GUNTUR: With a determination to implement innovative interventions in the farming sector and benefit the wider community, this 41-year-old farmer switched to natural farming, paving the way for several farmers to earn profits.
Dusari Prudhvi Raju, a native of Kollipara in Guntur district, began his journey into natural farming with outstanding ingenuity, even as a conventional farmer, after facing numerous challenges that made agriculture financially and environmentally unsustainable for him.
Explaining his journey into natural farming, Prudhvi Raju said, “Despite applying copious amounts of chemical pesticides and fertilisers, my turmeric crop fell prey to the rhizome rot disease. I suffered severe losses and was trapped in a vicious cycle of increasing costs and unsustainability. During that dire situation, natural farming became a beacon of hope for all my farming problems.”
With his unique approach as a progressive farmer and dedication to embrace more eco-friendly farming practices, he soon became popular.
In 2019, Prudhvi Raju’s innovative paddy line sowing method at 13.6 cm spacing and multi-layer cropping models enabled him to cultivate paddy on his terrace to minimise space utilisation.
The following year, he sustainably brought two acres of non-irrigated land under cultivation through pre-monsoon dry sowing of nine diverse crops.
In 2020, his own drought-proofing model received accolades from farming experts. With intercropping, greenhouse gas reduction practices, 365 days green cover, invention of new weed management tools, and his mentor role, his innovative contributions are noteworthy.
Setting a prime example in intercropping, Prudhvi cultivates 21 crops in his 1.2 acres of land, ensuring a constant green cover throughout the year, regardless of changing seasons. “I used to earn Rs 59,000 under chemical farming with an expenditure of Rs 25,000. Now, the profits have increased to Rs 3.05 lakh with the same amount of expenditure under natural farming,” he added.
His eagerness to learn and experiment with new innovations under the guidance of agriculture experts and organizations like Andhra Pradesh Community Managed Natural Farming (APCNF) and Indo German Global Academy for Agroecology Research and Learning (IGGAARL) has allowed him to constantly refine and share natural farming knowledge.
With the knowledge gained from Farmer Scientist Course studies, Prudhvi Raju is determined to continue his impactful journey.
