In 2008, P Saravanan's turmeric crop was destroyed due to disease. This was the proverbial wake up call for the 58-year-old farmer, which prompted his switch to organic farming.
Born into a farming family, Saravanan realised that all he had to do to ensure a good crop — which benefitted him as well as the consumers — was to go back to his grandparents' style of farming and abandon chemicals and pesticides.
The Namakkal resident soon realised the benefits of organic farming, and through different training at the local Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), along with his innovations and home recipes to keep pests at bay, Saravanan soon became a certified organic farmer with many awards up his sleeve.
After all, he has been practising integrated farming for several decades now. Initiated with avoiding chemicals completely, he soon moved towards drip irrigation, vermicompost, a biogas unit and hydroponics. Unable to cultivate enough fodder for his cattle, hydroponic maize production proved to be a gamechanger for him.
Read more at thebetterindia.com