MC Rangaswamy of Doddamagge village, Arakalagudu taluk in Hassan district of Karnataka state has been honoured with an Honorary Doctorate by the University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS), Bengaluru also known as Gandhi Krushi Vigyan Kendra (GKVK) in its annual convocation held on the previous Monday.
A variety of accomplishments: MC Rangaswamy is a role model in multiple ways to the present-day generation of farmers. He is actively involved in the field of agriculture and has adopted an integrated farming system on 600 acres of land and is involved in Agriculture, Horticulture, Forestry and allied activities such as dairy farming, sheep, goat, poultry, fish and beekeeping, while major crops grown in are maize, groundnut, sorghum and paddy.
Horticultural and Plantation crops: Among the horticulture and plantation crops, coffee, cardamom, areca nut, coconut, pepper, butter fruit, nutmeg, vanilla, banana, sapota and bell pepper are being grown Sandalwood, silver oak, teak, mahogany grown and has also maintained and silaged on a large scale to feed the cattle.
Importance to dairy farming: More importance has been given to dairy farming, where 500 cows, 400 sheep 100 Jamunapari goats, and 60,000 chickens have been reared scientifically. Mixed fish farming has been adopted. Beekeeping is yet another enterprise collecting 400 kg of honey every year earning about Rupees 2 lakhs by processing and selling honey.
Dry farming system: Dry farming system has been adopted by the construction of water canals, Check dams and practices summer ploughing, Drip irrigation, sprinkler irrigation, subsurface and micro sprinkler systems are installed for irrigating horticultural crops. Among the cropping systems, mixed cropping such as agriculture + horticulture, and forest + horticulture has been adopted.
Emphasis on integrated nutrient management: More Emphasis has been on integrated nutrient management by using farm yard manure, compost bio-fertilizer, biogas slurry, and recommended chemical fertilizers for improvement of soil condition in plot/field integrated pest and disease management, has been adopted.
Advanced farming machinery: Trichoderma, pheromone traps, biological pesticides and chemical control measures: Advanced farming machinery/equipment like tractors, rotavators, power sprayers, JCB, disc harrow compound harrow and coconut tree climbing equipment are being used. Emphasizing the seed treatment, he recommends seed treatments with bio-fertilizers such as Azosperilum and Rhizobium being followed while sowing improved storage technologies for using wooden boxes for storage of cardamom. Value addition of crops are being grown in and given utmost importance.
Best farmer at the district and national level: In recognition of his achievements, in the field of agriculture and allied enterprises, he has been awarded best farmer at the National Level in 2003, at District Level in 2005 and in 2011. He is the recipient of the State Level award for the best dairy farmer in 2008, the Best Tobacco Producer award in 2009 and the H.D. Devegowda State Level award from the University of Agricultural Science, Bangalore in 2021.
Resource person for Krishi Vigyan Kendras: He is actively involved in publishing his achievements in mass media, Newspapers, magazines and Radio programmes. He has served as a resource person for delivering guest lectures in Krishi Vigyan Kendras, Karnataka State Agriculture and allied departments besides closely being associated with scientists/ extension workers and motivating young farmers at local, national and international levels who are visiting his farm. He is serving as a member and chairman of Tirumala Milk Dairy and also a member of Krishik Samaj and Punya Bhoomi Organization, Hassan.
Rs Six crores income per annum: MC Rangaswamy is a role model for many farmers and an entrepreneur by himself earning Rs. 6 crores income per annum by selling his agricultural products with a brand name. Diving Duck has entered the national and international markets as a Galaxy product. He is instrumental in motivating one Horticulture graduate and three veterinarians to carry out scientific farming and dairy farming which has been proven as a profitable venture and has turned into a successful agro-industrialist.
-Manohar Yadavatti
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