It has been a quite a long gap this time in updating this. The main reason for this is overwhelming information. Yes. in this age of connectivity and always online, the communication gap is at the highest. That is the paradox. Same applies to blog posts also.
When some story is developing, you wait till it completes. When the story keeps taking twist and turn with new issues and solutions, you also keep postponing writing. That way days, weeks and even months pass.
Following are the updates.
a) The relationship with Subbu was not all that well. I had to firmly talk to him and impress upon him that nothing is happening at the farm. The same paradox that was explained above works here also. Farm now has adequate water and other resources. But agriculture activity has halted. Long back when the farm was having acute scarcity, we were growing several things. Today everything is there and the output is abysmally nil. One of the reason is attention diversion, lazyness, gross mistakes, not having enough motivation etc. But nothing can explain or justify the money that is being spent to up-keep the farm. People have to work. No choice.
b) Kandan had been absent for several days. I am not clear about his attendance. He is not communicative. Basically good guy. But lazy. Last rains, he was taking care of his own farm, I was told. He even asked for extra money (loan) which I refused. Later he fell seriously ill. He always refused to do any extra work and confined his scope only to watering existing trees. I had to pay another person in his absence to survive the plants without cutting his salary also. I was patient all through. I wanted Subbu to pass on this message that he will to be fired from job if he continues to be absent. I have no choice.
c) For several days Subbu will be unavailable. His phone was not picked up or he was not reachable for days together. Later I learnt he was building his mother in law's house. He also said that his customers (Household village ladies) from his cable TV business where pestering him with complaints. So he had to keep the phone switched off. (There have been recently change in delivery of cable TV with an on ground technology change which operators like him found cumbersome to train foot soldiers to implement)
However what upset me most was his continuous absence to the farm. His father is a professional farmer and a very rare visitor to our farm. He seems to have scolded him why he is keeping the farm so dirty. Subbu called me promptly ordered for tractor and ploughed the fields without any purpose.
d) Subbu suddenly came with an idea of building a poultry farm on the empty half constructed place. He wanted to use the casurina poles for that. He wanted to keep country hen and said this will bind Kandan to the farm and ensure his attendance. He also said the profit will be ploughed back to paying salary to Kandan and himself. All right I said, but it is upto you. I donot encourage farm at this stage.
Later one day he called for workers, bricks and ordered for sheets. As usual he started ranting the plan hinting that I have to foot the bill. I refused. I scolded him saying anything should be started simple with available material. Why build a big room for a poultry which may or may not be success. how can we trust Kandan. or for that matter yourself ? Who will give injection, feed etc. What expense? Why get me into more trouble, when we have not been able to grow even small quantity vegetables ? I asked several questions like this and perhaps a longest conversation that I had in recent times clocking around 1.5 hours. He said he is dropping that idea.
e) He called to say he is mentally upset. I left it at that. Let him sink the feeling. I did not defend him. I only advised him to go out to Thovalai and watch the flower market. I urged him to watch others, how they are doing business. He indeed went to Tirunelveli to a nursary. That is his beauty. He will never do what we ask.
f) Presently he seems to have realised. That means more planting, more expenses and more activity. That is fine. This includes getting JCB to dig around 100 holes for fresh Jasmine plot. He had identified Jasmine nursary in Tirunelveli costing Rs. 6/- per plant. Had ordered. I also felt we must expand Jasmine as a commodity for sure / future
(Will continue)
When some story is developing, you wait till it completes. When the story keeps taking twist and turn with new issues and solutions, you also keep postponing writing. That way days, weeks and even months pass.
Following are the updates.
a) The relationship with Subbu was not all that well. I had to firmly talk to him and impress upon him that nothing is happening at the farm. The same paradox that was explained above works here also. Farm now has adequate water and other resources. But agriculture activity has halted. Long back when the farm was having acute scarcity, we were growing several things. Today everything is there and the output is abysmally nil. One of the reason is attention diversion, lazyness, gross mistakes, not having enough motivation etc. But nothing can explain or justify the money that is being spent to up-keep the farm. People have to work. No choice.c) For several days Subbu will be unavailable. His phone was not picked up or he was not reachable for days together. Later I learnt he was building his mother in law's house. He also said that his customers (Household village ladies) from his cable TV business where pestering him with complaints. So he had to keep the phone switched off. (There have been recently change in delivery of cable TV with an on ground technology change which operators like him found cumbersome to train foot soldiers to implement)
However what upset me most was his continuous absence to the farm. His father is a professional farmer and a very rare visitor to our farm. He seems to have scolded him why he is keeping the farm so dirty. Subbu called me promptly ordered for tractor and ploughed the fields without any purpose.
d) Subbu suddenly came with an idea of building a poultry farm on the empty half constructed place. He wanted to use the casurina poles for that. He wanted to keep country hen and said this will bind Kandan to the farm and ensure his attendance. He also said the profit will be ploughed back to paying salary to Kandan and himself. All right I said, but it is upto you. I donot encourage farm at this stage.
Later one day he called for workers, bricks and ordered for sheets. As usual he started ranting the plan hinting that I have to foot the bill. I refused. I scolded him saying anything should be started simple with available material. Why build a big room for a poultry which may or may not be success. how can we trust Kandan. or for that matter yourself ? Who will give injection, feed etc. What expense? Why get me into more trouble, when we have not been able to grow even small quantity vegetables ? I asked several questions like this and perhaps a longest conversation that I had in recent times clocking around 1.5 hours. He said he is dropping that idea.
e) He called to say he is mentally upset. I left it at that. Let him sink the feeling. I did not defend him. I only advised him to go out to Thovalai and watch the flower market. I urged him to watch others, how they are doing business. He indeed went to Tirunelveli to a nursary. That is his beauty. He will never do what we ask.
f) Presently he seems to have realised. That means more planting, more expenses and more activity. That is fine. This includes getting JCB to dig around 100 holes for fresh Jasmine plot. He had identified Jasmine nursary in Tirunelveli costing Rs. 6/- per plant. Had ordered. I also felt we must expand Jasmine as a commodity for sure / future
(Will continue)
It is not their fault. They genuinely believe that nothing can be grown there. So when ever you tell them to grow something they think it is not going to survive and you being a city folk dont know farming better than them. This is the classic FARMER's ATTITUDE in our country. They think they know everything and nothing out there can top that. They are not tuned to think of solutions. Thats why they could not find solution for fixing the hardware problem of the water pumping equipment you built. If they knew how to grow crops they would be working in their farm.
ReplyDeleteThe only way out is to take a month off from work and spend it on the farm with them and get things done. They also have a idea that you have cash to spend whenever they need some and they could be getting commission on the tractor/manpower use or something or the other. Once fruits and vegetable start growing their attitude will change.
Dear Unknown. (Kindly update your name in Blogger).
DeleteYou are right. But partially. The folks working for me are ones who were like what you said earlier. Taking commission on job work basis. They will invent new projects to make money. I stopped that. Started paying fixed salary. I gave a camera in their hands. They get salary on 1st if there is work or not. Slowly they started realising that. After all they are village people having some conciousness. Their family and wife know about the salary, so they get scrutinised. For example Kandan's wife comes to farm to collect money.
Yes, they are lethargic. I keep engaging them with work. They are not professional farmers. They have fallen flat earlier. It is because of the dumbness they are sticking to me. Your last sentence. That is what I want to do. Twice attempted in the past and succeeded, only limited by water. This year, I have made all arrangements for water. No more excuse. They must grow. They must sell. They must send money. We have digital weighing machine also.
Just to keep you informed, Subbu had actually gone live on whatsup 2 days back to show me the farm around. I must appreciate his frankness. That speaks a level of confidence that I have achieved with them.
It is not their fault. They genuinely believe that nothing can be grown there. So when ever you tell them to grow something they think it is not going to survive and you being a city folk dont know farming better than them. This is the classic FARMER's ATTITUDE in our country. They think they know everything and nothing out there can top that. They are not tuned to think of solutions. Thats why they could not find solution for fixing the hardware problem of the water pumping equipment you built. If they knew how to grow crops they would be working in their farm.
ReplyDeleteThe only way out is to take a month off from work and spend it on the farm with them and get things done. They also have a idea that you have cash to spend whenever they need some and they could be getting commission on the tractor/manpower use or something or the other. Once fruits and vegetable start growing their attitude will change.
- PlugInCaroo
I think you should only pay BASIC salary and then a cut in profit from the sales of anything like flowers, fruits, vegetables etc. This will incentivise them. Otherwise, you keep pouring money and nothing will come out of it.
ReplyDeleteDear Padmanabhan, I have done all those experiments. Kindly read my reply above before proceeding further. Yes, what you say is right. I will be incentivising the grow and sale. But presently I must grow crops.
Deletenice
ReplyDelete