Chaudhary Agriculture Services Private Limited

An Overview Of Our Solution

There is a lot of pressure on farmers in India to produce more and more per unit of land which calls for input intensive agriculture leading to continuous increase of agriculture inputs.Now the challenge is that these ever increasing inputs should be used in environmentally and economically sustainable way. At the same time farming models that promote diversified system of land use should be promoted to ensure food security. Our well diversified 100 acre family farm in rural part of North Indian State Uttar Pradesh integrating crop production, tree cultivation and dairy presents a highly sustainable farming model.Through our four Agriculture Input Retail Centers we provide crop protection and crop nutrition inputs to more than 5000 farmers. We guide farmers on judicious use of these inputs and on efficient farming practices.

Who is this solution impacting?

Community Type

Rural

Organization type

Other

Ecosystem (select all that apply)

Forests

Population impacted

more than 5000 farmers

Size of agricultural area

10,000 ha

Production quantity

People employed

50 directly in family farm and agribusiness

Describe your solution

We address the challenge of increasing farm productivity by providing farmers with the products and know-how on judicious use of agroinputs putting major emphasis on biological products. Our Company provides world class crop production consultancy and inputs to farmers. Through our association with leading crop protection & crop nutrition companies and through our own farming experience we assist farmers take maximum possible yields for their chosen crops in an environmentally responsible way. We continually test new products on our fields before making them available to farmers. This helps us ensure that only those products are offered to growers which prove their efficacy in local climate/soil environment. This reduces risk of product failure and hence any kind of loss to farmers. We are a leading producer of high quality seeds of Paddy, Wheat and Peas demanded by farmers in the region which has played important role in getting high yields of crops. https://forests2015.wordpress.com/2015/06/03/integrating-poplar-based-agroforestry-and-dairy-farming/ Our Dairy farm of 60 cows is highly efficient focusing on having climate resilient herd by developing appropriate cross of Indian and exotic cows. It is emerging as a learning source for large number of farmers in the region where we provide them with know-how on all areas of dairy management. We also make available cattle feed, fodder seeds and semen of well-bred bulls to promote dairy farming.

Describe your implementation

AgriBusiness We an educated family of 5 adults completely involved into farming and agribusiness in rural India is playing a key role in meeting out the difficulties that farmers face in getting knowhow on doing farming in a profitable way. We provide farmers with high quality agroinputs along with guidance to attain optimal yields. These efforts have led to improved farm productivity, higher farmers income and healthy environmental practices. The journey from being farmers only to now serving thousands of farmers is full of hard work and passion to serve rural India. We bring best variety seeds of paddy, wheat and peas and further under strict supervision multiply the seeds on our farm. This year we produced paddy seed for 5000 Ha and wheat seed for 1600 Ha which gave very good yields to our farmers. Well Diversified Farm Our family farm taking best possible yields of crops along with agroforestry and dairy farming is a model farm in our State. We were the earliest adopters of agroforestry and have been promoting poplar trees in our region since 1987. I have presented my findings on role of agroforestry in improving environment and livelihoods of farmers at WCA 2014 and International Poplar Commission 2012. Dairy We founded Dairy Association in 2012 to strengthen dairy farming in our state wherein we call experts to guide farmers on cattle management, nutrition and breeding.We also make available to farmers the semen of well-bred bulls for breeding purposes, high yielding fodder seeds and balanced cattle feed. I also took the initiative to develop climate resilient dairy herd with appropriate cross of Indigenous and exotic Hf so that we have a cow which can not only give high milk but also withstand hot climate of India hence saving huge costs that present dairies are incurring to maintain exotic high purity cows leading to lot of wastage of fuel, water, feed and electricity. https://blog.gfar.net/2016/10/17/my-gir-cows-have-arrived/

External connections

Agroforestry We have been purchasing high genetic merit poplar saplings from WIMCO Seedlings since 1987 when it launched campaign to promote Poplar tree cultivation on farms. We have been awaring farmers since then on raising good poplar plantations and lot of farmers have adopted it seeing our healthy plantations. To further promote Poplar Agroforestry amongst Farming community and to bring out the challenges related to it, I have presented my experience on this with International Poplar Commission-2012, World Congress on Agroforestry 2014. Organic Farming We are working with Uttar Pradesh State Organic Certification Agency to get getting guidance from them on organic farming which we share with other farmers. Dairy We have developed a modern 60 cattle unit efficient dairy and our operations are aimed at producing high quality milk efficiently by deep focus on forage based nutrition and balanced breeding strategy. In breeding our aim is to develop Climate Resilient Dairy Cattle as rampant breeding programme in India has led to development of high purity exotic HF cows which are neither climate nor disease resilient leading to too much wastage of water, feed and fuel to maintain them. This has proved to be very uneconomical for farmers. I took the initiative to develop appropriate dairy breed in 2016 with the support of Global Forum of Agricultural Research and expanding the work. https://blog.gfar.net/2017/03/03/entrepreneurship-the-journey-to-build-resilience/

What is the environmental or ecological challenge you are targeting with your solution?

In India input intensive agriculture is becoming very important to attain food security. As more and more inputs are being used per acre of land, it is important that these are used based on scientific recommendations with major emphasis on biological products. But poor know how of farmers, lack of good extension services leads to these being used in irresponsible way leading to economic and environmentally unsustainable farming practices. Diversification of agriculture is also needed to attain food security and have environmental balance. As per India’s national forest policy we must have about 33 % area under tree cover but this figure has stabilized to only 23%. The only possible solution is to adopt agroforestry on farms. We through our agribusiness counters and well diversified farm address the above two challenges by providing inputs and guidance to farmers on efficient farming practices.

Describe the context in which you are operating

To meet increasing demand for food of the growing population from limited land it is essential we build a productive and diversified agriculture sector. Our well-diversified agriculture farm integrating crop production, agroforestry and dairy farming presents a model on sustainable agriculture.
We were the first adopters of poplar based agroforestry in 1987 in our region and have been promoting it amongst farmers since then for it not only generates remunerative returns but is also very beneficial to environment.
The team of 25 people working in our 4 retail counters guide farmers from seed to harvest on optimal use of quality agroinputs and good farming practices.
We operate an efficient dairy farm of 60 cattle and also promote it amongst farmers by providing guidance on cattle breeding, nutrition and management.The major challenge faced by Indian dairy is its complete reliance on HF cows which comes from colder regions of Europe. As a result farmers are all the time altering the environment to keep these cows comfortable leading to wastage of scarce resources such as fuel, water,feed and electricity. This makes dairying economically, environmentally and socially unsustainable.
I also initiated the work on developing climate resilient Indian breeds in my state in 2016 with the support of GFAR, a body of FAO. https://blog.gfar.net/2016/02/20/yap-proposal-7-climate-resilient-india…

How did you impact natural resource use and greenhouse gas emissions?

We do very good farming on 40 ha of land in interiors of India. The farm has all ingredients of modern agriculture including mechanized farming, farm site for testing crop varieties and other agroinputs, organic farming and diverse land use practices such as agroforestry and dairy farming. The precision farming done by us using high quality agroinputs and the well integration of farm taking best yields of crops, raising good poplar plantations and operating efficient dairy unit generates positive economic returns and contributes to improved environment. We maintain 6000 poplar trees on farm and has been promoting agroforestry amongst farmers for last thirty years for it improves tree cover, provides timber to wood industries. The returns from Poplar agroforestry are three times higher than conventional paddy-wheat crop rotation practiced in the region. The inputs that we provide to farmers has played a key role in improving farm productivity, incomes of farmers and healthy environment.

Language(s)

Hindi

Water

Our farming practices such as using laser levelling and use of efficient irrigation systems and water harvesting techniques contribute a lot to water and energy saving outcomes. We were the earliest adopters of laser levelling and have widely promoted it amongst farmers. The even land not only reduces water run off but also increases yields in the paddy and wheat fields contributing to food security. Agroforestry controls water runoff thereby reducing losses of water and soil nutrients.

Food Security/Nutrition

When Intensive cultivation is done using high quality agroinputs in recommended quantities, it leads to high farm productivity without harming environment. Our guidance on use of these inputs leads to precision farming and hence avoids wastage of farmers money. Coupled with agroforestry and dairy farming the food security is multiplied with same land supplying timber and milk. http://wca2014.org/agroforestry-attracting-youth-to-farming-and-transforming-rural-india/#.WLFuCDt942w

Economic/Sustainable Development

We serve farmers in 100 villages and it feels great to say that we play key role in enhancing awareness of farmers on almost every aspect of agriculture. We provide farmers with high quality agroinputs and know how to ensure they take good yields cost effectively. We promote diversified agriculture integrating crops, agroforestry and dairy which leads to much higher economic returns to farmers. http://wca2014.org/agroforestry-attracting-youth-to-farming-and-transforming-rural-india/

Climate

We recognized very early the important role that Agroforestry system of land use can play in improving tree cover and hence mitigating climate change by reducing CO2 emissions and so adopted it in 1987 and promoting it in our region. I also took initiative in 2016 to promote climate resilient Indian dairy cattle as reliance on pure exotic cows has made dairying in India unsustainable. https://blog.gfar.net/2016/02/20/yap-proposal-7-climate-resilient-indian-cattle-nikki-pilania-chaudhary-india/

Sustainability

Our well diversified family farm and Agribusiness counters located in interiors of North India is self-sustainable.
We at our farm have been growing locally suited crops, agroforestry species and keep climate resilient cattle which ensures high productivity at much reduced costs. All these practices along with us providing farmers science backed solutions on use of agroinputs has benefitted environment as well as economic returns to farmers. We are growing as our farmers are growing. Our economic returns depends directly on returns of farmers.
Our Farming and agribusiness model can be replicated anywhere in India or world and in fact such model of educated people contributing to Agriculture by deep involvement in it is much needed.

Return on investment

With investment in our Agribusiness and family farm we are generating positive returns not only at personal level but at a community level. Through our presence in interiors of India and working closely with agricultural community on crop production, agroforestry, dairy farming, seed multiplication etc we have helped improve farmers know how which has been a vital factor in generating positive returns at farmer level. Apart from higher economic returns the optimal use of quality inputs in crop cultivation along with adoption of agroforestry and dairy farming adds to food security, better environment, sustainable agriculture and hence development of rural economy.

Entrant Image

How could we successfully replicate this solution elsewhere?

The successful replication of solution calls for adopting diversified agriculture integrating food production, agroforestry etc.To ensure food security and sustainable agriculture there is need to do input intensive farming efficiently. We started as farmers in 1960s and the returns from farming were put to develop innovative solutions to simplify and make agriculture practices efficient.Later we adopted poplar based agroforestry which further increased our incomes and promoted this in our region. In 1990s we developed our first agroinput counter providing the crop protection and crop nutrition inputs to farmers. The counter gave consultation to farmers on optimal use of inputs.The improved farm productivity and higher economic returns to farmers led to expansion of our Agribusiness which now serves thousands of farmers. The model is easily replicable, all it needs is the involvement of educated youth in agriculture and agribusinesses to bring overall development in agriculture.

YouTube URL

GCARD3: YAP finalists introduction and Thematic Session Chairs reports - April …

Overview