16 hours Ago
Kalpesh Bhai of Sonasan village in Gujarat’s Himmatangar — 75 km from Ahmedadbad — is happy that he has enrolled on a pilot project on potato farming launched by HyFarm. “I have saved about ₹25,000 per cent acre in the plot I am doing the pilot. I have saved on potato seeds, fertilizers and reduction in applying water,” he says.
Kalpesh Bhai’s land is one of the 30 HyFarm Paathshala farms picked by the agri-business unit of Ahmedabad-based HyFun Foods to launch its initiative to make potato growers aware of various ways to increase productivity and cut costs. These Paathshalas or “model farms” have been established across north Gujarat’s potato growing regions, primarily focused in Sabarkantha and Banaskantha. Growers who cultivate potatoes through contract farming are part of this project, launched in 17 micro-pockets or different soil and agro-climatic regions of the State.
This is the first year of the pilot. “A clear-cut objective of the Paathshalas is to reduce the cost of cultivation for farmers. The inflation cost is very high for potatoes.
There are three major areas where we are looking to cut cultivation costs,” says S Soundararadjane, Chief Executive Officer, HyFarm. The first objective is to reduce the use of seeds. The cost of seeds in the farmers’ total input expenses is about 40 per cent, which is high compared to other crops.
“For this, HyFarm suggests seedbeds of 44 cm and 48 cm width rather than ones with 30 cm. This saves 15 per cent of seed costs. Potatoes are also sown deeper, 5.
5-6.5 inches rather than the traditional 4-4.5 inches.
This ensures quality potato production that can be used for French Fry processing. Otherwise, greening takes place, which is not usable,” he says. Kalpesh Bhai endorses the view, saying the use of seeds was at least 4-5 bags lower this year.
While he uses drip irrigation, others use sprinklers or other forms of irrigation. This is one reason why HyFarm is carrying out its model farms project across 17 micro-pockets as it will help the company assess best agricultural practices across various regions. The second issue that HyFarm looks at is the reduction in water use.
“Since the space of the crop has changed, also deploying IoT sensors to regulate water usage and the reduction in the number of drip irrigation routers, has a saving of 10 per cent,” says Soundararadjane. “As per our data, we noticed farmers who are part of the Paathshala saved water by 40-45 per cent,” says the HyFarm CEO. The third is bringing down fertiliser use.
As the usage of water has been optimized, the use of fertilizer through fertigation results in saving 15 per cent on fertilizer usage. Soundararadjane terms the Paathshala as a “knowledge centre” blending modern technologies with the traditional wisdom of the potato farmers. “The idea is to identify and then recommend the right package of practices for every micro pocket.
It is more of customisation on the package of practices,” he said, adding that, currently, the farming carried out by the growers is based on the company’s recommendations. The Gujarat-based company is focused on driving re-generative agricultural practices, reducing the cost of cultivation and improving the quality of potatoes of French Fry varieties, which farmers engaged in contract farming grow. “The initiative is to enable farmers to improve quality while reducing cultivation costs,” he said, adding that regenerative agriculture has three components - optimal use of water, fertiliser and pesticides.
The feature of these model farms is that farmers are given hands-on training and provided guidance during pre-sowing, mid-season and pre-harvest stages. This is done by blending the knowledge of potato experts, global subject matter specialists, technology and the experiences of potato farmers in the French Fry industry. Using artificial intelligence, the view of experts and specialists is translated into the growers’ language for them to understand easily.
“HyFarm Paathshala” uses IoT sensors and digital tools to monitor soil and weather conditions. This will help farmers make data-driven decisions to achieve better results. The company also puts its “Farmoji” app to best use.
The app provides timely reminders to growers on what they should do, including irrigation, fertilizers and necessary crop protection measures. Farmers are provided with incentives for properly following the Farmoji advisories and registering them. “We have prioritised the introduction of next-generation technologies in potato farming.
These Paatshaala farmers will emerge as our brand ambassadors for neighbouring villages. Already, neighbouring farmers are keenly watching these developments,” says Soundararadjane. For Paathshaala, HyFarm conducts three sessions.
First, before the season, it held training sessions in which over 3,000 of the 7,000 farmers who have entered contract farming with the company attended. “We also conduct a kind of a field day and share the results with the farmers, says the HyFarm CEO. Details gathered through the Paathshaalas and Farmoji app become a good database for farmers and the company to assess how the season has turned out at the end.
“We try to assess if it is worthwhile (the efforts) and what are the areas where we can make some improvements for the future,” says Soundararadjane. The company has installed Fyllo weather stations and machines to monitor soil temperature and moisture. Fyllo works out different algorithms and provides advisories to farmers on what action they have to take for the plant’s good health.
The Paathshaals are also seen as a way for HyFarm to get quality large-sized potatoes that are used for French Fries. The company has three sizes of potatoes - “AAA” - the biggest, “AA” - the medium ones, and “A” - small ones. Farmers get the best price for “AAA” potatoes, while “A” ones are used for flakes and get the lower payment.
“Over the next three years, we plan investments of ₹1,000 crore. These investments showcase our commitment towards quality and innovation and building infrastructure for agricultural growth,” says Soundararadjane. Comments.
