Why this Tamil Nadu farmer grows maize in his cupboard
Farmer P Saravanan does not use the almirahs in his house to store jewellery or money. He uses them for the safe keep of a different valuable – fodder. “I use the cupboards to grow grain to use as fodder for my cattle,” says the Namakkal-based organic farmer.
Saravanan, who owns an agricultural patch in Ariyakoundampatty, says he does not have enough land to grow the grain for fodder and so uses the soil-less hydroponic method. Saravanan says he learnt hydroponics three years ago from Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), a government-run research centre that works with farmers to propagate sustainable agricultural techniques.
“The fodder I make through hydroponics is much cheaper than what is available in the market,” says Saravanan. He makes his fodder out of maize for his cattleusing the method. *I get about 4. 5kg of maize fodder from just 500g of the grain. It takes about eight days for a yield.”
Saravanan soaks the maize in water for 24 lours, then spreads them out on a plastic tray. “I keep the tray in the almirah to shelter it from direct sunlight. I then water it once in three hours for seven days. After eight days, the crop is ready to harvest. I’m now trying it with other cereals and pulses.”
Thrilled with the results, Saravanan is now promoting hydroponics among his relatives. “It’s maximum profit with minimum spending. So, why not?”
In 2018, Saravanan received an ‘innovative farmer’ award from the Centre, the best citizen award from the Namakkal district administration, and the best farmer award from the International Rice Research Institute, New Delhi. In 2019, he received the ‘Haldar organic farmer’ award from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research.
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