Some Update 16-12-2016

There had been a spate of things past 2 months that kept me away from the blog.

Demonitisation was one very major event that happened affecting all the 130 crore population of India starting 8th November.  I was in no mood to write anything since then as I was busy tracking news items literally every hour that is still changing.  More about that later.....

The farm is in good shape. Subbu is at his best.  After a long spell of dry weather, the farm had received little showers 10 days back. Using that  the farm had been ploughed. Without telling me, Subbu had gone ahead and purchased 400 nursary plants of Jasmine teaming with other farmers in neighbourhood from the city of Nagapatinam.  I guess he had planted them.

There is no rain now.  The rain season that was supposed to be ON is no where to be seen. There had been two cyclones hitting southern peninsula, but they crossed shore around Chennai, north of the farm at 600 kilometers.

Farmers are at cross roads and are anticipating drought this year.  This is 3rd consequtive year without rains.  It is a challenge.

I want to take this challenge.  I told Subbu to work out a scheme as follows;
a) Go to nearby market and observe.
b) Due to demonitisation (removal of 86% of currency from the market by the Government), there is scarcity of cash.  Agriculture / farmers are dumping at the yards at throw away prices as they cannot afford.  But this is temperory. very soon, with this bitter feedback they will restrict cultivation. which means the price will sky rocket.
c) look for opportunity what vegetables that can be grown at this season which others are not growing.
d) Let us employ few who are out of work due to demonitisation.  Let us create some jobs.
e) Let us grow something. If it fails also ok.

I have not spoken to him for few days now.

Farm Update 06-Oct-2016

Subbu is frustrated.  It is understood.  There is intense heat there continuously.  There is no rain for the past 8 months. No. Not a single drop of water. Not even clouds.

My guess is right.  The macro climatic predictions done by Government, Met and other agencies are still far from reality. They are done for policy makers, share market and general public in cities who are unconnected with reality. Clouds appearing on satellite maps not necessarily bring rain. They never.

There is drought in this part of country. there is floods in another. None of this appear in bulletin.

Something must be done to Farmers - to record and predict local micro climatic conditions.  Even their time tested traditional techniques of observing birds is failing them because of global climate (Warming).

So no drop of water. No wind either.  Subbu is disgusted because we had to purchase water several times.  Even then the water poured is drying up within half day and the trees are drooping down. This is exactly words of Subbu's explanation of why he is frustrated.  Generally villagers donot like spending money and that too wastefully on water.  Paying for water would be accptable to city folks. Even to drink one liter of water we pay 20/- without any shame.  But in village they are yet to be dragged into corporate exploitative vicious world.  For them purchasing water is still not digestible.


He had fixed the handpump in the new well.  Employed one lady employee to water the plants as we did 4 years back.  History repeats. I asked him to put a canopy for shade. He had purchased matted coconut tree leaves 20 nos for this. There is no helping hand for him to build a canopy.  Kandan is not coming

Kandan has vouched for a temple.  He has put "mala" for a local diety and has gone for alms around. Therefore he is unable to visit the farm. This will continue till he fulfils his vow.

I had asked for some pictures to be sent. But he has no time.  The coordination of water tracktor, pumping the water with hand, watering etc in the absence of Kandan is taxing on him.

The plight of small and medium farmers across the country is the same situation.   No opportunity to cultivate due to lack of water.  On a macro level the water politics, or water lobby is creating more hurdles for farmers.


Something must be done.
Something must be done.
Something must be done.
Something must be done.
Something must be done.
Something must be done.
Something must be done to small farmers.

I cannot let the farm dry after like this year after year.  Inspite of fact that now 2 bore wells are there, the pond is expanded, there are cement tanks and overhead tanks. Lack of power in the farm is another factor.

I must expedite my verticle windpump.   But even then it will not make my farm secure with water.  I need even more power. Perhaps concentrated Solar Energy again. I must ride two horses now on......

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Farm Actuvity Update 28-Jul-2016

There is no activity in the farm for the past few weeks.  There is intense heat and no rain till now. Though there is rich monsoon clouds all over India and there is flood as well, in our farm it is a drought. This is not unusual. We get rains only in November.

Therefore no water. Windpump is barely able to meet the needs.  According to Subbu,  last year was a drought without water and wind. This year we are getting wind at-least. Last year were were purchasing water at this time. This year however we are just managing.

The pond has dried out.  Fishes have been shared among workers. Subbu told the pond is dry. They should have saved at-least few fishes in the smaller tank, which they did not.

Meanwhile electricity officials have come and gone twice. Citing capacity inadequacy in nearby transformer, they seems to have identified another source.  I have lost hope and told Subbu not to pursue further. But Subbu is full of hope. Since we have paid for the meter, they must come back sir. I am not chasing them least they will ask for bribe. Let it come on its own

But that may be a long wait.  Not keeping quite, I asked Subbu if we can rent an oil pumpset. I guess it will be costly. The other alternative is to use our baby kerosene pump set and give a try. Subbu is very reluctant. He underestimates that equipment.  I insisted. Finally they are now trying the pump without success.  Initially the engine itself did not start due to long gap. It was serviced in Moolakaraipatti, a nearby hamlet.

As per Subbu, with a hose of 50 feet connected to the pump it is unable to draw water. But the machine is rotating and air is coming. I guess there may be air leak which doesnot allow the vaccum to be created.  Pump rotating is a good sign.  It is third or fourth day they are trying out all combinations.

****

When the water depletes......

Country is facing major drought like situation.  In Marathwada, the crisis is so deep, government is sending water in train wagons. 5 lakh liters of water is hardly sufficient to meet demand for 1 crore liters.  Anyway, people have started hunting for water from deeper wells.  Police protection, curfew etc have been imposed to stop riots on account of water.

Due to climate change we frequently hear this term drought, floods and extreme variation in everything. AMD (metrological dept) has predicted more than average monsoon this year. Hope it will not bring floods.

Meanwhile down south at my farm, the situation is much better.  Water, however is going down day by day.  We need 5000 liters of water to run the farm / day.  We get around 2000 liters through windpump. Amidst hot Sun, the wind is blowing only in mornings and evenings, typical of any summer.

Subbu is hoping for one rain atleast. He says that will solve many problems. But sky is blue.  When I seek good news, he will give bad. and when I loose hope, he will give shockingly good news. That is Subbu with alternating emoticons.

Fish pond is having 3 to 4 feet of water only.   I asked how are they doing. Subbu was sad. He said they have not grown at all for the amount of care he and Kandan had taken. He says he followed every damn advice of fisheries. But fish has grown only 3 finger width. Can't be sold. Can't be eaten. He was sad.

I told if more fish is concentrated on less water, with no fresh water being added, they will suffocate for lack of oxygen. Asked him to take a hard call.   "Distribute them to other places, sell or eat them leaving a few tens behind".......  But Subbu wants to wait (for that one rain).

The temporary lady staff have been inducted again with some regular work. each are paid around 120 per day to water. They have been given new plastic pots to carry water and pour on coconut and other trees.  It makes sense to give them work as otherwise their own farms are dry.

He was happy to announce that the cuddapah stones for the seating arrangement have come. Earlier foundation structure using bricks were made ready. They are looking good. But still stones are not mounted on the brick platforms as their edges are very sharp. The stones been delivered to Paramu's (Carpenter) house (about 3 Kms away) for smoothening the edges. I am told he has angle grinder with him. Electricity supply is not there in the farm to do this work.

He also mentioned the work on Nursery skeletal structure using available pipes is completed.  Earlier I had suggested to dismantle the nursery built with casurina sticks. That is to be replaced with the 1.25" pipes that we have in stock. These pipes were earlier used in borewell under windpump to pump water.  That was replaced with 2" pipe in due course.

He said the total size of skeletal structure is 20 feet x 10 feet. height is 8 feet.  That is two pipes on front and back. one pipe each on either side. one at the centre.  Total 13 pipes.  The required angles were already brought by him. he also said they are not concreting the pillar pipes. But just hardening the hole with mortar. This is to ensure we can more or remove them in future.  May be he is sick and tired of working with cement, and gravel.  Once completed, a new green shade net will be purchased from Tirunelveli town.

I am restless to see these two structure finish.  I advised Subbu that we should finish any work that we undertake.  Good or bad, just see the end.  I am getting a feeling of late we are not completing anything to its logical end.

Hot Summer misery has started already !. Need to dive deep into the issue

It is just April, and already it looks like peak summer.

Subbu had been mentioning that it is too hot over there. Water is very scarce. No wind and hence no production.  Neighborhood ponds have dried. We have to keep the farm going.

One rain would bring some relief.  It did indeed rain yesterday some 7 km away from the farm. Now there are no clouds even. They had purchased water yesterday.

Worse days are ahead.  Hmmm  Let me think......

The overall scene in India is not that great.   All rivers are dry. The sand is being looted by organised crime with help of state for construction.  The water holding capacity of many of the rivers and ponds are Nil. Ponds and lakes are occupied, not maintained or encroached.

There is draught like situation in every state.  In Maharashtra for getting a bucket of water, people stand in long queues. Govt is thinking of getting water in train.  There is riot and 144 in place in few districts.  Same situation in Andhra.  People are migrating to Delhi. Agriculture had been ignored by present government from the beginning.

Farm Update 13-Aug-2014

Rainfall History for 10 years near my Farm

There is no rain yet.  The last time some rain poured was during summer in the month of May due to an unscheduled cyclone.  This month, while the monsoon is seen raging all over the country and breaking records in Mumbai, here in Tirunelveli and surroundings, there is no rain. Not a single drop. There is no sight of even clouds. This is corroborating with the rainfall history in this region.

The rain is not likely to come untill October. Therefore we have 1.5 months to go. That is a challenge and  I should endure this, I should demonstrate survival on a dry land.

Wind Water pump is working fine.  Daily we are able to get between 2000 liters to 5000 liters of water. It is enough to maintain the trees kept around the fence. Water is poured in alternate days per plant.

I have asked the team to go at full hog planting all vegetables around the tower in small sections. This is basically to test the whole system, learn and generate more seeds. All these are indigenous varities. Brinjal, tomato, ladies finger etc.  There is also some millets sown to experiment.

The water pressure is enough to create sprinkler system to start i guess. I have asked subbu to purchase a sprinkler of brass make, get that welded to a tripod and start using for vegetable plots. The problem is the sprinkler guns are not available in Valliyoor. One has to go to Tirunelveli and for welding to go to valliyoor. This is scheduled for tomorrow. Meanwhile there is also one idea. Of attaching a shower head to the flexible tube and using it to spray water to the tender plants.

Meanwhile the large water storage tank (Fish tank) is completed in its construction. The bottom concrete for a thickness of 6 inches was prepared manually and poured last wednesday. The brick walls are in place. There are two support slanting structures on each side at a spacing of 10 feet to support the 25 feet side, just as in a dam to hold the wall tight. The tank appears to be elegant as per Subbu and is large with 25 feet x 10 feet x 5 feet dimension.   The inside wall will be cemented today/tomorrow. The outside wall will be left as is (with bricks visible). If required a red color can be given. No white washing, I told subbu. The tank should slowly merge with background with growth of moss around. That should look beautiful.

The excess water from windmill should be stored in this tank. Hopefully this should help during drought months.

At pune there is a workshop scheduled to be conducted by Subhash Palekar, a noted natural farmer on the topic "Zero budget Natural Farming" I will try and attend the same.

***** 

Neighbour's Crops drying in front of my eyes

The adjscent farm sported green paddy field. Small plot though. The land was dry and cracking. Closer inspection showed the plants were bit tired and had undergrowth. When enquired they said there is no water to irrigate. The farmer was expecting rains which did not come. The paddy has almost grown, but not there yet.

My neighbour's farm. Drying...

It looked very ackward. I have heared of farmes making loss due to failed rains. But seeing in front of you is different experience. There could be well water in another 100 meters. But the poor farmer did not have resource to pump it to save his crops. Perhaps the owner of well may not be in good terms with his neibhours. Perhaps Rain is reason. Or perhaps Govt Schemes on water resource failed. or that he had chosen an hybrid variety which cannot withstand drought or it could be simple stupidity on the farmer to have chosen a wrong season. Or it could be his dire poverty. 

My wife was asking "Why the farmer had left it like that. Almost abondaned a full grown plant which is in flowering stage?"  I had no answer. But i knew the answer. The small farmer is waging a lonely battle.  In chennai, i purchased a dozen of bananas for Rs. 46.  It had done up from 40 to 46. I asked why? He said "Sir agriculture is declining".

Perhaps there is an opportunity to help him. Next time. If only I set right my water pumping solution......