Coimbatore farmer, recognised by UN FAO as a ‘soil hero’, urges shift to natural farming

V.T. Valluvan, a 59-year-old pure farmer at Vettaikaranpudur in Pollachi, Coimbatore district, has received the third place within the United Nations Meals and Agriculture Group (UN FAO) ‘Soil Hero Guardian’ contest, for rising the soil natural carbon to 1.56%.

That is the primary time this recognition has come to India, he claims.

What introduced the ’Soil Hero‘ award to Mr. Valluvan is his effort since 2009 to transform his agriculture land right into a “multi-level, multi-crop, tree-based” farmland.

After struggling losses for 3 consecutive years (2006 to 2009), when he was rising monocrop on 7.5 acres, he moved on to multi-level, multi-crop, tree-based agriculture.

At present, he boasts of his earnings rising greater than 2.5 instances per acre, rising over 14 forms of crops, and having 9,600 timber on 32 acres.

“We managed the 2015-2016 drought with out shopping for water and with out felling the coconut timber,” he mentioned.

Mr. Valluvan means that farmers ought to first go for soil and water checks and land survey, regardless that they know their land effectively. They need to then undertake drip irrigation system as an preliminary step, as authorities assist is out there for a similar. Correct planning of the challenge earlier than the rains will assist reduce down on investments and cut back water consumption, he says.

Farmers ought to then plan inter-crops if they’ve coconut groves. With the assistance of a crew from Isha, Mr. Valluvan opted for 14 completely different crops of various heights, together with tubers. Cow dung and cow urine are given as inputs to the crops. Mulching helps retain the moisture within the soil, he says.

Among the crops like banana and coconut begin yielding income from the primary yr and yearly, the income from different crops begin compounding.

Historically, agriculture was a self-sustaining apply, and pure and tree-based agriculture helps revive that.

“At present, my son, who’s a health care provider by career, is aware of all about pure farming. He works on the farm at any time when he visits it and provides his solutions too. Thus, it’s a satisfaction that the subsequent era desires to be a part of this,” provides Mr. Valluvan.

Mr. Valluvan has educated greater than 7,000 farmers since 2017.