Doing Things Differently

Remember the popular saying- “Winners Don’t Do The Different Things, They Do The Things Differently”. At Sawyava Kirshi Pariwar, located in Karnataka, this saying is the way of life- A driving force that has transformed the lives of numerous poor farmers through the application of organic farming and providing them exclusive middle man free direct selling platform.

There was a time when Chander Prakash, a humble farmer from village Billgerepallya of district Tum kar, used to make just 2,500 rupees from his 100kg cultivation of Ragi , now he gets 22,500 rupees from the same quantity of similar crop!! Surprised ……?? Even Chander Prakash too got astonished when at first he witnessed such a huge growth in his income. Came into existence in 1990 with the inspiration of RSS veteran Pracharak Upendra Shinoy and meticulous efforts of an affluent farmer Purushottam Rao, today Sawyava Kirshi Pariwar, enjoys the status of world’s biggest organization in the field of organic farming. So far, this organization have successfully placed 1,5000 farmers in a Win position across the region. Basically this organization consists of several big and small agriculturist groups that not only promote organic farming but also provide the middle man free marking channel to the farmers.

“From organic fertilizers to the use of bio gas, honey production, introducing commercial approach in gau-mutra and gobar we did everything to make the farming a profitable industry”, shares Anand Ji, a dedicated Swaymsevak and full- timer at the organization, adding that SKP also provide a special platform named Kirishak-Grahak Milan Mela     ( Farmer-Consumer Fiesta), held twice a month, where farmer directly sell their products to the consumer. Once determined to quit farming to become a laborer Malyar Sharannappa, a poor farmer from Hulikarai village of Vallari dustrict, now earns 4.5 lakh per annum through directly selling his crops to the consumers. His life completely transformed since the very moment he came into touch with SKP. Every month more than 20 lakh rupees turn over is recorded in these Farmer-Consumer fiestas.

Brick by brick SKP framed the lives of farmers, associated with it, entirely in a new shape. Equipped with new knowledge now farmers don’t sell 1 kg cow milk for just 80 rupees instead they make ghee and sell it for 2,000 rupees kg. Ladies of these farmer families also begun to earn well by making organic Kumkum, which has ever rising demand in market.

After joining hands with SKP some farmers made their fortunes by combining organic farming with honey production, many others made it through selling Gau- Gobar as an excellent natural fertilizer. SKP contentiously aiming at encouraging farmers to adopt the organic farming as well as working towards ensuring the availability of good seeds, development of water conservation and land revitalization. Certainly in a country like India, where in every 2.15 hours a farmer commits suicide, programs being run by SKP are the ray of new hope. Rastrothan Parishad of Bangluru and Youth for Sewa also extends their full support to SKP.