NIZAMABAD : Having spent 24 years engineering bridges and military outposts across the snow-capped terrains of Jammu & Kashmir, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim, former Honorary Captain and Subedar Major Ch Naveen is now building a very different kind of destination after retirement. Back in his native Waddepally, Naveen has joined his award-winning farming parents to transform their 22-acre ancestral land into an agro-tourism centre. Here, visitors will not just escape the urban bustle but experience a living model of integrated farming, where fish ponds, cattle sheds and solar dryers form part of a self-sustaining agricultural ecosystem.
Ch Mallesham and his wife Pushpa have pursued farming as their hereditary profession. Pushpa has received several awards from state and Union government organisations and has participated in programmes broadcast by All India Radio.Naveen, who served in the Army’s Corps of Engineers from 2000 to 2024, including postings in Bengaluru, joined his parents in farming after retiring in 2024.
Speaking to TNIE, Naveen said 17 acres of the total 22 acres is being used to cultivate two varieties of paddy, while vegetables, flowers, banana, oil palm, drumstick and coconut are being grown on the remaining land. The family also plans to cultivate pulses and oilseeds on a limited area. A solar dryer and oil extraction machines help with value addition.
The farm has ponds for fish cultivation, while around 25 cows and buffaloes produce nearly 25 litres of milk a day. The family uses Nizamsagar canal water and groundwater judiciously. Water from the fish ponds is later released into the fields, with fish waste providing nutrients and reducing dependence on chemical fertilisers.
Naveen says fish would be ready for harvest in about seven months, with individual fish weighing up to 1 kg. The family mainly uses Koramenu seed and sells the fish to local fishers.
The family also makes incense sticks and puja-related products using cow dung, generating an additional source of income. Five family members handle most farm activities, hiring labour when required.
Naveen said the farm would eventually be developed as an agricultural tourism and learning centre for young farmers. Integrated farming, he said, could help farmers cope with inadequate rainfall and declining groundwater levels while creating multiple sources of income. “We are implementing the Jai Jawan and Jai Kisan concept,” he remarked.