To double Kharif crop production, approximately one-third to one-fourth of the total seeds used by farmers should be replaced with improved seed varieties. Women’s and Farmers’ Self-Help Groups (SHGs) collectively save money to purchase these seeds in bulk, enabling them to receive discounts of nearly 30%. Suyash has developed “Bijamrita” a natural seed treatment prepared using cow dung, cow urine, and other locally available ingredients. Traditional seeds treated with Bijamrita, along with the use of improved seed varieties, increase crop production by more than 25%. Bijamrita also helps improve the seeds’ resistance to diseases, resulting in healthier and more productive crops.
For the past 45 years, Suyash has consistently promoted and adopted organic farming practices to improve soil fertility and conserve water. Farmers are trained to prepare their own compost and vermicompost, known as Suvarna Khad. The use of dung from indigenous (desi) cows in the compost enhances the organic carbon content of the soil, helping preserve and improve its fertility.
Organic carbon provides a favourable environment for the growth of nitrogen-fixing bacteria, which naturally enrich the soil and improve its fertility. Ideally, the organic carbon content in the soil should be around 2%. With the regular use of Suvarna Khad, it can increase significantly, reaching 16–23%.
Farmers are trained to prepare organic pesticides such as Dashaparni Arka using cow dung, cow urine, and other natural ingredients. The use of Dashaparni Arka enhances the natural pest-repellent properties of crops. Its natural aroma helps repel pests effectively without causing harm to the environment. Unlike chemical pesticides, these natural formulations are free from harmful chemicals, making them safe for the soil, crops, farmers, and consumers while promoting sustainable agricultural practices.
Water conservation and water management methods like contour trenches, Vanrai, Gabion, or bamboo-concrete check dams, farm ponds, and wells can create oases in the villages. Suyash has created such oases in 4,728 villages so far. This has further empowered Vanvasis to get Rabi crop which yields 50000-70000 per year as added income.
The areas inhabited by Vanvasis may have barren and hilly land. Farmers can get good produce within two to five years if they grow fruit plants on such land. The farmers are trained to grow fruit plants that are adaptive to the natural conditions in which they live. Growing season-appropriate fruit plants on less fertile land can earn farmers an additional annual income between Rs. 20,000 and Rs. 40,000 from one acre of land after five years. One tree produces fruit worth approximately Rs. 1,000 every year.
A. Tuber Crops
B. Vine Vegetable Plants
C. Fruit Trees like mango, jamun, tamarind, custard apple, jadufruit.
D. Bamboo Farming
E. Mahua (Butter Tree)
Suyash has encouraged and created various community groups to obtain organic certification for their produce through the Participatory Guarantee System (PGS) process. Through vigorous efforts and continuous training, farmers are encouraged and guided in storage management for their produce. Suyash also helps farmer groups arrange vehicles to transport the group’s collective produce to cities for sale.
It is important that tribal farmers collectively sell their produce, as the villages are remote and an individual farmer is not able to sell the produce beyond the local market. Suyash has encouraged villages to come together to form groups and sell their produce collectively.
The Suyash Charitable Trust provides training and guidance on all these aspects: obtaining the licenses required for starting a business, selecting the proper site for the business, preparing project reports, packaging, and marketing activities.
Under the aegis of the farmers’ and women’s Self-Help Groups (SHGs), tribal communities produce papads and chilli, turmeric, and amchoor (dry mango) powders. They also process wheat, jowar, bajra, maize, and ragi into flour. They are trained and guided in cashew processing, beekeeping, and rice and pulse milling. Vegetable processing, along with the production of natural pesticides and organic manure, adds value to the agricultural produce.
As a unique initiative, Suyash has established agriculture schools to train children and, more recently, farmers. Since many children from farming families migrate to cities in search of employment, Suyash aims to demonstrate that agriculture can provide a sustainable and rewarding source of livelihood. The schools make agricultural education engaging while highlighting the economic opportunities that agriculture can create. Students and farmers gain practical knowledge of soil and seed preparation, cultivation, and water management. Through this approach, the schools provide a clear understanding of sustainable agriculture and encourage younger generations to explore farming as a viable livelihood.
Cows are an integral part of Indian farming, and their dung and urine provide valuable resources for agriculture. Providing nutritious fodder is therefore essential for maintaining healthy cattle. Suyash trains farmers in cultivating Napier grass, which can provide fresh and nutritious fodder throughout the year when grown in pasture areas. Napier grass is highly suitable for cattle and offers substantial yields. Approximately 40 tonnes can be produced from one acre of land without irrigation, while the yield can increase to nearly 80 tonnes with adequate water availability. This supports better cattle nutrition and sustainable farm management.
Cow dung can be used not only as organic manure but also to produce biogas, providing a valuable source of renewable energy. Biogas contains approximately 55–75% combustible methane. For a family of six with four cows, the dung produced can generate sufficient biogas to meet the family’s energy needs. The slurry produced from a biogas plant can also be used as organic fertiliser for approximately three acres of land and contains around 18–24% organic carbon. In addition, Suyash is promoting solar energy as a clean and sustainable alternative, supporting environmentally responsible and self-reliant ruraldevelopment.
To double the Kharif crop production, about one-third to one-fourth of the total seeds used by the farmers need to be purchased and of improved varieties. The women’s and farmer’s self-help groups collect money and save this for purchasing the seeds. This entitle them to a discount of almost 30% as it is a mass purchase. Suyash has designed a “Bijamrita”, which is used to treat the old seeds. This is prepaid using Cow dung, Cow urine and other such products which are easily available with the farmers. The improved seeds with use of “Bijamrita” increases the crop productions by above 25%. The “Bijamrita” also helps in developing resistance to diseases.
Suyash has always, right from the last 45 years encouraged and adopted the organic farming practices to improve soil fertility and save water. Farmers are trained to prepare their own compost or Vermicompost which we call as Suvarna Khad. The use of desi cow dung that is local cows in the compost, improves the organic carbon content which is helpful in the soil fertility preservation and improving it.
The organic carbon offers a good or environment for growth of nitrogen fixing bacteria which improves soil fertility. The normal organic carbon in the soil must be to the extent of 2%. With the use of Suvarna Khad, it can improve to 16-23%.
The farmers are taught to prepare organic pesticides like Dasaparni Arka using cow dung and urine. The use of Dasaparni Arka enhances the pest repellent properties of plants. Pests are repelled by the smell of natural pesticides. Natural pesticides do not contain harmful chemicals.
Rabi crops receive water through water management, and a farmer gets around Rs. 50,000 to 70,000 worth of yearly produce. Water conservation and water management methods like contour trenches; Vanrai, Gabion, or bamboo-concrete check dams; farm ponds; or wells can create oases in the villages. Suyash has created such oases in 4,728 villages so far.
The areas inhabited by Vanvasis may have barren and hilly land. The farmers can get good produce within two to five years if they grow fruit plants on such land. The farmers are trained to grow fruit plants adaptive to the natural conditions where they live. Growing season-appropriate fruit plants on less fertile lanc can earn the farmers an additional annual income of between Rs. 20,000 and Rs. 40,000 from one acre of land after five years. One tree produces Rs. 1,000 worth of fruit every year.
A. Tuber Crops B. Vine Vegetable Plants C. Fruit Trees D. Bamboo Framing E. Mahua (Butter Tree).
Suyash has encouraged and created various community groups to get certificates of the organic produce through the participatory guarantee scheme PGS process. Through vigorous efforts and continuous training the farmers are encouraged and guided for a storage management system for their produce. Suyash also helps the farmer groups in arranging for vehicles to transport the group’s collective produce to the cities for selling.
It is important that the tribal farmers collectively sell the produce as the villages are remote and a single farmer is not able to sell the produce except for the local market. Suyash has encouraged villages to come together to form group and to sell in masses.
The Suyash Charitable Trust provides training and guidance on all these aspects: the licenses required for starting a business, selecting the proper site for business, preparing project reports, packaging, and marketing activities.
Under the aegis of the farmers’ and women’s self-help groups, the tribal people make papads and chilli, turmeric, and amchoor (dry mango) powders. They process wheat, jowar, bajra, corn, and ragi into flour. They are trained and guided on cashew processing, beekeeping, and rice and pulse milling. Vegetable processing and natural pesticides and manure production add value to the agricultural produce.
Under the aegis of the farmers’ and women’s self-help groups, the tribal people make papads and chilli, turmeric, and amchoor (dry mango) powders Thev process wheat jowar, bajra, corn, and ragi into flour. They are trained and guided on cashew processing, beekeeping, and rice and pulse milling. Vegetable processing and natural pesticides and manure production add value to the agricultural produce.
As a unique venture Suyash also established agriculture schools to train the children and recently to train the farmers. Most of the children of the farmers migrate to the cities in search of jobs. Establishing agriculture as a good source of income has always been the aim of Suyash which also avoids migration of the children. Making the curriculum interesting and providing an insight of the wealth that can be generated through agriculture is the aim of such schools. It also gives an insight on the various different soil preparations, seed preparations, cultivation, water management which provides a good vision to the students as well as farmers.
The cow is the backbone of Indian farming. Cow dung and urine are beneficial for crops. It is, therefore, necessary to provide nutritious fodder to cows. Suyash trains farmers on the cultivation of Napier grass. If Napier grass is grown in pasture areas, then fresh grass is available for the cows all year round. Napier grass is very nutritious for cattle. Almost 40 tonnes of this grass can be grown on one acre of land without the use of water; if water is used, the yield doubles to 80 tonnes.
Apart from its use in making good manure, cow dung can be used to produce biogas. Biogas plants produce 55 to 75 % combustible methane gas. If a family of six members has four cows, then the dung of these cows would produce enough biogas for the family. The slurry from one biogas plant can be used as fertilizer on 3 acres of land. The slurry contains 18 to 24 % organic carbon. Suyash is also working on solar energy.
Bank Name : Janata Sahakari Bank Ltd., Pune
Account Name : Suyash Charitable Trust
Branch : Paud Road Branch
Account No : 041220100002382
IFSC No : JSBP0000041
Bank Name : Janata Sahakari Bank Ltd., Pune
Account Name : Suyash Charitable Trust
Branch : Paud Road Branch
Account No : 041220100002382
IFSC No : JSBP0000041
