: Rajasthan Organic Farmer Blends Unique Curd-Based Fertiliser, Earns Rs 80 Lakh/Year #IndiaNEWS #organic farming Thanks to its environment-friendly and harmful chemical-free advantages, consumer belief

Rajasthan Organic Farmer Blends Unique Curd-Based Fertiliser, Earns Rs 80 Lakh/Year #IndiaNEWS #organic farming
Thanks to its environment-friendly and harmful chemical-free advantages, consumer belief in organic food is a recent trend. But 70-year-old Ratan Lal Daga is an exception far ahead of the curve. Ratan Lal began organic farming way back in 2003 and is a pioneer in the sector.
Like many others, Ratan, a farmer from Bhansar Kutari village in Rajasthan, was also a conventional farmer successfully practising the profession on 60 acres of ancestral land. Interestingly, even back then, he did have the habit of attending workshops and learning different agriculture methods from other farmers by travelling across India.
On one such occasion in 2000, he attended a session on organic farming in the Agriculture University, Bengaluru. Little did he know, those couple of hours would change the course of his farming forever.
“The vice-chancellor spoke about the ill-effects and negative impact of chemical fertilisers and pesticides in farming. Organic farming was a less known concept then. But, I had already experienced the points touched on while explaining the negative impacts,??? Ratan tells The Better India.
Visitors at Ratans farm.
He observed that his chemical fertiliser usage had only increased over the years as the quality of the soil and its fertility kept deteriorating. “Using heavy amounts of chemicals was a common practice. The soil was hardening by the day, requiring more water, and crops became more susceptible to pests. Moreover, the labourers often complained about itchiness and irritation on the skin while using chemical fertilisers. It was because of the toxicity,??? Ratan says.
Ratan says his workers also often visited the hospital. “The talk by the vice-chancellor started making sense and confirmed my doubts about the reducing quality. I immediately decided to make a shift to organic farming,??? he adds.
At present, Ratan practices organic farming on his entire land with his self-made blends of organic feed and fertilisers made from curd to grow about 20 varieties of fruits, vegetables and crops. His mastery in organic farming earns him Rs 80 lakh a year.
Mastering organic farming with unique recipes
However, it wasn’t all smooth sailing. Ratan suffered a severe setback when he made the sudden shift on his farm. “Much of the produce was either lost, or the crop failed. It was because of the absence of microbes and micronutrients in the soil. With no chemical use, the plants and seeds did not receive the required nutrition,??? Ratan says.
He switched back to chemicals. But he continued to make systematic efforts to increase his soil fertility through natural methods and steadily decreased chemical fertilisers and pesticides.

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