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Sustainable Agriculture Through Integrated Farming System
- A Success Story Of Young Farmer Prasad Rama Hegde

Farmer Name : Prasad Rama Hegde
Village               : Kanakodlu Village
Post                  : Hemmadi
Taluka               : Yellapur
District              : Uttara Kannada
Contact Details :08419-257815, 9448239372

Background:

Prasad Rama Hegde a young progressive farmer has set an example for the youths who are migrating towards the cities in search of jobs leaving their potential lands barren. He has shown that, agriculture is a profitable venture if it is taken as worship. Prasad Hegde, hails from an agriculture family graduated in BA degree and studied law; during his student life also he never missed the seasonal agricultural operations along with his parents. He is resident of Kanakodlu, a remote village which gets cut off during rainy season as the small rivulet swells. He has a great passion towards collection and maintenance of diversified crops such as arecanut (Areca catechu), coconut (Cocos nucifera), jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus), mango (Mangifera indica), banana (Musa spp), black pepper ( Piper nigrum), cocoa (Theobroma cacao), medicinal plants and the list goes on to reach 1000 different species in his 1.77 hecatres of farm land.

Practises:

  • Rain water harvesting by digging 40 percolation pits in the slope of  betta land (The strips or patches of tree land on the hill slopes adjoining the areca garden)
  • Practices arecanut based multi cropping system.
  • Judicial utilization of bunds by planting mango (Mangifera indica), cashew (Anacardium occidentale), kokum (Garcinia indica), jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus), sapota (Manilkara zapota), bamboo (Bambusa spp).
  • Involved in conservation of  20 different traditional mango varieties, 12 local blackpepper (Piper nigrum) varieties, 6 banana (Musa spp) varieties, 3 jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus ) varieties
  • He has planted nearly 40 types of medicinal plants
  • Developed cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum) orchard in 0.4 ha land which is unique in itself , with 400 plants of 4 different varieties.
  • Management of labour scarcity through mechanization.

Active Involvement in Allied Sectors:

  • Apiculture : 40 bee boxes of Apis cerena indica along with Trigona colonies
  • Dairy unit : 7 cows fulfill the organic needs of the farm as well as dairy needs of the family

Awards and Recognitions

  • " Krishi Pandit Award" from Governement of Karnataka for the year 2013-14
  • Honour from Karnataka Biodiversity Board, Governement of Karnataka for conservation of traditional varieties during 2016-17
  • Certificate of appreciation from Gaonkar Memorial Foundation , Ankola for best utilization of land and other resources during 2014-15 
  • Certificate of appreciation for conservation efforts of the indigenous mango varieties at the "Mango Diversity Fair & Stake Holders Meet on Conservation Efforts" by Indian Institute of Horticultural Research and National Project Management Unit , India during 2014-15
  • “HALASU SIRI-2006” award in Jack Fruit Fair organised by Kadamba Marketing Co-operative Society, Sirsi, Karnataka
  • District level Shreshtha Krishika award bestowed by University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad during 2012-13       
  • Awrad in national agriculture fair conducted by University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangaluru, Karnataka  
  • “KRISHI SADHAKA-2012” award by Sonda Swarnavalli Krishi Pratishthana of Sirsi taluk of Uttara Kannada district, Karnataka               

Many farmers / extension personal regularly visit his field to gain knowledge on different IFS components. He provides information to the fellow farmers on conservation of local varieties and motivate them by distributing the saplings. He also visits local schools to educate the students on local varieties. 


Prasad Rama Hegde’s hard work, dedication and commitment has proven Agriculture as a profitable venture.