthening of agricultural marketing infrastructure, grading and standardisation.

Under the scheme, credit linked investment subsidy shall be provided on the capital cost of general or commodity specific infrastructure for marketing of agricultural commodities and for strengthening and modernisation of existing agricultural markets, wholesale, rural periodic or in tribal areas.

The scheme is linked to reforms in state law dealing with agricultural markets (APMC Act). Assistance under the new scheme will be provided in those states that amend the APMC Act.

The Centre has asked the state governments to inform as to whether necessary amendments to the APMC Act have been carried out, in order to notify the reforming states for applicability of the scheme.

Along with the Centre, the industry is also interested in the amendment to the APMC Act as it restricts the growth of trade in agricultural commodities.

The policy regime pertaining to internal trade is particularly restrictive. The agricultural sector continues to be hamstrung by a plethora of controls, which were introduced during the era of shortages, said the PHDCCI.

Meanwhile, a decentralised system of procuring wheat and rice would make the Public Distribution System more cost effective, the government has said.

The Agriculture And Horticulture Sector As Career

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The field of agriculture and horticulture needs increasing attention with the increasing concerns of global warming and other environmental hazards. One can get deeply involved in this field with agricultural jobs and jobs in horticulture. While agriculture is basically farming, horticulture technically is the science of plant development encompassing every area. But the horticulture industry has its subtypes and career can also be developed in the same fields. It includes arboriculture dealing with wines, shrubbery etc., floriculture deals with floral crops and flowers, landscape horticulture includes plants involved in landscaping areas and climates, olericulture deals with vegetables and pomology includes fruits and viticulture includes wineries and grapes.

Though it maybe a widespread notion that illiterates or less educated can do farming, it is very important to know that the jobs in horticulture employs engineers, inspectors, business managers, scientists and researchers, geneticists, and teachers and many more and it is a rewarding career. The career can be started in gardening departments in hardware stores, local floral shops, greenhouses or landscape design and all these help to build up practical knowledge of plants. Agricultural jobs now have a career and numerous opportunities and jobs in horticulture can be attained with academic exposure and can be employed as agricultural inspector, horticulturalist, technical officer or farm supervisor or inspector or professor in agriculture universities.

There are also other jobs like marketing and Sales-related job in chemical companies manufacturing pesticides and insecticides, horticulture or landscape supervisor in farm houses, golf courses, construction companies, horticulture officer in agriculture product companies or self-employment like horticulture advisor or consultant for individuals and companies related to garden, orchard, and plant-related concerns, starting a seed producer, mushroom grower, or fruit/flower/vegetable grower business or raising a nursery for fruit-bearing, flower, and other ornamental plants. There are also other support or service related jobs like collaborating with engineers producing tools and machines used for plant production, harvesting, and storing, researching and developing new techniques and principles to improve different types of vegetables, fruits, and other ornamental plants, working on landscape designing, ground maintenance, lawn care, and plant/tree care. experimenting and producing chemicals that will result
to better plant production and quality and getting involved in transporting and distribution of horticulture-related produce and products. Jobs in horticulture and agricultural jobs prove to be very rewarding, personally as well as financially and one can also learn by taking up correspondence courses and shift the focus of their careers

My Favorite Measures For Victory From Organic And Natural Agriculture

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You may know a bit about organic gardening. Regardless, you need to keep on going with learning new things to help with this new venture.

It is significantly important that you keep yourself well informed and research up-to-date information on how to implement your project. Try to meet with other local gardeners to learn from their experience. If your primary motivation for sticking to purely organic materials in your garden is to give back to nature, you are making the right choice. For sure, nature itself will find ways to help you out and for you to be able see solutions to your problems just around the corner.

This is an illustration of how grand nature is. This is the fundamental principle of organic gardening. Nature has given you many gifts and this is a way to give back something special to nature and the environment in which you live. Avoid synthetic materials when gardening. All you need is items you discover on the ground and all around you.

You could be using your own free compost material as rich fertilizer. This is not a simple exercise. Generally it will take a considerable amount of time and effort from you. The way to start a compost pile is to collect fallen leaves, vegetable scraps, animal manure, grass clippings and the like in a compost bag. You’ll just have to check it from time to time and add moisture when necessary.

A second option is to pile up all the yard waste you can find. Put all of that in a designated compost spot. You just leave them there and let nature takes its course through those materials. Over the months and years, it will degrade into a rich mulch that acts as a potent fertilizer. However you have to exercise some caution to select only the section that is not affected by pests. If you don’t, you’ll often get bigger problems with your garden.

The last methods tends to be longer. And because it is open and you cannot regulate it, certain elements can be accommodated into the pile which may be harmful to your garden. It will still be necessary to keep a close eye on it in order to keep your garden beautiful and healthy.

You must keep in mind that you have to be choosy with the plants. Ask a local dealer what plants will grow easily on your location. You should only opt for something that will thrive in your conditions and not just something you like.

Learn more about mulching. You have to do this periodically in your garden beds. This has the ability to kill weeds. Search for unnecessary pests and remove them from your area. This will also help moderate the temperature of the soil. By mulching it, you will most likely prevent soil erosion.

How To Start A Community Supported Agriculture Market Garden

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Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a great way for farmers and consumers to connect. The demand for fresh local food is growing steadily; there’s never been a better time to start market gardening. Learn how to start your own CSA and grow an income from your garden.

What is Community Supported Agriculture?

In the CSA model, customers support the farmer by buying a share of vegetables from her market garden. Customers often pay in advance for the season; this early cash flow provides start up capital for the farmer to buy seeds and supplies. In this model the CSA farmer can launch a market garden with little capital of her own.

What is the benefit to the consumer?

Customers of the CSA benefit by receiving a weekly share of fresh, natural food, often delivered right to their door. They also benefit from the knowledge they are supporting local food and local farmers, and reducing the ‘food miles’ that most produce travels before it reaches the consumer. Finally, the consumer is connecting back to the real source of all food, the soil. Many CSA customers feel a sense of ownership as they support their farm.

How to get started in Community Supported Agriculture

Step one is to set some goals for your CSA garden. How much money do you expect to make from your garden? Do you expect to make a part time income, or will your CSA be your main source of income for the season?

Once you have set an income target, you need to determine a price for your CSA shares, and the number of customers you will need to reach your target. For example, if you plan to make $10,000 from your garden, and you think that $500 per share is a fair price for your produce, then you will need to find 20 customers to meet your income goal. You can determine a price per share by surveying other CSA farms in your area, and comparing their offerings and prices. You can also estimate fair price by determining how much of each vegetable you plan to include in the share, and researching to find out an average price for each one.

Finding customers for your Community Supported Agriculture market garden

The first step in marketing your garden is to reach out to your warm market. Talk to your friends, family, co-workers, golf buddies, car poolers, in short everybody, and tell them you will be growing delicious, fresh vegetables in limited quantities, and if they hurry they can get on the list to get some. If they are interested, sign them up and accept a payment to help finance your garden.

If your warm market can’t fulfill your target for customers, then you have to find another source. Mail out flyers are a good way to target a specific area to find more customers. Find a neighborhood within your delivery distance, and send each home a flyer describing your garden and the benefits of your CSA program. If you write a good, compelling flyer, you can expect to receive about a 1% response rate. In other words, if you send out 1,000 flyers you will net about 10 customers. Repeat the mailing in other close neighborhoods until you reach your target.

Planning your Community Supported Agriculture market garden

Once you have confirmed how many customers you have, you now need to plan and schedule your garden to grow the vegetables for them. One of the big advantages of Community Supported Agriculture is that you know exactly how many customers you have, and therefore you can plan your market garden to be quite efficient. You will need to know your last spring frost date and your first fall frost date to plan your growing schedule. You also need to know how long each vegetable takes to mature, how much it yields, and how often you need to replant to keep a continuous harvest coming.

For example, if you have 20 customers, and each customer expects to receive one head of lettuce per week, then you know you need to harvest at least that many lettuces each week. If lettuce takes 50 days to grow to maturity, and needs one square foot of space to grow, you can figure out when to start the plants, and how much space in total you will need. You carry out this calculation for each crop you plan to grow.

Growing your Community Supported Agriculture market garden

A successful market garden requires regular attention to survive and thrive. You need to take all reasonable effort to grow and protect your crops; your customers are counting on you to bring them fresh vegetables each week. You should plant more than one variety of each vegetable, and make multiple plantings at short intervals to protect against crop failure. Grow disease resistant varieties whenever possible. Raised beds can protect against heavy rains and flooding, and drip irrigation will protect against drought. Floating row cover will provide a physical barrier against insects, and will protect young plants from cold and wind.

Starting a Community Supported Agriculture market garden is a great business you can start for very little cash. If you are successful you can grow from a part-time to a very good full time income with CSA.