Organic Framing

Potential Benefits and High Returns

• The subsurface drainage system is perceived as costly.
• The initial cost varys from Rs. 60,000 to Rs.75,000 per ha. However, considering the huge loss to yield and income, the investment is highly viable and prudential. It has been observed in many sugarcane growing areas of Maharashtra that there has been a drastic reduction of cane yields, from as high as 120 to135 tons per ha to as low as 50 to 60 tons per ha now. For example the average cane productivity in many sugar factory command areas in Ahmed Nagar District has come down to 60 to 75 tons per ha.
• The value of this loss is substantial to take such high investment to restore the soil productivity. It amounts to a loss of income of over Rs. 50,000 per ha per year. One of the innovative farmers who had installed such an under ground system near Rahuri of Maharashtra started getting an yield level of about 150 tons of cane per ha. From this it is evident that even if Rs. 25,000/- has to be spent per acre, the entire investment can be recovered with 2-3 years.
• Similarly, those of the farmers who have laid under ground tile drains in coastal Karnataka in Areca gardens have started realizing very high yields of areca nut, as also inter crops of pepper.
• Since such areas have assured irrigation, this item should be taken up on high priority. The investment is highly viable. However, the high initial cost warrants credit support to many farmers. The sugar factories which will be highly benefited from the increased availability of cane with in their command area, should help the farmers in arranging the credit, pipes, earth moving machinery etc. to the farmers. The command area banks should come forward to formulate suitable location specific schemes. To provide guidance in this regard a model scheme is given below.