This story is from June 17, 2020

Karnataka: Cooperative farming yielding dividends in Chamarajanagar village

Farm crisis, land reforms, corporate farming, commercialisation of agriculture have become the talking points of late. One of the common suggestions given as a solution for the crisis is cooperative farming and value addition to farm products. At a village in Chamarajanagar district, 15 families practising both, and enjoying success too.
Karnataka: Cooperative farming yielding dividends in Chamarajanagar village
MYSURU: Farm crisis, land reforms, corporate farming, commercialisation of agriculture have become the talking points of late. One of the common suggestions given as a solution for the crisis is cooperative farming and value addition to farm products. At a village in Chamarajanagar district, 15 families practising both, and enjoying success too.
Having set up Nisarga Naisargika Savayava Krushikara Sangha (NNSKS) at Honnur, 20km from Chamarajanagar, about 18 months ago, the families work in 5acre land of NNSKS president Honnur Prakash.
Major crops grown here include sugarcane, banana, 25 varieties of vegetables and greens. They are also rearing eight local breed cows.
Captain Amarinder Singh (63)

The products are sold through two organic outlets in Mysuru, and also supplied to customers in Mysuru and Bengaluru based on requests. They have set a target of generating Rs 50 lakh income annually.
Prakash, 51, said the families work together and share the income based on the number of labour days they put in. “We didn’t incur any loss as it’s organic farming and the labour is free,” he said, explaining how selling only the raw produce is not economically viable. “We incur a loss if we sell sugarcane, but not when it is sold as jaggery or sugar. Banana yield is converted into chips and sold. Similarly, we do not sell cow milk. Value addition pays off, so we make jaggery peda out of it. Value addition not only ensures good returns but also creates more jobs. Our millet products like batter and chips have good demand,” Prakash said.

NNSKS secretary Ningaraju M said the families meet once in a month to discuss work-related issues if any. “Till now, the difference of opinion has not cropped up. We discuss issues in our monthly meetings and decide on them unanimously,” he added.
Shanthakumar, president, Karnataka state sugarcane growers’ association, said, " I have tried their farm produce and value-added products like jaggery and powders, and they are good. As they are grown in an organic way, many people are opting their products".
"Co-operative farming experiment is being done at Honnur. Fifteen families have joined hands for carrying out farming activities on 5acre land. They are sharing the revenue equally, and the module may be replicated everywhere too," R Dhruvanarayana, former MP, chamarajanagar
said.
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