Er. Ahmad Ali from Kanoor who left a job offer as Assistant Professor to become a farmer is changing the lives of farmers in Ladakh. Adopting new techniques in Agriculture like drip irrigation, mulching, and hydroponics, Ahmad Ali is infusing hope among farmers to boost farming activities even in areas with scarcity of irrigation water.

Speaking to the Voice of Ladakh correspondent, Er Ahmad Ali emphasized farmers to form clusters and adopt new techniques and embrace the latest technology to enhance their productivity.

Farm development and Agriculture is a basic needs of human life. But now both district Leh and Kargil are going away from farming which is resulting in import of even smallest thing”, said Ahmad Ali.

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The import and reliance of remote areas like Ladakh on the external world were a concern for Ahmad Ali. How long we would rely upon and import from outside? the question haunted the farmer. “I always had the vision to make Ladakh self-sustainable”, said Ahmad Ali.

He pursued B. Tech with a major in Agriculture because farm machinery and drip irrigation were not explored in Ladakh. Steadily, he developed an interest in this field and pursued M. Tech in soil and water conservation which was completed during the COVID-19 pandemic. During the pandemic, he reached home and found himself in isolation.

“I turned this isolation into an opportunity and tried to do something different. Hydroponic was my area of study and specialization that I conducted at home with locally available materials. I happened to appear in an interview for an assistant professor post at a university. In a break during the interview, the interviewer discussed my hobbies and time during the pandemic. I told them about My hydroponic Experiments that inspired them and selected me for assistant professor and appreciated my work.

“Their appreciation and encouragement boosted my confidence and pushed me to introduce the same to the whole of Ladakh. Thus, I decided to not accept the assistant professor job”, said Ahmad Ali who prefers others to call him a farmer instead of an Engineer.

Ahmad Ali started his farming life with experiments with mulching which was new to the family members and villagers. The new experiment, if fails, was a matter of concern also to the family members. “Despite this, the family member supported and allowed me to continue the experiment. Now, I have 12 to 13 thousand nursery plants that someone else might think stupidity but my parents supported”, said Ahmad Ali.

Secondly, his team at the Baseej-e-Zaraat wa Baghbani, the Agricultural wing of the Imam Khomeini Memorial Trust (IKMT) Kargil mentored and schooled him “especially Mr. Mohd Ali, Mr. Shabbir Hussain Fayaz, and Haji Mohammad whose experience and teamwork gave me a lot of lessons”, he mentioned.

Initially, Er Ahmad Ali established the Ladakh Organic and Green Initiative Consultancy (LOGIC) which provides consultancy in modern agricultural techniques like micro-irrigation, drip sprinkler, protected cultivation, and hydroponics.

Steadily, in coordination with like-minded people in Baseej-e-Zaraat he established the Rangyul Organic Producer Company Limited (ROPCL) which is a farmers’ produce organization that makes a cluster of farmers to provide national and international markets for their produces. It works as a bridge between the farmers and agencies in the sector. Currently, the ROPCL has more than 140 farmers associated with it.

The Baseej-e-Zaraat wa Baghbani like an umbrella organization coordinates among the agencies and organizations and represents them at the Apex level with the District and Union Territory Administration.

Our group has formed the Farmers Produce Organisation, farms at different places, entrepreneurs, and village level farming clusters in a very short period of few years. I am very grateful to all of them who supported me financially, technically, and morally especially the Agriculture Department, Krishi Vigyan Kendra – Kargil, Baseej-e-Zaraat wa Baghbani, etc.

“We hope that in the future not only Ladakh but even outside Ladakh will get benefited from these farms. we are looking forward to making Ladakh sustainable”, hoped Ahmad Ali.

On asking about the difference between irrigation with canal water and drip irrigation, Ahmed Ali said that drip irrigation is easy to irrigate and effortless, and does not need much effort. Secondly, canal water irrigation accumulates water around the plant which is not good for the plant which is also reflected in elders’ wisdom. The accumulated water discharges the air in the roots cause suffocation to the plant and leading the plant to die.

Moreover, this is also a lesson about this particular technique of drip irrigation for visitors who visit my farm.

On asking about other activities, Ahmad Ali said that he and his team also conduct research in agriculture. This year their focus was on yielding floriculture. IHBT is a mission of the UT Administration to introduce floriculture in Ladakh. Thus, in coordination with Administration, they have grown flowers in different places. Earlier we sent a large consignment to Delhi but now this gladiolus flower is liked in our local market. That is why we are aiming to introduce flower culture among the locals.

Speaking about the waning of Agriculture among locals, he said that the population is increasing and land availability is less. Thus, we must think about irrigation of barren lands near our villages; “area extension should be on priority”, he pressed.

In addition, cluster formation is also needed because when we explore, we found that there are a lot of machines like dryers, instant cooling machines, and high-pressure processing that are very costly. It is hardly affordable for a small farmer. Thus, a cluster would help in procuring these machines. On a huge cluster, the government also could easily make expenditures that would be mass beneficial and easy for the government.

On asking about his views and message to the farming community engineer Ahmed Ali said that farmers are wrongly perceived and presented as poor and downtrodden which is not true. Not only in public but even in mass media like movies, farmers are featured as poor and helpless.

“Farmers should be proud and dignified. I like someone to call me a farmer instead of an engineer. If you eat your daily meals that is because of a farmer. If you are alive that is also because of a farmer. I consider this a noble profession and sustainable.

“Profit is not the prime motive; farming is a sustainable and secure profession. But farming should be with updated and latest technology. Whatever profession you are in you must do farming in your spare time which is relaxing and stress releasing”, Ahmad Ali concluded.