Farm Doctor

8220;Though the farmers have been purchasing fertilisers and pesticides for years from shops in the village, we are drawing nearly 40 per cent of them because along with the products we also give them free advice on how to raise a nursery, when to transplant, the choice of fertilisers and the pesticides to use when their sugarcane fields are attacked by pests,8217;8217; says Bhanumathi, who often takes the sick soil samples to the Central Soil Testing lab in Madurai and offers solutions according to the diagnosis.

About 60 such agri clinics have sprung up across Tamil Nadu, making use of the central government initiative to provide an alternate source of income for the 20,000 agri graduates passing out every year from the 43 universities across India. 8220;Only 2,000 graduates get jobs and this was worrying. So, in 2001, the Ministry of Agriculture in association with NABARD launched a unique programme that would not only offer livelihood but also tap the expertise among the large pool of agri students, who in turn would take better farming methods, including cropping practices and technology dissemination, to every farmer,8217;8217; says M. Sivashanmugham, general secretary, All India Federation of Technologists of Agri Clinics, and the head of its institution in Madurai.

Graduates in agriculture or any allied subject like horticulture, sericulture, veterinary sciences, forestry, dairy, poultry farming and fisheries can undergo the two-month training at the five centres in Tamil Nadu that were established in 2004. The Centre provides financial assistance of Rs 28,800 for each student and after the training they can apply for special start-up loans.

8220;The farmers may be much older to us but they realise now that we are equipped with technical expertise and are willing to take our advice,8217;8217; says 25-year-old Ashwani, the first to set up an agri clinic in Tamil Nadu at Pettavaithalai, 25 km from Tiruchy. So among her clients today are a 60-year-old farmer Kannan Chettiar from Aamoor and Raju 50 of Inungoor village. After following her advice on the use of certain pesticides and successfully handling fungal diseases which attack the banana farms, the farmers of about 10 villages around Pettavaithalai are Ashwani8217;s devoted clients.

8220;It is surprising that even the experienced farmers get carried away by competition. If their neighbours use two sacks of fertiliser, they think they can do better if they use three sacks,8217;8217; says Bhanumathi. So she pointed out to them that excess fertiliser could bring down the yield. It has taken the agri doctors more than a year of hard work, which included farm visits every day, to win the farmers8217; trust. 8220;But it has paid off,8221; says Bhanumathi, who has also roped in her husband for her weekend field visits.

Elsewhere in Tamil Nadu, agri clinics are offering their services for landscaping and the more lucrative contract farming as well. Bhanumathi charges Rs 1,000 for consultancy for one acre and also provides labour and other inputs to supervise fields that are owned by rich farmers who get more time for their other businesses.

About five km away in Kumaram, her batchmate, Thamaraichelvi, is dabbling in vermicompost and has discovered quite a few takers for her sacks of rich soil in her clinic. In Madurai, Gopalakrishnan is promoting minor millets in his agri clinic, which is the main ingredient in a diabetic8217;s diet chart. 8220;Our aim is to increase the crop yield, and improve the quality for farmers,8221; says Shivashanmugham. In the process, several agricultural graduates who were forced to switch fields and take up courses in soft ware programmes due to shortage of jobs, have found a viable agri business.