MAKING EVERY DROP COUNT

Nowhere is this dictum more precious than in India’s arid countryside. Farmers here have now realised that technology, community and shared resources can vastly improve their lot

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LESS IS MORE

A micro-irrigation initiative partnered by the state is a win-win for farmers in all aspects

By RA J CHENGAPPA

Clusters of tiny plastic pipes snake around the neat rows of guava trees interspersed with musk melon plants at the five-hectare farm of Ramesh Bhai Bhikabhai More in Khoraj village in Gujarat’s Gandhinagar district. Bhikabhai More is among the first farmers in his village to experiment with micro-irrigation systems to grow horticultural produce rather than the conventional crops such as cotton and wheat that he used to before. In his new endeavour, Bhikabhai More is being hand-held by the Gujarat Green Revolution Com pany (GGRC), a unique joint venture between a consortium of three Gujarat public sector units involved in agriculture and the Indian government.

Formed in 2005, the GGRC is a one-stop shop for farmers who want to adopt advanced micro-irrigation techniques. Drip irrigation systems usually cost between Rs 50,000 and Rs 1.5 lakh per hectare, which is why most farmers shy away from investing. But the GGRC not only provides a 70-90 per cent subsidy to attract farmers, but it also has officials working along with them to select the best micro systems at fixed prices. They even see them through the first crop, giving specialist advice. The pipes for micro-irrigation, including sprinklers, drippers and rain guns, are placed and monitored using geo-fencing and tagging for quick response by GGRC officials. Hardik Pancholi, technical officer, GGRC, says, “We treat farmers as customers and subsidies as investment. We really want to ensure their success.”