Gangappa, a marginal farmer from Aminagada village of Raichur in Karnataka, has set an example by converting his 2.5 acre of land into carbon collective. Gangappa has cultivated multi-species fruit plants and vegetables by practicing natural farming. He also utilized the land for beekeeping and constructed a pond for water conservation.

Gangappa and his family relied on agriculture for livelihood support. Their life took a drastic turn in the year 2018 when Gangappa started mixed cropping agricultural cultivation on his 2.5 acres of land making it a model agricultural land.

Exposure visits are an important training methodology in the programme that enables beneficiaries from different settings to interact with and learn from each other, allowing them to view practical/real-life situations of successful integration of sustainable practices. Witnessing the positive outcomes in the agricultural land of Gangappa, the U3 program team from Bellary Diocese Development Society (BDDS), Karnataka facilitated an exposure visit for 43 marginal farmers in Maski Taluk of Raichur District, Karnataka on October 2022.

The objective of the visit was to provide a firsthand experience to marginal farmers, especially those with less than an acre of land to undertake different activities (agriculture/cultivation) on their own farms, covering eight villages of Raichur district including Ankushadoddi, Katagal, Huvina Bavi, Mudbala, Maraladinni, Digganayakana Bavi, Dabber Mudugu, and Benakinala of Ankushadoddi, Maraladinni and Adavi Bavi in Maski Taluk. The visit provided a substantive degree of exposure and learning exchange among farmers as they could upgrade their knowledge on the varieties of agro-forestry trees like mahogany, honne (pterocarpus marsupium), neem, melia dubia (hebbevu).

One of the learnings was the integration of fruits plantation like banana, coconut, sugarcane, papaya, mango, custard apple, and guava on the same land that will be valuable in terms of increased production, income, and pest control.

Interacting with Gangappa, the farmers learned that, growing brinjal, chilli, kari bevu (curry leaves), and betel leaves can help in earning regular income. Gangappa demonstrated to farmers how to prepare a simple vermicompost pit using only organic manure for the entire 2.5 acres of land. Apart from vermicompost, he is using jeevamrutha, panchagavya, etc. The farmers were taught about mixed cropping (benefits) and the disadvantages of monocropping.

As an additional source of income, Gangappa rear local breed of chicks and do beekeeping. He uses marigold flowers as a natural pest repellent and also sells them thereby boosting his earnings.

Gangappa availed the farm pond scheme from the Agriculture Department through which he is getting water from the farm pound for all his agricultural activities. Gangappa’s annual income is around 8-9 lakhs.

The visiting farmers were impressed with Gangappa’s progress and have decided to implement the same practice in their respective farmland. Reacting to Gangappa’s success, Lingana Gowda of Katagal said that he would like to do the same kind of agriculture on his one-acre land, and he is now fully convinced about the benefits of organic farming.  Another marginal farmer, Ms. Laxmi from Benakanal, said that she got an idea to grow curry leaves, and flowers on her 2 acres of land. She confidently said that ‘I will make my farm a model farmland’.

These farmers were grateful to BDDS for organizing an insightful visit partnering with Caritas India through U3 programme since 2014. The U3 programme covers 15 villages of Maski Taluk, Raichur District and is supported by Caritas India and Misereor, Germany.