Agriculture - Life Line Natural Bio Engineering

Please move to the commercial section as it does not seem to contain a question or a basis for a discussion!

If anyone from Monsanto shows up, don't let them in.

kramarat:

I found this picture while I searched for Monsanto, Portugal. Curtsy http://www.portugalvirtual.pt/_tourism/costadeprata/monsanto/

In our location in the first picture, you can see Wheat farms on top and Potato farm on the bottom. We are still doing all this on the ground for farming and there is no Green House or Hydroponic Farm in the area. We have two onlooker engineers who have zero level idea about farming. They are asking questions there and perhaps soon they will bring in technology to get involved.

We are working on the cost involved for the Hydroponic farming. Our ownership is for 10 Acre Land and perhaps I can buy more land for experimenting. We are also planning to set up a small research center there. My current location is about 150km from this farm location where we have another house in the Village within 1km from farm location.

I am looking for ideas on Hydroponic farming. I own this farm but I am not doing farming myself. Right now Village worker do all the work on daily / monthly payment bases or crop output sharing bases.

I'm talking about these guys.

http://www.monsanto.ca/Pages/default.aspx

They will offer solutions that eventually fail, and you will be locked into contracts that invlolve handing them over a lot of money.

kramarat:

I take no funds from anyone so there is no real involvement of any agency in our work. I do not take Government help.

Most of the Hotel are on online booking and also transport vehicles in the city and they can take people from their Hotel rooms to farm and will bring them back by the time you are finished there and you can also enjoy city life as usual.

I am planning a camp like activity at the village to make local stay but have not work out details as I am more occupied with farm activity and main aim is to educate local population which is going to benefit and they are already there in their homes. They pay me nothing other than a good wide smile. I like that.

2 weks is impressive. How muh does it cost ?

We have farmers locally who don't mow much. Pay for me to fly over to India and I will see what I can do.

I may read you wrong, but this is a phillanthrpic thing ? Send me tickets, and I will be on the next plane. The offer is open to do a house swap - I will come see whaI can do in India, and you can take over my house and see what you can do here. I am not in the least bit jokng. If you are as good and as you say, contact me and we can swap for however many weeks you want. You educate people here, and I see what I can do in India. The offer is on the table. As an educated man, you see the possible benefits, so what is your responce.

Kris:

It is not a commercial venture for me. We are farm owner and we already have all 12 months some or other activities on the farm. Only when it rains in July to September, activities become at low level. I am only arranging farm activities which is totally free access for a group of visitors. If you can manage to reach the farm then you can watch the activity and can also participate and do things yourselves. In fact we have no way to stop people from watching our activities. There are no-fences and there are no-dogs and no security men.

On the average expenses for local travel (300 km), hotel stay and hotel food may range to $200-$300 per day and I need to hire some agency to help on that part. If you stay in the Village then the cost may come down to $100 per day. As this part is not under my plan, we will not discuss this here. If visitors can manage this part and of course they can fly to India with valid VISA then they are free to participate.

Shyam, excuse my somewhat naughty humour. I like what you are doing.

Getting to India is not on my immediate agenda, but I would very much like to hear how this project gets on. Is this something you can get local people involved in, educating local people to 'empower them' (a horrible phrase, but it does have meaning). I hope you will keep us all updated on how this goes.

May I make a polite suggestion; For each sponcered or financially able person, you get them to partner a person who is at the bottom of the financial/social ladder. In such a way you can team up people who have complementary needs and skills. Just a thought, but it enables the spread of skills.

The skill base is on your own doorstep, it's just a matter of matching the right people.

Kris:

As I have said earlier, this farm already exists and something or other goes on there as Agriculture activity. I used to learn in my childhood about farming methods at distance places from my home place and used to travel any distance within my country. I was then 13 year.

Agriculture is still very conventional here. Only our farms have seen changes from grain farming to Vegetable and fruit farming. If you see the first picture again then you can see lots of Mango Tree on top side. They are there everywhere as Mango gardens or Road side shadow forming trees.

Our farm has a tractor and Bore well for water and also canal linked to rivers. Farm is located in River Ganges belt which is most fertile land. I was born there.

I noticed that - this discussion has been moved to new area from sustainable to Commercial. Does that mean I can sell Vegetables and Potatoes here or those commenting here will pay me something?

I know there are some crazy people who do things without even asking and proper reasoning. One stupidity can causes many problems as the link was passed to others for sharing access which will not work now and they all will blame me for this. I dislike it being here as it is giving wrong idea to me and also to others.

Transporting food over long distance is never a good idea. The waste that happens between farm and retail outlet in the West is obscene.

Produce has to look 'right' or they simply will not stock or sell it.

Your endevour to educate and help people is very worthy of applause.

For some of the goods, particularly Vegetables, transportation usually is a problem as Vegetables need air circulation, moisture and low temperature to sustain. Right now Government of India is supporting warehouse and transportation vehicle purchase for such Agriculture products such that products can be transported to distances like the way you normally transport Chocolates in cool vehicles.

Price of Vegetables (I can sell here now) in major cities is high (100% more than what is at the originating place), and so is the cost of transportation and also there must be some wastage.

Some wastage can be prevented for particular type of Vegetable like Potato and Onion and many types of ripened Fruits by Gamma Irradiation to 1 Gray level Gamma dose. These products need to be marked Gamma Irradiated due to regulation and can survive several months after Irradiation.

Return on investment in Agriculture is not very high but jut reasonable one at 12% p/a. However this is good with respect to the GDP growth of any country. Most of the companies take local FDI at 9% p/a and keep that 3% for themselves to run business. FDI are risk free investments as they are like your money in the bank but frozen for a fixed period for fixed gain. Agriculture warehouse project in India costs about US$2 Million in investment.