Parashuram Yattinagudda, has sown 24 varieties of paddyrice in a small piece of land in Sulikattivillage, Kalghatgi
HUBBALLI: Parashuram Yattinagudda, 45, a former postal department employee who took up organic farming on his two-acre farm in Sulikatti village of Kalghatgi taluk, has drawn international attention. A postgraduate with an MA and BEd, Yattinagudda cultivates 24 indigenous paddy varieties on his two-acre land and distributes seeds to fellow farmers for free. He also added that nearly 70-80% of his household needs are met through the farm.
Stay updated with the latest Hubballi news. “I collected them from many organic farmers and other sources. We have sown the seeds in June and the yield is expected next month. We have not used a single chemical fertiliser for over six years on our land. Next, we will sow Medini, Gajiwali varieties as well. We will manufacture Gokrupamruta, Go nandajal, Ghanajeevamruta on our own. We use dead bodies of domestic animals to produce Jeevamruta to boost the yield,” he explained. “Gandhasali rice is attracting passersby in the morning with its natural fragrance. We have bought another two acres where we are sowing tur, jowar, green gram, moth beans, cowpeas, urad dal, horse gram and millets. Whatever we need for our house we grow it on our land. We use all indigenous seeds, but never use hybrid ones,” he explained. He has grown jowar crop in half an acre just to feed birds. His efforts recently attracted Freya Bucker, a Netherlands-based student pursuing a master’s degree in resilient farming, who visited the farm to study his practices. The initiative has also drawn farmers from Haveri, Karwar and Gadag seeking to learn from him. In an unconventional biodiversity-supporting practice, he cultivates jowar on half an acre primarily for birds, whose presence helps control insects and enrich the soil. Yattinagudda also hosts visitors interested in natural farming. His work has also earned praise from Manjunath Antaravalli, joint director of agriculture, Dharwad, who has encouraged other farmers to adopt organic cultivation methods. Download the TOI App.