Suryapet: Techie on WFH logs into farming, reaps profits
Suryapet: A techie by profession and farmer at heart, Padiri Madhava Reddy found the ”work from home” mode in these Covid times a perfect setting to enjoy the best of both worlds. Blending innovative cultivation methods with the profit-driven cultivation model he had worked out, the software engineer has been a great source of motivation […]
Suryapet: A techie by profession and farmer at heart, Padiri Madhava Reddy found the ”work from home” mode in these Covid times a perfect setting to enjoy the best of both worlds. Blending innovative cultivation methods with the profit-driven cultivation model he had worked out, the software engineer has been a great source of motivation for farmers at Athmakur (S), his native place in Suryapet district, to up their agriculture income.
Madhava Reddy, who works for ICT Infotech in Bengaluru, has been working from home for the past one year. He seized the opportunity to get into cultivation in the 10 acres that his family own in the mornings and evenings before and after his office working hours. The enterprising person that he is, Madhava Reddy took up the cultivation of black rice in his agriculture fields in Kharif, and this motivated 20 farmers to follow suit.
His produce served as seed for the 20 farmers who have now taken up cultivation of black rice. He also used a drum seeder in taking up cultivation of paddy in five acres that created awareness among local farmers about the innovative method of paddy cultivation.
Speaking to ”Telangana Today”, the 32-year-old software engineer said he has a great love for agriculture. He learnt agricultural practices including levelling of fields, sowing, spraying fertilizers and other works at a very young age when he used to accompany his father to the fields since his fifth class. With work from home providing him an opportunity to stay at his native place, he decided to utilise it for a good cause. “I work eight hours in the fields over weekends when I don”t have to log in and three hours on weekdays,” he said.
The use of drum seeder, he said, reduces the cost of cultivation of paddy by Rs 10,000 per hectare and increased the crop yield by 15 per cent compared to cultivation through nurseries transplantation method. He is planning to take up the cultivation of organic paddy with desi seeds in the next season. He also spends time reading magazines and articles online for better cultivation methods and share this knowledge with other farmers in the village. Sudhakar Reddy, a farmer from the same village, said he decided to take up cultivation of black rice in his two acres after coming to know about the money made by Madhava Reddy with the crop. “Black rice has high demand in the market that helps us increase our income,” he said.
Vishwaram Reddy, another farmer, said he is among the 10 farmers who took up drum seeder for sowing paddy, drawing inspiration from Madhava Reddy. “This method saves time and the manpower required is low compared to the traditional method of transplanting from paddy nurseries, thereby reducing cultivation cost,” he said.
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