Mumbai: Organic farming has become the new buzzword in the farming sector. Agriculture is considered the backbone of the Indian economy, with over 60% of the population still directly or indirectly depending upon this sector to earn a living.
After chemical fertilizers and pesticides made their way into the farms. But it was found that they all affected the fertility of the soil. It is now that the farmers are gradually drifting towards organic farming. While many organizations and individuals are on the mission of making organic farming a way of life for farmers. Ajinkya Hange and Satyajit Hange- siblings from Maharashtra are making waves with their attempts to bring a change.
The two brothers have built an organic products brand of their own and it is named ‘Two Brothers Organic Farm’ (TBOF). The name of the company stands as a testimony to the journey of the two brothers, who were kept away from farming, despite having been born into a farmers’ family.
How the journey began?
There is an interesting story behind the ‘two brothers’. Both of them are fourth-generation farmers in their families. Ajinkya and Satyajit were born in Bhodani village, near Pune in Maharashtra. They pursued their initial education at the Bishop’s School, Pune, a boarding school. From kindergarten to post-graduation, the sibling duo lived in the city.
Among the brothers, older siblings, Satyajit graduated in Economics from Fergusson College and pursued MBA in Marketing from Pune University. On the other hand, Ajinkya pursued his graduation in Computer Science and then took up MBA from the Indira College in Pune. Both of them got placed in well-known MNCs like Citibank, DBS, HDFC, and HSBC. They served for over a decade in these companies.
However, the farmer inside them could not remain silent for long. Soon the two quit their respective jobs and returned to roots! They returned to their native place in 2011 and started the Two Brothers Organic Farms (TBOF). This is how their journey started in the organic farming sector.
Today these brothers are offering 24 products, mostly farm, and value-added farm products. The products are supplied to 45 countries around the globe. They have also created a farmers’ market to help their counterparts. Visiting their farm itself is now giving the outsiders, especially youth and children, a new experience.
OrganicWe
Another important community initiative of the brothers is the not-for-profit organization- OrganicWe. Which intends to popularize the importance of the organic way of life including organic food. This organization was started in Mumbai, the country’s financial capital. The brothers wanted to help the farmers in rural areas by roping the urban residents. Today, this organization is working with over 1,000 school students and three mainstream schools in Mumbai. And Pune to develop community-led Organic farming training modules for them.
Scarred by painful episodes of farmer suicides, the two brothers are leaving no stone unturned to teach farmers the importance of organic farming and the viable way of doing it. According to the brothers, organic farming can be a befitting solution to mitigate the farmer suicide issue. The two crusaders are tirelessly working in this direction.
Major initiatives
- Farmer Groups: The brothers are visiting the villages and creating awareness about the importance of organic farming. They are forming farmers’ groups. For example, in Shelgaon village, which is known for the Pomegranate cultivation. The farmers produced 5,00,000 lakh tonnes of pomegranate, which is chemical-free through their initiative.
- Training for farmers under the ATMA scheme: The brothers are providing training for the farmers under the All Tips Made Accessible (ATMA) scheme of the Maharashtra government. Hundreds of farmers participated in these training programs and now moving towards organic farming.
- 100 organic farmers: 1,000 acres of organic farms: The latest initiative of the brothers is helping 100 farmers to adopt organic farming and converting farming in 1,000 acres of land into organic farming. This project has been launched under the OrganicWe initiative.
Farm philosophies
The brothers are following several farm philosophies, and one of them is mulching. In their land, the farm wastes are not burnt. Instead, all the farm wastes are recycled as mulch. According to the brothers, the mulching procedure preserves soil health. It also promotes dense microbiology, provides thermal insulation. And also enhances the water-retaining capacity of the soil. Desi cow rearing, restoring the local ecologies through food forests. Border trees to protect the farm are the unique models followed by these brothers. It is helping them to get good crops.
They have planted over 10,000 Australian pine trees around the farm as fences. But these trees work as wind barriers. “These plants help in creating and maintaining an insulated microenvironment around the farm, besides increasing the biodiversity”.
The Two Brothers Organic Farm clocked a yearly turnover of Rs two lakh In 2016 and by 2020, the average turnover reached Rs 12cr.
The brothers, with the Two Brothers Organic Farm and their varied products, are truly the ‘Aatma Nirbhar’ Champions that the nation can be proud of.
