Page 19 - 10 Most Influencive Leaders of Agriculture 2019

When I started this project with bank financing, the around Rs 2.50 per flower. As expected, gossip and
first thing I did was to search for a trader to sell the quarrel started in the group. A few were blaming me
Carnecian flowers I produced. During that time I got in saying the chairman of the group is responsible for all
touch with Mr Ravi Advani, a Delhi based trader and these and demanded for my replacement. I resigned,
sold all my produce to him at an average cost of Rs but within three days the same people requested me
6.20 per flower. My production cost was Rs 1.86 per to accept the chairmanship again and I agreed. By
flower. I sent my produce by train to Delhi. My wife that time we had decided to form small groups of 20
and I worked for about 6 hours daily in the polyhouse farmers each. The flower cultivation again became
following both scientific and natural farming practices. profitable in 2006; the Abhinav Farmers Club got
My quality of produce was excellent and on seeing the National Award from NABARD for repaying
this, Mr Advani gave an advance amount of Rs 20,000 agriculture loan before time.
for next deal. I also repaid my outstanding loan
amount within one year. The Canara Bank awarded To cope up with labor issues, the Club decided to
Rs 25,000 and a trophy for me and my wife for our promote Women Self Help Groups (SHGs). We
outstanding achievement which was the repayment of promoted 112 women SHGs spread across 26 villages
loan before time in agriculture loan sector at a function and we engaged these SHGs in planting, harvesting,
held in Bangalore. sorting, grading, packaging, transporting and selling
to consumers as the demand started to increase.
How did other farmers in and around your village For better coordination and supervision of all these
respond to your success? activities, the club began to employ agricultural
graduates and those with Master of Business
Around 2001, five farmers came forward to initiate Administration (MBAs). We began payment by
polyhouse cultivation. I helped them establish it cheque too. We also promoted kitchen gardening and
sharing my knowledge on the topic. Interestingly, agro-tourism activities as well.
the same Canara Bank sanctioned their loan proposal
within 8 days. These five farmers also re-payed the Why did you decide to establish a training centre
complete loan amount within two years. Again more for farmers?
farmers joined with me and this number started
increasing day by day. Mass media, especially the Because of our success and the publicity we
press and TV channels promoted my work. However, received through media, many farmers started
a few dishonest people looking for publicity and bank requesting us for training at our polyhouses. The
financing also joined. club prepared a proposal to NABARD seeking
support for establishing a training centre. Initially
How did you come up with the idea of forming a NABARD rejected the proposal as the experts from
farmers club? the Agricultural Universities and personnel from
the Department of Agriculture were against the idea
During that time, I met Mr Sunil Jadhav, an official of setting up a training centre by farmers. So we
from NABARAD. He suggested me to form a Farmers requested all those seeking training opportunities
Club as per the NABARD guidelines at my village. in our farms to write to NABARD to sanction our
I found that to be difficult to motivate well meaning
farmers to form a club in my village. NABARD
agreed to my request to form a club by including
farmers from 4-5 villages around my village. In 2004,
we set up the Abhinav Farmer Club with 305 farmers
spread across 17-18 villages. All these farmers are
cultivating flowers in polyhouse and earning about 50-
60 thousand rupees a month.

Organizing farmers into a club and managing it is
a challenge. Did you face any challenges?

Yes, the problems started during the following year. In
2005, the flower market collapsed and the prices came
down to Rs 0.83 per flower. The production cost was

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