Organic Mandya is slowly gaining recognition - A project report.

1. A REPORT ON ORGANIC
MANDYA VISIT
By
Rohan S Telang
Nikita Agrawal
Anikita Agrawal
Vandana Puttaparthi

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RURAL MARKETING 2
Acknowledgment
This undertaking would not have been possible without the participation and
assistance of so many individuals whose names may not all be enumerated.
Their contributions are sincerely appreciated and gratefully acknowledged. We
would like to express our sincere gratitude to the following in particular:
CMS – Business School, Jain University, for their support and encouragement
in sanctioning this trip.
Prof. Dinesh Nilkant, Dean Administration, CMS, Jain University, for his
support and approval in this endeavour.
Dr. Harold Patrick, Dean Academics, CMS, Jain University, for his assent and
encouragement towards this visit.
Prof. Krishna Koppa, Area Co-ordinator, Marketing, CMS B School, for his
support and acknowledgement of importance of this field visit.
Prof. Kavitha Gowda, CMS, Jain University, for ideating, facilitating, and
overall co-ordination and support of this important learning endeavour.
We would also like to thank Mr. Madhuchandan for taking his time off and
addressing us in giving out an important life and professional lesson.
Finally we would like to thank everyone at CMS B-School and the Organic
Mandya Farm, for taking their time out and facilitating this process for us.

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INTRODUCTION
Organic Mandya provides assistance to organic farmers to sell their farm
produce and solve their farming related problems using technology. It works
with farmers towards improving their livelihood and making farming a
profitable occupation. Mr. Madhu Chandan Chikkadevaiah, an IT professional
wants to bring a change in the lives of farmers who are growing food
organically hence he set up the company along with other 13 like-minded
people.
After serving for many IT companies in different parts of the world, he turned
into entrepreneur in IT field but now he gets back to his roots, he shares, “I was
always inclined towards agriculture. I grew up in GKVK, Mysore as my father
was Vice Chancellor. After engineering, wherever I worked I always thought
about Indian farmers and farming system therefore finally took the decision to
return back to my soil and work for my people.”
On his return Mr. Madhu, Chief Promoter set up Organic Mandya, in
association with Mandya Organic Farmers Cooperative Society. “I came back
and started interacting with farmers. I found that majority of farmers mentioned
the problems and difficulties in selling their organic produce. The just don’t
know how to sell!” he highlights. Unable to fetch appropriate price for the
organic produce, farmers started considering taking up the chemical based

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farming. It was alarming, “I strongly felt something needs to be done. Demand
for organic produce prevails in the market but farmers lack to tap it. Hence we
formed the Mandya Organic Farmers Cooperative Society at district level,”
shares Mr. Madhu. There are 13 directors of the society and 250 farmers
registered as members. Later Organic Mandya was formed to market the
organic produce of these farmers under the brand name ‘Organic Mandya’.
To form the society Mr. Madhu and his team took 8 months due to various
government formalities. Now as the society is registered and so the company
Organic Mandya, “We have started the process of certification. We also have
some individual farmers who are already certified of producing organic food,”
he says.
Certification increases the end price of the produce that makes the products
affordable only by premium section of society so why take certification, “Cost
increases because of many layers (dealers, sub-dealers) between the farmers and
end users. Therefore only handful people in the society are buying organic
produce so far but we want to reach the masses!” elucidates Mr. Madhu.
In order to reach the masses Organic Mandya soon to launch an Integrated
Organic Zone on Bangalore – Mysore highway between Mandya – Maddur
town. “It shall be one stop for all organic needs. It shall have an organic super
market, organic vegetable market, organic green market, organic oil extraction
mill, organic gardening market, organic awareness center, pottery market and a
restaurant all under one roof,” reveals Mr. Madhu.

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“In addition once the organic zone is open we will also be launching our online
store where all the organic produce shall be available for sale.”
Prices of organic produces at ‘Integrated Organic Zone’ shall be competitive to
the non-organic food items so that everyone in the society can purchase by
increasing their grocery budgets by a small percentage. He clarifies, “We are
going to buy the organic farm produces in bulk so prices will come down. We
have indentified new ways of storing hence bulk purchase is possible.” As
organic produce is free from chemicals it has comparatively low shelf life but,
“We have identified improved methods of storing that increases the shelf life
and keeps the pests away thereby decreasing the price of the products,” he adds.
Organic Mandya invites all the farmers growing food organically to sell their
produce at Integrated Organic Zone.
Organic Mandya helps farmers in selling their farm produces or it also assists
them with finances, Mr. Madhu responds, “Cost of producing food is not
expensive but to market it requires more money. Farmers do not fall in debt due
to production cost but are not able to sell their produce so attain losses. We at
Organic Mandya have taken up the responsibility to sell. They need assistance
only with selling.”

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Farmers’ needs to be educated, “They are not aware that for every problem
there is a solution available on the internet. They are not aware about the
technology or improved changes taking place in the market. So I have another
start-up ‘Just Power’ through which we bring easy to use technology to our
farmers,” shares Mr. Madhu.
Recently Organic Mandya along with NIE IT College Mysore and Just Power
developed a water pump that runs without electricity. “We didn’t invent this but
we discovered it on the internet. As our villages lack electricity these kinds of
new discoveries will help our farmers significantly. The pump can be built in
less than Rs 3000/-. It has been tested and is running perfectly well,” he shares
proudly. Water pump that runs without electricity is the alternative to the water
pumps run on diesel. It shall bring down the operational cost as well as will
reduce the carbon emission in the environment. Guidance to build this pump is
offered free for farmers who are interested. Farmers need to be brought out from
their self-pity by providing them with right resources and then farming will be a
lucrative profession too.
Future plans, “I want to build a big a brand in agriculture so that farmers take
pride of their profession ‘farming’. These days many farmers are quitting
farming, this will change if they can associate themselves with a well-

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recognized brand and I want to empower them with such a platform and brand,”
signs off Mr. Madhu Chandan.
Contact details-
Organic Mandya Complex, Bangalore-Mysore Highway, Mandya 571401
Phone: 91-80-41119345
Email : madhuchandan@yahoo.com , support@organicmandya.com
Organic Mandya, in association with Mandya Organic Farmers Cooperative
Society was founded in 2015 and consists of Farmers, Ayurvedic Doctors and
Agricultural University Scientists. Organic Mandya aims to work towards new
and innovative systems in agriculture, education, public policy and by
favourable marketing of organic products. We work with small and marginal
farmers towards improving their livelihood options and making farming a
sustainable and profitable occupation. We aim to help our farmers, the
producers, getting them the best prices available for their organic products. We
combine the efforts of the producer with marketing groups to benefit and sustain
organic producers. We also aim to create awareness in the market about Organic
products.
Their Milestones
Efficient sales of organic products through the compilation of accurate market
data by experienced marketing professionals
1. Develop robust and diverse member owned outlets
2. Build new sales channels for better distribution opportunities
3. Endeavour to increase profit on organically grown crops
4. Develop the domestic as well as an export market to ensure consistent
sales
5. Grow forward-contract markets for organic grain producers
6. Create and increase public awareness about organic products
7. Assist producers & consumers in broadening their knowledge of organic
concepts
8. Promote public policy, research and education to support organic
agriculture

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Team
Madhuchandan SC
Bhaskara Kempaiah

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Products Offered
Essential Organics
Essential Organic Basket @ Rs. 999/-, contains 18 items that has basic grocery
supplies, snacks & soaps for a small family. It should be right enough supplies
for a fortnight / month depending on number of people at home.
View Basket Items
1. Sona Masuri Fine Rice 2 Kgs
2. Toor Dal 500 gms
3. Wheat Atta 1 Kg
4. Sunflower Oil 500 ml
5. Sugar 500 gms
6. Groundnut 250 gms
7. Urad Dal 250 gms
8. Poha Thick(Avalakki) 500 gms
9. Mustard 50 gms
10.Fenugreek seeds 100 gms
11.Rasam Powder 100 gms
12.Liquid Jaggery 250 gms
13.Roasted Gram 250 gms
14.Toothpaste 100 gms
15.Noni Almond Soap 1 Nos
16.Sri Sri Ayurveda Turmeric Facepack 1 Nos
17.Patanjali Detergent Soap 1 Nos
18.Patanjali Detergent Powder 500 gms
Standard Organics
Standard Organic Basket @ Rs. 1,999/- contains 26 items that has rice,
staple food products, grains for your kitchen along with few snacks, soap &
shampoo.
View Basket Items
1. Channa Dal 250 gms
2. Organic Suji 500 gms
3. Baran Aloevera Soap 2 Nos
4. Organic Cumin Seeds 100 gms

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5. Wheat Atta 2 kgs
6. Red Chilli Powder 100 gms
7. Mango Juice 1 Lt
8. Poha Think ( Avalakki) 500 gms
9. Groundnut 250 gms
10.Moong Dal 250 gms
11.Urad Dal 500 gms
12.Himalayan Salt 1 kg
13.Pat Superior Detergent Powder 500 gms
14.Pat Superior Detergent Cake 1
15.Toor Dal 1 Kg
16.Toothpaste 100 gms
17.Sunflower Oil 1 Lt
18.Green Gram 250 gms
19.Jaggery Powder 500 gms
20.Turmeric Powder 100 gms
21.Sona Masuri u/p 1 Kg
22.Rajmudi 1 Kg
23.Jony Jaggery 250 gms
24.Ragi Flour 500 gms
25.Mustard 100 gms
26.Sugar 500 gms
Premium Organics
Premium Organic Basket @ Rs. 2,499/- contains 34 items that has rice, rice
products, staple food products, grains & beverages for your kitchen along with
essential organic items you will need for your bathroom.
View Basket Items
1. Channa Dal 250gms
2. Organic Cumin Seeds 100 gms
3. Groundnut 250 gms
4. Poha Think ( Avalakki ) 500 gms
5. Moong Dal 250 gms
6. Urad Dal 500 gms
7. Himalayan Salt 1 Kg
8. Toor Dal 1 Kg
9. Sunflower Oil 1 ltr

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10.Green Gram 500 gms
11.Jaggery Powder 500 gms
12.Turmeric Powder 100 gms
13.Sona Masuri U/P 1 Kg
14.Rajmudi 1 Kg
15.Jony Jaggery 250 gms
16.Ragi Flour 500 gms
17.Desi Cow Ghee 150 ml
18.Red Chilli Powder 100 gms
19.Organic Suji 500 gms
20.Wheat Atta 2 Kgs
21.Noni Almond Soap 2 Nos
22.Toothpaste 100 gms
23.Mango Juice 1 Lt
24.Puliyogre 100 gms
25.Aloevera Soap 1 No
26.Pat Herbal Handwash 1 No
27.Pat Organic Biscuit 75 gms
28.Pat Superior Detergent Powder 500 gms
29.Pat Superior Detergent Cake 1
30.S.S Henna Shikakai Shampoo 1 no
31.S.S Madhukar H Tea 100 gms
32.Sugar Brown 500 gms
33.Mustard 100 gms
34.Mixed Millets 500 gms

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NEED FOR VISIT
 Training On Organic Farming. Learned from basics to advanced topics in
Organic Farming in a 1-Day training program conducted by experts in
Maddur farm which is just 1.5 hours’ drive from Bangalore.
 To gain comprehensible and hands on knowledge in sustainable organic
farming
(Including how to make different pest repellents, growth promoters and
effective nutrition management)
 To attain technical knowledge on cultivating vegetables (horticultural
crops) (Land preparation, seed selection, sowing, nurture and
maintenance, harvest). Hand holding entrepreneurs through development
of Integrated Farming System and agriculture business model that fits
their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats along with
marketing and risk management
 To get a chance to know Organic Farming and would like to practice this
ourselves.
 ORGANIC FARMING TECHNICAL TRAINING: This will encompass
comprehensive curriculum on side-lines with hands-on experience course
on organic farming. This program will be in continuation with the
technical training, wherein, the trainees will be given a proper hand-
holding in business model generation for their farm venture as part of the
last leg of the course.
 To bridge the gap between the classroom learning and the real world,
which may act helpful in near future.
 Help students in getting new entrepreneur ideas and scope in farming.

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CONTRIBUTION OF ORGANIC MANDYA TO RURAL
DEVELOPMENT:
Organic Mandya, in association with Mandya Organic Farmers Cooperative
Society was founded in 2015 and consists of Farmers, Ayurvedic Doctors and
Agricultural University Scientists. Organic Mandya aims to work towards new
and innovative systems in agriculture, education, public policy and by
favourable marketing of organic products. They work with small and marginal
farmers towards improving their livelihood options and making farming a
sustainable and profitable occupation. They aim to help our farmers, the
producers, getting them the best prices available for their organic products.
They combine the efforts of the producer with marketing groups to benefit and
sustain organic producers. They also aim to create awareness in the market
about Organic products.
1. Elimination of middle men in the transaction:
A farmer walks into the Organic Mandya store and puts a big bag of tomatoes
and chillies on the table. The cashier weights it to be approximately 4.5 kg and
1.25 kg respectively and hands him a few crisp notes. The farmer pockets the
money and walks away. The entire process took no less than six minutes. There
were no delays, negotiations, middlemen or disappointments.
2. Saving the lives of farmers and their families:
Recent trends in Mandya saw Farmers leaving their lands and migrating to cities
in search of menial jobs. Lack of stability forces them to hop from one job to
the other denying continued economic benefits. They are unable to take care of
themselves and their families; eventually getting in to heavy debts and suicide.
It’s a vicious cycle, albeit one which can be prevented. That’s what Organic
Mandya set out to do – give farmers a prosperous, healthy life so that no one
leaves the profession.

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3. Formation of farmer’s cooperative:
Madhu’s first step was to gather passionate individuals (friends and ex-
colleagues) who pooled in Rs 1 crore and he registered Mandya Organic
Farmers Cooperative Society, bringing together nearly 240 organic farmers in
the first phase. It took him eight months to complete all the government
formalities and also establish Organic Mandya – the brand under which farmers
will sell their produce.
The cooperative has already over 500 registered farmers who collectively own
close to 200 acres of land and are producing over 70 varieties for sale – rice,
dals and pulses, edible oils, personal healthcare products, beverages, masalas
and spices. In terms of revenue, the company reached Rs one crore in just four
months. The monthly baskets priced at Rs 999, Rs 1,499 and Rs 1,999 have
found many takers.
4. Paving a way to a sustainable future:
Sustainability is an important aspect for any business to flourish. But Organic
Mandya wants to ensure that sustainability benefits both – farmers and
customers. In the next one year, Madhu is working towards cultivating 10,000
families to generate revenues of approximately Rs 30 crore by making them buy
monthly supplies averaging to approximately Rs 2,000 to 3,000.
He says, “The idea is to get families to register as our members, which will cost
Rs 1,000 annually. This will have dual benefits – one is they will get a steep
discount on all our products for the entire year, and second is we will introduce
them to a range of healthy eating practices.”
5. ‘Organic Tourism’ initiative took birth which has the following –
a) Sweat Donation Campaign –
A first-of-its-kind volunteering initiative that doesn’t ask for monetary
contribution but sweat, Madhu says, “More than 20 percent of farmers’ yield is
lost because of lack of timely labour.” In this initiative, people who enjoy
farming or would want to experience it drive down over the weekend and work

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on Organic Mandya’s farms for the entire day. Citing an example, Madhu says,
“A farmer (nearly 60-years old) was unable to spend Rs 3,000 for a day’s
labour. But he needed to transplant his entire field. We put out a request on our
Facebook page and had around 24 volunteers who completed the work in half a
day.” In the last few months, the Sweat Donation Campaign has attracted over
1,000 volunteers from Bengaluru– right from college students to IT
professionals and retired couples.
Volunteers at a Sweat Donation Campaign
b) Farm Share –
Another unique initiative, Farm Share allows people to rent out farms of half to
two acres for three months at approximately Rs 35,000 and grow their own
food. The package allows families to stay on the farms for eight to nine nights
over the three months and practice farming. In their absence, an Organic
Mandya farmer will take care of the entire land. Once the yield is ready,
families have the option to either sell the produce to Organic Mandya or use it
for personal consumption. This ensures that farmers have continuous income as
well as urban population is exposed to the joy of organic farming.

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c) Team @ Farm –
This initiative encourages companies to bring in their employees for day-long
farming activities, rural sports such as kabaddi, gilli dandalu and lagori, as well
as farm tours such as the jaggery plant tour, which gives people a chance to
understand the entire process. This is at a nominal cost of Rs 1,300 per day.
Volunteers helping a farmer with his produce
6. Educating the farmers about the modern practices that could yield better
results:
Madhu and his team had to spend hours educating farmers to join the organic
farming movement. It took a while before they could win the confidence of
farmers, who have been neglected all the while and given false promises.
Farmers needed support in communication, technology and marketing to sell
their products. Though the farmers had good products, they did not know how
to brand it and get a better price.
7. Creating a market for health conscious customers
Eating natural, healthy and safe food is part of the new urban consciousness,
thus creating a target market for Organic Mandya.This in turn has led to a boom

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in India's organic food industry - current annual domestic organic food sales
stand at Rs 1,330.5 crore, growing at 30 per cent per annum.
8. Creating profits and source of distribution for farmers
Madhu also realised the need to have a strong support system to sell the
produce. Though the farmers had a wide variety of products, they were unaware
about how to market it and get good profits.
So he started an enterprise called Organic Mandya to sell the products in a
supermarket and online too.
The products turned out to be an instant hit so much so that they are not able to
meet the surging demands of health-conscious customers.
Farmers are getting double the price for their products through Organic
Mandya. The math is simple, even if the yield is less in organic farming, the
price a farmer gets is double than what a normal farmer gets.
So any day it is more profitable to switch to organic farming. Organic Mandya
is encouraging more farmers to switch to organic farming on an experimental
basis before they completely adapt to eco-friendly ways of farming.
A breakthrough initiative will be the launch of a new product, research of which
is going on at Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI). Once we
launch that product, we can procure sugarcane not just from Mandya but from
across India, putting an end to the crisis sugarcane farmers face,” says Madhu,
who explains that Organic Mandya’s products are 20-25 per cent cheaper than
other branded organic products. He believes that there is space for new players
in the organic food segment as demand will only keep rising in the years to
come.
9) Empowering people through Sweat donation programme:
One of the unique highlights of Organic Mandya is ‘sweat donation’. The
agriculture sector, which faces acute shortage of labour needs helping hands. So
Organic Mandya seeks the help of people from all walks of life to contribute
their ‘sweat’ to a productive purpose.

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10. Agricultural Education
Mandya has its own Agricultural College with an annual intake of 50 students
for the B.Sc. (Agriculture) course. The University has proposed to begin Ph.D.
programmes in selected disciplines in agricultural science. The agricultural
college in Mandya has produced outstanding B.Sc. (Agriculture) graduates. The
College Campus and Research station are both located opposite to each other
and the students get valuable inputs from the Agriculture Scientists.
11. Agricultural extension and crop development
Department of Agriculture in the district carries out the main function of
agricultural extension, spread of technology and know-how on agriculture
among farmers. Establishment of the R.S.K. (Raitha Samparka Kendra) at Hobli
level, is the key element in the restructuring of the activities of the
Department. There are 31 R.S.K.s in the district. (1 each in the revenue Hoblies
in the district) Farmers visit the R.S.K. both for information on crop production
and for purchase of inputs at subsidized rates. From the year 2001-02 R.S.K. is
also the sale point for the sale of seeds of Karnataka State Seed Corporation
(KSSC). The concept of RSK is highly appreciated by the farmers as both
information and inputs are available at the same premises.
In addition to providing extension support to the farming community, the
department implements several crop development programmes. The
programmes aim at increasing productivity. The following are the important
programmes:
a) National Pulse Development programme.
b) Oilseed production programme.
c) Agricultural fair and exhibition.
d) Plant Protection
e) Popularization of Bio-Fertilizers
The components in these crop development programs include organizing crop
demonstration, supply of seeds at subsidized rates, supply of need based P.P.

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(Plant Protection) chemicals, P.P. equipment, agricultural implements including
High Tech machineries (Power Tiller, mini tractor and multi crop thresher).
12. Development of Training Infrastructure:
Mandya district is unique in having a renowned training centre - RDTC (Rural
Development training Centre). The Centre trains farmers, farm women, under
the Women Youth Training Extension Programme (W.Y.T.E.P.). Extension
functionaries of the Agriculture Department are also trained. Established in
1952, the centre is getting ready to celebrate its golden jubilee.
Indo-Japan Agriculture Extension Training Centre (I.J.A.E.T.C.), Mandya is
the only centre of its kind in the state established with the assistance of Japanese
government during 1970’s, to organize training programmes both to officers
and farmers of Mandya and the rest of the state, on various aspects of rice
production.
The Agricultural School at Somanahalli organizes three months' training to
farmers, on agriculture and other related fields viz. Animal Husbandry,
Horticulture, Watershed Development and Sericulture. Annually three batches
are trained with an intake of 24 per batch.
Besides, the Vijaya Bank Self Employment Training Institute, established
recently in Mandya by the Lead District Bank (Vijaya Bank) is also providing
training support to the farmers of the district.
Infrastructure relating to agricultural inputs.
13. Corporation for supplying Seeds
Karnataka State Seeds Corporation is the main supplier of seeds in the
District. The Corporation has been organizing certified seed production through
their registered seed growers. The seeds so grown are processed in their seed-
processing unit in Mandya. Annually the Corporation handles around 15,000
quintals of seeds, predominant being rice.
Fertilizers and Plant protection chemicals.

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14. Corporation for supplying Organic Fertilizers:
Karnataka Agro Industries Corporation (KAIC), a public sector organization,
supplies bulk of the requirement of fertilizer and plant
protection chemicals through their outlets (agro Kendra numbering 9 in the
District). Besides the KAIC, the Karnataka State Co-Operative and Marketing
Federation (KSCMF), a co-operative organization, through a network of 214
Co-operative Societies, also supplies agricultural inputs to farmers.
15. Supplying Agricultural Implements
The Rayatha Agricultural Produce Co-operative and Marketing Society
(RAPCMS), another co-operative organization, manufactures and supplies
agricultural implements which are popular in the District.
16. Funding Agricultural Credit to Farmers
Mandya District is known for a network of healthy co-operative institution
which provides timely short, medium and long term loans to farmers. The
Vyavasaya Seva Sahakari Sanghas at the village level provide short term crop
loans and medium term agricultural development loans to the farmers. These
Societies in turn borrow from the District Central Cooperative Society. In all,
there are 214 co-operative societies devoted to agricultural credit. Apart from
the Cooperative societies commercial banks and regional rural banks (known
in Karnataka as Grameena Banks) also provide short term and medium term
loans for agriculture development. The Primary Cooperative Agricultural and
Rural Banks, one at each Taluk, provide long term finance for agricultural
development.
17. Agro based industries
Rice and sugar cane are the main crops, wherein farmers manage to get some
marketable surplus. In the District there are 35 Rice mills and 4 Sugar factories.
There are 532 Jaggery units which also help in consuming sugar cane produced
in the district. The annual production of sugar in the four sugar factories is
26,00,000 metric tonnes and jaggery produced by the Khandasari units is
10,00,000 metric tonnes.

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Other service institutions in the Department of Agriculture:
1) Soil Health Centre:
Routine Soil Sample analysis for PH salt concentration, organic carbon, P2O
5 and K2O is carried out free of cost in the soil health centre of department
located in Mandya. Besides this, on payment of a nominal service charge
micronutrients are also analyzed. The micronutrients analyzed are zinc, iron,
molybdenum, manganese etc.
2) Bio Control laboratory:
The District has the pride of establishing the parasite laboratory for the
production of Trichograma Egg parasite against sugar cane early shoot
borers. In view of environmental hazards caused by chemical insecticides the
use of environment friendly bio control agents is becoming increasingly
popular. Annually, 16825 Corcyra eggs are produced and distributed to farmers
on a nominal cost of Rs.4 per acre. Farmers from far off districts are also
receiving the parasites from our laboratory.
3) Horticultural Resources:
Fruits:
The major fruits grown are Jack fruit, Watermelon, Papaya, Mango and others.
Vegetables:
The major vegetables grown are Tomato, Gourd varieties, Brinjal, ladies finger,
leafy vegetables and others.
Plantations:
Major Plantation crops are Coconut and Areca nut.
Animal Husbandry :
Major livestock resources are Cows, Poultry, Sheep, Goats, Buffaloes and
others.

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4) SERICULTURE:
Sericulture is a rural cottage industry, it has given employment to 41393
sericulturist in Mandya District. In Mandya in around 10349 hectares mulberry
is grown, out of which 9560 hectares is irrigated land and 789 hectares is
dependent on rains. For the development of sericulture in the district there are
22 Technical Service Centres, 1 District Unit and 1 grainage at Belakawadi.
The Main functions of the department are as follows:-
 Providing Technical assistance to Mulberry Growers, Cocoon Production
and Reeling.
 Supply of new Mulberry and Silkworm eggs to farmers (Lab to Land
Programme)
 Basic Stock Maintenance required for seed production and supply of
disease free layings
 Supply of disinfectants to sericulturist for conducting disinfection to
rearing house and equipments and bed disinfects to control silkworm
diseases
 Providing of facilities to the rearers in Government Cocoon Markets to
transact Cocoons at reasonable prices and facilities to the silk reelers in
silk exchange to get reasonable prices to the raw silk transacted.
Water Resources:
The irrigation facilities in the district is dominated by canals, tanks and bore
wells. Mandya District is irrigated to the extent of 52% of the total sown area.
Forest resources:
The district has forest area, which is associated with the rocky hills. It yields
major and minor forest produce. The forest department has several plans and
schemes to grow trees in the district. this helps to enrich the degraded forest and
preserve the ecology and environment of the district.

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Mineral Resources
The district has small pockets of mineral base of asbestos, Felsite, Moulding
sand, Building stone, Granite, Quartz, Brick earth, etc. are found and exploited
for commercial use.

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TARGET CUSTOMER
A serial entrepreneur, Madhu Chandan SC, Founder of Organic Mandya, left his
cushy job in the US and came back to India to work with the farmers to create a
greener tomorrow. He had the experience of working across many multi-
national brands in the US. Organic Mandya, in 4 months’ time, was been able to
generate Rs 1 crore in sales and become a household name when it comes to
organic staples. He has campaigns on engaging the city dwellers with the
farmers, which encourages the farmers and in parallel it also enhances
awareness around organic farming methods and techniques for the city dwellers
– who are his target segment. With sweat donation campaigns and regular
updates on organic farming, and touching the chord of asking everyone to grow
their own food, he has been able to grow his Facebook page to 25,000 fans over
a period of six months and they are from across the globe with a reach of over
six million people.
Eating natural, healthy and safe food is part of the new urban consciousness,
thus creating a target market for Organic Mandya.This in turn has led to a boom
in India's organic food industry - current annual domestic organic food sales
stand at Rs 1,330.5 crore, growing at 30 per cent per annum.
Their goal is two fold: to provide healthier, chemical-free, and locally-sourced
food and to support farmers. Customers select the chemical-free local foods
online, they work with local farmers and ships the food to local pick-up points.
For now, they are targeting the conscious consumers, or those already aware of
the benefits of organic farming and who can afford such products. Over the next
few years they hope to reach and become more accessible to different
populations. Visitors in a Organic Mandya farm.
“The holy grail is only when food is made affordable to all consumers,”.
They don’t believe that organic food or naturally grown food should be
available only to the elite customer. Unfortunately, that is the case today.
Therefore, we are very consciously pricing their products. The idea of Organic
Mandya really is how do you make it a win-win situation for both farmers as
well as consumers.

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HOW THEY PROMOTE THEIR PRODUCE TO SELL AT
PREMIUM
The following factors affect the price:
Quality and safety standards
India, being an agriculturally dominated country, has a vast scope in exports of
raw and processed organic food. It has already established itself as a major
agricultural exporter. These include cereals, fruits and vegetables, spices, herbs,
tea etc. currently There is use of chemicals for farming in India The pesticide
use is even less in case of the food items which is imported. Most of the
pesticides are used on cotton. There are few pockets in the country where no
chemicals are used and traditional farming is practiced. The produce from
developing countries the processed organic forms of these commodities can also
be made available in the global markets.
Promotion:
Organic products from India must be promoted as an umbrella brand. The
Central Certification Agency can have the role in brand promotion. Since this
requires a lot of financial support and the small farmers and groups are unable
to do it, there is need for government and private sector intervention corporate
can come in to have organized exports, brands development and promotion with
incentives from Government.
Capacity building of stakeholders:
The consumers’ needs and preferences have witnessed a gradual change
worldwide and the gaps need to be filled by introducing new technologies as
well as up scaling the skills of all the stakeholders involved in entire value
chain. The farmers, traders and other may be trained in pre and post-harvest
techniques in organic production management. It also requires special package
& practices and protocols for organic producers and trade. As quality aspect is
the most important, therefore, the role of certification in organic produce needs
special attention. The capacity building programmes must focus on observing
international organic standards.

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Balancing demand and supply
Indian organic stakeholders are concerned about an enormous market that is yet
to develop. The produce coming out of millions of hectares will be of diverse
variety and on a huge scale. It is a broad estimate that a million hectare of
organic farmland produces commodities worth Rs.7500 crores. To create a
market on that scale will certainly need Government investment of thousands of
crores. It is a daunting task ahead of India organic movement.
The development of the organic agriculture sector can only take place if there is
a balanced growth of domestic supply (farm production, processing, trade) and
demand i.e. consumer readiness to buy organic products, and access to export
markets .This requires joint efforts of the entire organic agriculture sector;
farmers, input suppliers, processing industry, trade, retailers, as well as research,
extension services, NGOs, certification bodies. Policy interventions are needed
to overcoming existing constraints and bottlenecks in the respective fields.
Modern marketers have increasingly moved away from directing their products
to an undifferentiated mass market. A few products, such as table salt, are
perceived as substantially homogeneous and, as a result, marketers of table salt
aim their efforts at a total market. However, even when marketers aim at a total
market, they often attempt to differentiate their products through advertising
and promotion.
But consumer perceptions and preferences differ markedly among age, income,
occupational, cultural, and lifestyle components of the consumer population. As
a consequence, marketers have developed, and successfully utilize, a strategy of
market segmentation-subdividing the mass consumer market into smaller
identifiable groups with relatively similar product needs. The design of a
potentially successful marketing mix-the product, prices, promotion and
distribution channels-is then matched to each identified market segment Some
firms and industries utilize a multi-segment strategy-varying products, prices,
promotion methods, and distribution channels to reach more than one market
segment.
The food industry increasingly markets a wide variety of products to exploit
differences in demand among various consumer groups. Products vary by size,
degree of maturity, type of processing, packaging, and prices. These products
are also promoted and distributed in different ways. Convenience is one

27. ORGANIC MANDYA
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attribute that food marketers have recognized as important to many segments of
today's consumer market, and many products now incorporate services that had
previously been performed in the home.
Access and non-availability of inputs
The organic farmers highlighted the lack of access and non availability of
organic inputs, organic means of pest control, organic ways of post harvest
handling, packing and finding markets for organic products offering premium
price. Another challenge before the organic growers is the non-availability of
the organic seeds and the poor knowledge of the growers regarding nutrition of
soil and other technical aspects of organic farming. Organic agriculture research
& development efforts are minimal so far .
Supply chain linkages
The organic traders are worried about assured supply chain of organic products.
The retail chain finds that when it commits to catering organic foods, it cannot
maintain a continuous and uniform supply of various commodities to its
customers. This creates bad impact and the business does not take off properly.
For the new organic retailers coming up in cities, managing an assured adequate
supply of all commodities for a complete meal is a nightmare. They are not yet
able to make the vendor base closer to the selling points to make logistics
economically viable.
Certification
Few Certification Bodies which have come across the country, have not yet
reached a common understanding on many issues of organic standards, for
example organic inputs. Certifying bodies also find it hard to keep the prices of
certification low, because of logistic costs to reach far away areas. The scales
for certification for each agency are as yet not large enough to open branches in
several areas of the country, as well as to bring down costs (Rundgren,2005)
Organic exporters face the problem of sourcing and procurement of certified
organic products. India being such a large country no exporter can afford to be
in touch with different producers in different parts for various requirements.
Organic supply chain—producer wants to sell at the time of harvest but who is
the buyer. There is need for making arrangements to procure the organic

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produce from the farmers at the time of harvest and store it along the supply
chain.
Where the market, prospective organic farmers is keep enquiring? The whole
sale organic buyers need to be brought into picture for mainstreaming organic.
The issue of setting up “Organic Mandi System” needs to be looked into not
only for helping farmers sell at the time of harvest but also to maintain round
the year supplies.
There is common understanding that presently, growth of the organic
agriculture sector in India is hindered by the following main limitations in the
respective fields

29. ORGANIC MANDYA
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SEGMENTATION, TARGETING AND POSITIONING
Need Recognition:
Concern for Safety: The care about the well-being of family and the
environment and want to do everything that can to ensure the safety of both.
Because preservatives and additives are potentially harmful, that you have buy
organic food.
Need to Nurture: Want to provide an easy and quick snack for children, but
don't want to expose them to potentially harmful additives. Buying Coleman
organic chicken breast strips to take care of their kids in a responsible way.
Egocentric Fulfillment: To understand the importance of avoiding additives,
and want to “feel good” about Themselves. By shopping at Whole Foods, you
eat healthier and maintain a high level of quality
Segmentation, Targeting and positing
Segmentation : consumer perceptions and preferences differ markedly among
age, income, occupational, cultural, and lifestyle components of the consumer
population. As a consequence, marketers have developed, and successfully
utilize, a strategy of market segmentation-subdividing the mass consumer
market into smaller identifiable groups with relatively similar product needs
Demographics:
Age: 21+
Gender : Male and Female
SEC – A, B.
Geographic:
Urban, Semi –urban and Rural Markets
Psychographics:
Lifestyle: Households or individuals, who are interested in consuming Natural,
fresh, organic food
Social characters – Environmental Conversation, Eco-friendly, Health
conscious

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Personality Characters: Trust worthy, Strong, responsible
Behavioral:
Positive attitude towards the nature, environment, suitability and who has
interests in fitness, health.
Targeting:
All the individuals from the age 21, with in the SEC classification of A, B, -
who are health conscious, environment friendly.
Positioning:
The Richness of the food is propitiate to the richness of the country. Organic
farming is grown in soil rich in organic matter. Organic matter-or humus-is the
living part of the soil. In that moist, woodsy part of the soil exist the
uncountable billions of bacteria, fungi and other minute organisms which give
soil remarkable powers to feed tremendous amounts of minerals, and other
nutrients to plant roots.

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LEARNINGS FROM THE DISCUSSION
1. Agriculture Economy of India
The visit started off with a brief history of India and its agricultural history and
entailed the following learnings:
 India ranks second worldwide in farm output. Agriculture and allied
sectors like forestry and fisheries accounted for 13.7% of the GDP (gross
domestic product) in 2013, about 50% of the workforce.
 The economic contribution of agriculture to India's GDP is steadily
declining with the country's broad-based economic growth. Still,
agriculture is demographically the broadest economic sector and plays a
significant role in the overall socio-economic fabric of India.
 India exported $39 billion worth of agricultural products in 2013, making
it the seventh largest agricultural exporter worldwide and the sixth largest
net exporter.
 Indian agricultural/horticultural and processed foods are exported to more
than 100 countries, primarily in the Middle East, Southeast Asia, SAARC
countries, the EU and the United States.
 In the years since its independence, India has made immense progress
towards food security. Indian population has tripled, and food-grain
production more than quadrupled. There has been a substantial increase
in available food-grain per capita.
 Before the mid-1960s India relied on imports and food aid to meet
domestic requirements. However, two years of severe drought in 1965
and 1966 convinced India to reform its agricultural policy and that they
could not rely on foreign aid and imports for food security.
 India adopted significant policy reforms focused on the goal of foodgrain
self-sufficiency. This ushered in India's Green Revolution. It began with
the decision to adopt superior yielding, disease resistant wheat varieties in

32. ORGANIC MANDYA
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combination with better farming knowledge to improve productivity. The
state of Punjab led India's green revolution and earned the distinction of
being the country's bread basket.
 The initial increase in production was centred on the irrigated areas of the
states of Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh. With the farmers
and the government officials focusing on farm productivity and
knowledge transfer, India's total food grain production soared.
 A hectare of Indian wheat farm that produced an average of 0.8 tonnes in
1948, produced 4.7 tonnes of wheat in 1975 from the same land. Such
rapid growth in farm productivity enabled India to become self-sufficient
by the 1970s. It also empowered the smallholder farmers to seek further
means to increase food staples produced per hectare. By 2000, Indian
farms were adopting wheat varieties capable of yielding 6 tonnes of
wheat per hectare.
 India's agricultural economy is undergoing structural changes. Between
1970 and 2011, the GDP share of agriculture has fallen from 43% to
16%. This isn't because of reduced importance of agriculture or a
consequence of agricultural policy. This is largely because of the rapid
economic growth in services, industrial output, and non-agricultural
sectors in India between 2000 and 2010.
 As of 2011, India had a large and diverse agricultural sector, accounting,
on average, for about 16% of GDP and 10% of export earnings. India's
arable land area of 159.7 million hectares (394.6 million acres) is the
second largest in the world, after the United States.
 Its gross irrigated crop area of 82.6 million hectares (215.6 million acres)
is the largest in the world. India is among the top three global producers
of many crops, including wheat, rice, pulses, cotton, peanuts, fruits and
vegetables. Worldwide, as of 2011, India had the largest herds of buffalo
and cattle, is the largest producer of milk and has one of the largest and
fastest growing poultry industries.

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 In 2012, the National Crime Records Bureau of India reported 13,754
farmer suicides. Farmer suicides account for 11.2% of all suicides in
India. Activists and scholars have offered a number of conflicting reasons
for farmer suicides, such as monsoon failure, high debt burdens,
genetically modified crops, government policies, public mental health,
personal issues and family problems.
2. Evolution of Rural economy
The rural environment in India is undergoing a massive change. There has been
a significant growth in purchasing power, change in lifestyle, increase in brand
conscious, change in consumption patters, improvement in infrastructure and
spread of communication network. These changes have made the rural market a
vibrant economic opportunity.
Phase 1 [Prior to the 1960’s]
Prior to 1960’s the terms rural marketing referred to the marketing of rural
products in rural and urban areas, and agricultural inputs in rural markets. It was
considered synonymous with agricultural marketing.
Agricultural produce such as food grains and industrial inputs like cotton,
oilseeds and sugarcane were the primary products marketed during this period.
The rural economy was in a primitive stage, with traditional farming methods
being used in agriculture. There was limited scope for agricultural marketing.
The marketing of leather and metallic utensils, agricultural tools, ropes and
wooden products by skilled workers in rural areas was not given much
importance. This was a totally unorganised market.
3. Green Revolution
 The Green Revolution in India caused a big change in India taking it
forward in the direction of development. It faced lots of problems but it
continued and was successful. The Green Revolution in India was a
period when agriculture in India increased its yields due to improved
agronomic technology.

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 Green Revolution allowed developing countries, like India, to overcome
poor agricultural productivity. It started in India in the early 1960s and
led to an increase in food grain production, especially in Punjab, Haryana
and Uttar Pradesh during the early phase.
 The main development was higher-yielding varieties of wheat, which
were developed by many scientists, including American agronomist Dr.
Norman Borlaug, Indian geneticist M. S. Swaminathan, and others. The
Indian Council of Agricultural Research also claims credit for enabling
the Green Revolution, in part by developing rust resistant strains of
wheat.
 The introduction of high-yielding varieties of seeds and the increased use
of chemical fertilizers and irrigation led to the increase in production
needed to make the country self-sufficient in food grains, thus improving
agriculture in India. The methods adopted included the use of high-
yielding varieties (HYVs) of seeds with modern farming methods.
 The production of wheat has produced the best results in fuelling self-
sufficiency of India. Along with high-yielding seeds and irrigation
facilities, the enthusiasm of farmers mobilised the idea of agricultural
revolution. Due to the rise in use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers
there were negative effects on the soil and the land such as land
degradation.
 The well irrigated and permanently irrigated area was only 17% in 1951.
The majority of the area was dependent on rainfall and, consequently,
agriculture suffered from low level of production. The Green Revolution
was possible due to adequate water supply through irrigation. The
government undertook a number of minor, major and multipurpose
irrigation projects to supply sufficient water to cultivable lands so that the
dependence of farmers on rainfall reduced to great extents. The
government also made provisions for digging canals, hand pumps, etc.,
for adequate and increased water supply.
 Famines in India were very frequent during the period 1940s to 1970s.
Due to faulty distribution of food, and because farmers did not receive the

35. ORGANIC MANDYA
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true value for their labour, the majority of the population did not get
enough food. Malnutrition and starvation was a huge problem. The Green
revolution sought to address this problem.
 Small and marginal farmers found it very difficult to get finance and
credit at economical rate from the government and banks, hence, fell as
easy prey to the money lenders. They took loans from zamindars, who
charged high rates of interests and also exploited the farmers later on to
work in their fields to repay the loans.
 Due to traditional agricultural practices, low productivity, and a growing
population, often food grains were imported — draining scarce foreign
reserves. It was thought that with the increased production due to the
Green Revolution, the government could maintain buffer stock and India
can achieve self-sufficiency and self-reliability.
 Agriculture was basically for subsistence and, therefore, less agricultural
product was offered for sale in the market. Hence, the need was felt to
encourage the farmers to increase their production and offer a greater
portion of their products for sale in the market. The new methods in
agriculture increased the yield of rice and wheat, which reduced India's
dependence on food imports.
4. White Revolution
In India, milk is obtained from cows, buffaloes, goats and from camels (in
Rajasthan). The Indian Dairy Industry has acquired substantial growth from the
Eighth Plan onwards. India’s milk output has not only placed the industry first
in the world, but also represents sustained growth in the availability of milk and
milk products. The dairy v sector is now the largest contributor in the
agricultural sector to the nation’s GDP. The huge increase in milk supply
through concerted efforts on a cooperative level is known as the White
Revolution.

36. ORGANIC MANDYA
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Success in raising the milk production is ascribed to the Operation Flood
project. In 1965, the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) was set up to
promote, plan and organise dairy development through cooperatives. These
cooperatives were envisaged as democratic institutions, owned and managed by
rural producers and were sensitive to the producer’s demands. Basically, Anand
model of dairy development was to be replicated in other parts. These
cooperatives were also to provide consultancy services and set up dairy plants
on a turnkey basis.
The NDDB launched Operation Flood in 1970 with commodity gifts from the
European Economic Community, which included skimmed milk powder and
butter oil. Proceeds from the sale of these products were used to finance the
operation. A multi-tiered cooperative structure was established under the
operation with Primary Village Cooperative Societies at the base, District
Unions at the district level, and State Federations at the state level and the
National Cooperative Dairy Federation of India as the apex body for milk
cooperative societies.
Operation Flood is considered to be the world’s largest dairy development
programme. Under this programme professionals were employed at every level,
particularly in marketing and application, and science and technology. The
central plank of the programme was to link the rural producers with urban
consumers.
These cooperatives undertake procurement, testing, storage and transport of
milk; production of a range of milk products; marketing of milk and milk
products. They also provide support facilities like balanced cattle feed, health
services, artificial insemination and veterinary treatment backed by research in
production, processing and marketing. A brief survey of the phases of Operation
Flood is given below.
Phase-l:
It started in July 1970 and ended in 1981. The objective was to set up dairy
cooperatives in 18 milk sheds in ten states, so as to link them with the four best
metropolitan markets of Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata and Chennai. By the end of
Phase-l, there were 13,000 village dairy cooperatives covering 15 lakh farmer
families.

37. ORGANIC MANDYA
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Phase-2:
It covered the Sixth Plan period from 1981 to 1985. It was designed to build on
the foundations of Phase-l and on the IDA assisted dairy development
programmes in Karnataka, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. By the end of
Phase-2, there were 136 milk sheds, 34,500 village dairy cooperatives covering
36 lakh members.
Phase-3:
It started in 1985 and its emphasis was on consolidating the gains of the earlier
phases by improving productivity and efficiency of the cooperative dairy sector
and its institutional base for long term sustainability. This phase came to an end
in April 1996. By September 1996, about 73,300 dairy cooperative societies had
been organised in 170 milk sheds involving over 9.4 million farmer members.
Results:
1. The milk production in India increased from a level of 17 MT in 1950- 51 to
about 100.9 MT at the end of 2006-07, i.e. at the end of the Tenth Plan.
2. The per capita availability of milk increased to about 246 gm per day in
2006-07 from a level of 124 gm per day in 1950-51.
3. Imports of milk solids have ended. India has also started exporting milk
powder to some countries now.
4. Dairy industry and infrastructure have been expanded and modernised. A
Milk Grid has been activated to offset regional and seasonal imbalances in milk
production. A stable structure is now present to protect against political
instability.
5. About ten million small farmers in 70,000 villages are earning jointly an
incremental income of more than Rs 2000 crore, and more than 60 per cent of
the milk procurement for Operation Flood comes from small, marginal farmers
and the landless.
6. Most of the dairy needs are met indigenously.

38. ORGANIC MANDYA
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7. Genetic improvement of milch animals has been made possible by cross-
breeding.
These cooperatives undertake procurement, testing, storage and transport of
milk; production of a range of milk products; marketing of milk and milk
products. They also provide support facilities like balanced cattle feed, health
services, artificial insemination and veterinary treatment backed by research in
production, processing and marketing. A brief survey of the phases of Operation
Flood is given below.
5. Organic Farming
The following points were learnt as a part of the practises and origins of
“Organic Farming” were concerned:
 Organic farming is an alternative agricultural system which originated
early in the 20th century in reaction to rapidly changing farming
practices. Organic agriculture continues to be developed by various
organic agriculture organizations today.
 Organic farming system in India is not new and is being followed from
ancient time. It is a method of farming system which primarily aimed at
cultivating the land and raising crops in such a way, as to keep the soil
alive and in good health by use of organic wastes, crop, animal and farm
wastes, aquatic waste, and other biological materials along with
beneficial microbes to release nutrients to crops for increased sustainable
production in an eco-friendly pollution free environment.
 It relies on fertilizers of organic origin such as compost, manure, green
manure, and bone meal and places emphasis on techniques such as crop
rotation and companion planting.
 Biological pest control, mixed cropping and the fostering of insect
predators are encouraged. In general, organic standards are designed to
allow the use of naturally occurring substances while prohibiting or
strictly limiting synthetic substances.

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 Naturally occurring pesticides such as pyrethrin and rotenone are
permitted, while synthetic fertilizers and pesticides are generally
prohibited. Synthetic substances that are allowed include, for example,
copper sulfate, elemental sulphur etc.
 Genetically modified organisms, nanomaterials, human sewage sludge,
plant growth regulators, hormones, and antibiotic use in livestock
husbandry are prohibited.
 Reasons for advocation of organic farming include real or perceived
advantages in sustainability, openness, self-sufficiency,
autonomy/independence, health, food security, and food safety, although
the match between perception and reality is continually challenged.
 productivity is typically lower for organic farming than conventional
farming, but that the size of the difference depends on context and in
some cases may be very small.[102] While organic yields can be lower
than conventional yields, certain organic on-farm practices could help
narrow this gap. Timely weed management and the application of manure
in conjunction with legume forages/cover crops were shown to have
positive results in increasing organic corn and soybean productivity.
More experienced organic farmers were also found to have higher yields
than other organic farmers who were just starting out.
 In organic farming synthetic pesticides are generally prohibited. A
chemical is said to be synthetic if it does not already exist in the natural
world. But the organic label goes further and usually prohibit compounds
that exist in nature if they are produced by Chemical synthesis. So the
prohibition is also about the method of production and not only the nature
of the compound.
 While there may be some differences in the amounts of nutrients and anti-
nutrients when organically produced food and conventionally produced
food are compared, the variable nature of food production and handling
makes it difficult to generalize results, and there is insufficient evidence

40. ORGANIC MANDYA
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to make claims that organic food is safer or healthier than conventional
food.
6. Need for Organic Farming
With the increase in population our compulsion would be not only to stabilize
agricultural production but to increase it further in sustainable manner. The
scientists have realized that the ‘Green Revolution’ with high input use has
reached a plateau and is now sustained with diminishing return of falling
dividends. Thus, a natural balance needs to be maintained at all cost for
existence of life and property. The obvious choice for that would be more
relevant in the present era, when these agrochemicals which are produced from
fossil fuel and are not renewable and are diminishing in availability. It may also
cost heavily on our foreign exchange in future.
 Protecting the long term fertility of soils by maintaining organic matter
levels, encouraging soil biological activity, and careful mechanical
intervention
 Providing crop nutrients indirectly using relatively insoluble nutrient
sources which are made available to the plant by the action of soil micro-
organisms
 Nitrogen self-sufficiency through the use of legumes and biological
nitrogen fixation, as well as effective recycling of organic materials
including crop residues and livestock manures
 Weed, disease and pest control relying primarily on crop rotations,
natural predators, diversity, organic manuring, resistant varieties and
limited (preferably minimal) thermal, biological and chemical
intervention
 The extensive management of livestock, paying full regard to their
evolutionary adaptations, behavioural needs and animal welfare issues
with respect to nutrition, housing, health, breeding and rearing

41. ORGANIC MANDYA
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 Sustainability over the long term. Many changes observed in the
environment are long term, occurring slowly over time. Organic
agriculture considers the medium- and long-term effect of agricultural
interventions on the agro-ecosystem. It aims to produce food while
establishing an ecological balance to prevent soil fertility or pest
problems. Organic agriculture takes a proactive approach as opposed to
treating problems after they emerge.
 Soil building practices such as crop rotations, inter-cropping, symbiotic
associations, cover crops, organic fertilizers and minimum tillage are
central to organic practices. These encourage soil fauna and flora,
improving soil formation and structure and creating more stable systems.
In turn, nutrient and energy cycling is increased and the retentive abilities
of the soil for nutrients and water are enhanced, compensating for the
non-use of mineral fertilizers. Such management techniques also play an
important role in soil erosion control. The length of time that the soil is
exposed to erosive forces is decreased, soil biodiversity is increased, and
nutrient losses are reduced, helping to maintain and enhance soil
productivity. Crop export of nutrients is usually compensated by farm-
derived renewable resources but it is sometimes necessary to supplement
organic soils with potassium, phosphate, calcium, magnesium and trace
elements from external sources.
 In many agriculture areas, pollution of groundwater courses with
synthetic fertilizers and pesticides is a major problem. As the use of these
is prohibited in organic agriculture, they are replaced by organic
fertilizers and through the use of greater biodiversity, enhancing soil
structure and water infiltration. Well managed organic systems with
better nutrient retentive abilities, greatly reduce the risk of groundwater
pollution. In some areas where pollution is a real problem, conversion to
organic agriculture is highly encouraged as a restorative measure.
 Organic agriculture reduces non-renewable energy use by decreasing
agrochemical needs. Organic agriculture contributes to mitigating the
greenhouse effect and global warming through its ability to sequester
carbon in the soil. Many management practices used by organic
agriculture, increase the return of carbon to the soil, raising productivity

42. ORGANIC MANDYA
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and favouring carbon storage. A number of studies revealed that soil
organic carbon contents under organic farming are considerably higher.
The more organic carbon is retained in the soil, the more the mitigation
potential of agriculture against climate change is higher.
 Organic farmers are both custodians and users of biodiversity at all levels.
At the gene level, traditional and adapted seeds and breeds are preferred
for their greater resistance to diseases and their resilience to climatic
stress. At the species level, diverse combinations of plants and animals
optimize nutrient and energy cycling for agricultural production. At the
ecosystem level, the maintenance of natural areas within and around
organic fields and absence of chemical inputs create suitable habitats for
wildlife. The frequent use of under-utilized species reduces erosion of
agro-biodiversity, creating a healthier gene pool - the basis for future
adaptation. The provision of structures providing food and shelter, and
the lack of pesticide use, attract new or re-colonizing species to the
organic area, including wild flora and fauna and organisms beneficial to
the organic system such as pollinators and pest predators.
 Statistics show that genetically modified foods (GMOs) are
contaminating natural foods sources at real scary pace, manifesting grave
effects beyond our comprehension. What makes them a great threat is
they are not even labelled. So, sticking to organic foods sourced from
veritable sources is the only way to mitigate these grave effects of GMOs.
 Those that have tasted organically farmed foods would attest to the fact
that they have a natural and better taste. The natural and superior taste
stems from the well balanced and nourished soil. Organic farmers always
prioritize quality over quantity.
 Purchasing foods items from organic farmers is a safer investment in a
cost-effective future. Conventional farming methods have enjoyed great
subsidies and tax cuts from most governments over the past years. This
has led to the proliferation of commercially produced foods that have
increased dangerous diseases like cancer. It’s time governments invested
in organic farming technologies to mitigates these problems and secure

43. ORGANIC MANDYA
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the future. It all starts with you buying food items from known organic
sources.
 These days, it normal to hear news about extinct species and this should
be a major concern. In the last century alone, it is approximated that 75
percent of agricultural diversity of crops has been wiped out. Slanting
towards one form of farming is a recipe for disaster in the future. A
classic example is a potato. There were different varieties available in the
marketplace. Today, only one species of potato dominate.
 Many small farmers worldwide commit suicide or suffer from intense
economic strife due to increasing debt. Since chemical inputs, which are
very costly, are not required in organic farming, small farmers are not as
dependent on money lenders. Crop failure, therefore, does not lead an
organic farmer into enormous debt, and does not force him to take any
extreme steps.
7. Sustainable Farming
Organic farming is sustainable farming as was explained by Mr.Madhuchandan.
Sustainable agriculture is farming in sustainable ways based on an
understanding of ecosystem services, the study of relationships between
organisms and their environment. It has been defined as "an integrated system
of plant and animal production practices having a site-specific application that
will last over the long term", for example:
 Satisfy human food and fiber needs
 Enhance environmental quality and the natural resource base upon which
the agricultural economy depends
 Make the most efficient use of non-renewable resources and on-farm
resources and integrate, where appropriate, natural biological cycles and
controls

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 Sustain the economic viability of farm operations
 Enhance the quality of life for farmers and society as a whole
The most important factors for an individual site are sun, air, soil, nutrients, and
water. Of the five, water and soil quality and quantity are most amenable to
human intervention through time and labour.
Although air and sunlight are available everywhere on Earth, crops also depend
on soil nutrients and the availability of water. When farmers grow and harvest
crops, they remove some of these nutrients from the soil. Without
replenishment, land suffers from nutrient depletion and becomes either unusable
or suffers from reduced yields. Sustainable agriculture depends on replenishing
the soil while minimizing the use or need of non-renewable resources, such as
natural gas , or mineral ores. Possible sources of nitrogen that would, in
principle, be available indefinitely, include:
 Recycling crop waste and livestock or treated human manure
 Growing legume crops and forages such as peanuts or alfalfa that form
symbioses with nitrogen-fixing bacteria called rhizobia
 Industrial production of nitrogen by the Haber process uses hydrogen,
which is currently derived from natural gas.
 Genetically engineering crops to form nitrogen-fixing symbioses or fix
nitrogen without microbial symbionts.
8. Organic Farming Vs Inorganic Farming
Inorganic farming or modern farming is unsustainable due to the following
reasons:
 Loss of soil fertility due to excessive use of chemical fertilizers and lack
of crop rotation.

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 Nitrate run off during rains contaminates water resources.
 Soil erosion due to deep ploughing and heavy rains.
 More requirement of fuel for cultivation.
 Use of poisonous bio-cide sprays to curb pest and weeds.
 Cruelty to animals in their housing, feeding, breeding and slaughtering.
 Loss of biodiversity due to mono culture.
 Native animals and plants lose space to exotic species and hybrids.
Benefits if sustainable farming:
 Better Nutrition: As compared to a longer time conventionally grown
food, organic food is much richer in nutrients. Nutritional value of a food
item is determined by its mineral and vitamin content. Organic farming
enhances the nutrients of the soil which is passed on to the plants and
animals.
 Helps us stay healthy: Organic foods do not contain any chemical. This is
because organic farmers don’t use chemicals at any stage of the food-
growing process like their commercial counterparts. Organic farmers use
natural farming techniques that don’t harm humans and environment.
These foods keep dangerous diseases like cancer and diabetes at bay.
 Free of poison: Organic farming does not make use of poisonous
chemicals, pesticides and weedicides. Studies reveal that a large section
of the population fed on toxic substances used in conventional agriculture
have fallen prey to diseases like cancer. As organic farming avoids these
toxins, it reduces the sickness and diseases due to them.
 Organic foods are highly authenticated: For any produce to qualify as
organic food, it must undergo quality checks and the creation process
rigorously investigated. The same rule applies to international markets.

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This is a great victory for consumers because they are getting the real
organic foods. These quality checks and investigations weed out quacks
who want to benefit from the organic food label by delivering
commercially produced foods instead.
 Lower prices: There is a big misconception that organic foods are
relatively expensive. The truth is they are actually cheaper because they
don’t require application of expensive pesticides, insecticides, and
weedicides. In fact, you can get organic foods direct from the source at
really reasonable prices.
 Enhanced Taste: The quality of food is also determined by its taste.
Organic food often tastes better than other food. The sugar content in
organically grown fruits and vegetables provides them with extra taste.
The quality of fruits and vegetables can be measured using Brix analysis.
 Organic farming methods are eco-friendly: In commercial farms, the
chemicals applied infiltrate into the soil and severely contaminate it and
nearby water sources. Plant life, animals, and humans are all impacted by
this phenomenon. Organic farming does not utilize these harsh chemicals
so; the environment remains protected.
 Longer shelf–life: Organic plants have greater metabolic and structural
integrity in their cellular structure than conventional crops. This enables
storage of organic food for a longer time.
9. Health aspects
In general, organic food consumers, manufacturers, and farmers strongly believe
that organic food has the following benefits compared to conventional food:
Antioxidant Capacity
A number of studies have been completed regarding the effects of antioxidants
derived from organic foods on your overall health, and the predominant results
have shown that antioxidants tend to have more of an impact when they come
from organic foods. This may be due to the fact that foreign chemicals are not

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negatively interacting with the different vitamins, minerals, and organic
compounds that are so essential for the positive impact of fruits and vegetables
in the prevention of things like cancer, heart disease, premature aging, vision
problems, and cognitive malfunction. Recent research suggests that choosing
organic food can lead to increased intake of nutritionally desirable antioxidants
and reduced exposure to toxic heavy metals.
Pesticide Reduction
One of the major complaints that organic food consumers cite when choosing
organic over non-organic is the presence of pesticides. In order to keep crops
from being attacked by the natural world, including bugs, pesticides are
required. Although they do a good job keeping certain pests away from the
crops, they also are composed of powerful chemicals like organophosphorus.
This is an unnatural mineral compound that is not required by humans, but more
than 80% of this material in our bodies comes from eating pesticide-coated
foods. Organophosphorus has been connected to a number of developmental
problems, including autism and ADHD, so those organic food lovers do have a
pretty strong argument in this case. To be fair, many people do choose to go
organic to make sure that their children grow up healthy and unaffected by the
toxins of the world during their developmental years.
Heart Health
Increased amount of time grazing on grass also increases the amounts of CLA
(conjugated linoleic acid) that can be found in the animal products. CLA is a
heart-healthy fatty acid that can boost cardiovascular protection, and it is found
in higher quantities in breast milk and in meat for animals that have been raised
free range or cage-free.
Immune System
In recent decades, one of the biggest projects for farmers and food growers has
been genetic modification. Making tomatoes six times larger might sound like a
possible option for solving some world hunger issues, but there is another side
to it. Genetic modification is still in its early stages, so the long-term effects of
it on human health aren’t understood as well as we would like. In animal testing
genetically modified food showed a major reduction in immune system
strength, an increase in birth mortality, as well as in certain sexual dysfunctions,
cancers, and sensitivity to allergens. Although there are some good things about

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genetically modified food, organic food advocates point to the lack of concrete
details about the long-term effects.
Antibiotic Resistance
People are very sensitive to issues of their health, and they often take
precautions to make sure they remain healthy, like getting various vaccines and
taking antibiotics as soon as a new strain of bacteria makes them ill. However,
non-organic food sources, particularly livestock and feed houses, also use
antibiotics to feed their animals. This extra dose of antibiotics may actually be
weakening our immune system by basically overdosing on antibiotics, thereby
reshaping our immune system so many times that it will eventually be unable to
defend itself. Organic food growers and dairy farmers do not use antibiotics in
their processes.
Overall Health
Since organic food is not prepared using chemical fertilizers, it does not contain
any traces of these strong chemicals and might not affect the human body in
negative ways. Natural fertilizers, like manure, work perfectly fine, and organic
farmers are happy to use this smellier, yet safer, form of fertilizer.
Better Taste
Some people strongly believe that organic food tastes better than conventional
food. The prominent reason for this belief is that it is produced using organic
means of production. Furthermore, organic food is often sold locally, resulting
in availability of fresh produce in the market, which usually does taste better
than produce that has been frozen, shipped, and transported across long
distances.
Environmental Safety
As harmful chemicals are not used in organic farming, there is minimal soil, air
and water pollution; thus ensuring a safer and healthier world for future
generations to live in.

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OVERALL BENEFIT DUE TO VISIT
The importance of practical knowledge and exposure is just as crucial if not
more, when it comes to a field such as marketing and more so for students
pursuing MBA. This visit entailed a first-hand explanation and experience of
how organic farming is being adopted, practised and has helped farmers and the
local residents of Mandya in a significant way. The students benefited in the
following manner:
1. Practical Exposure
The major benefit that accrued to students in this visit was a first-hand
experience of how rural markets, products and marketing is conducted. Rural
markets are considered to be non-profitable and the market potentials are
underrated.
This visit gave an insight into how rural products can be taken up and promoted
in the right manner.
2. Understanding of Rural Aspects and Attributes
The rural marketing course intends to prepare students in dealing with rural
market aspects. This visit has definitely given a head start to students, in terms
of understanding and contemplating the rural marketing do’s and don’t’s.
The mentality, approach and belief that is required to be successful in the rural
market was clearly brought out through interactions with the staff working at
the organic Mandya farms.
3. Lessons in Marketing
Everyone was of the opinion that a new organic farming method, in a rural
environment and store in the middle of a highway is going to fail horribly. But
the right marketing moves and positioning led “Organic Mandya” to be one of
the most successful and profitable enterprises.
These valuable lessons were learnt from this visit and with interaction with the
staff.

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4. Entrepreneurial Grit
An interaction with Mr.Madhuchandan, the proprietor of the “Organic
Mandya”, was extremely helpful in gaining insights into the life of an
entrepreneur.
When he started off, all he faced was criticism. But he backed himself and kept
his wits about him and within 4 months of launch, he made a turnover of over a
crore of rupees. He left a life of comfort and ease to come to his roots in
Mandya and ensure that no more farmers succumb to extreme measures. A clear
vision, grit and hard work paid off and today it has become one of the most
successful ventures.
A lesson in entrepreneurship that not only imparts knowledge, but also inspires.
This business model has shone light upon how a successful rural marketing
project can be ideated and executed. The students have grasped the intricacies
of rural segmentation and targeting and how to approach the target markets,
which widely diiferentaites from urban aspects. It would not be an exaggeration
to say that a whole new tangent of business opportutnites have been unveiled to
the students and the future of rural marketing in India is bright and prospective.
Acquiring knowledge in the field of Rural Marketing is of paramount
importance in the backdrop of rural India and in that context, this visit has
achieved it intended purpose.

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CONCLUSION
The importance of practical knowledge and exposure is just as crucial if not
more, when it comes to a field such as marketing and more so for students
pursuing MBA.
This inclination towards practical knowledge, led the core marketing class to a
field visit to Mandya, to gain a better perspective of rural marketing. This visit
entailed a first-hand explanation and experience of how organic farming is
being adopted, practised and has helped farmers and the local residents of
Mandya in a significant way. The farm is the brain child of Mr.Madhu, an NRI,
who came back to his roots and has proved the importance of sustainable
farming methods and that profitability is very much possible and achievable.
The farmers associated with this project have not only become self-reliant, but
have also experienced, improved standards of living. The Indian rural market is
at peak growth and organic farming is at forefront of farming adaptation today.
This business model has shone light upon how a successful rural marketing
project can be ideated and executed. The students have grasped the intricacies
of rural segmentation and targeting and how to approach the target markets,
which widely differentiates from urban aspects. It would not be an exaggeration
to say that a whole new tangent of business opportunities have been unveiled to
the students and the future of rural marketing in India is bright and prospective.
Acquiring knowledge in the field of Rural Marketing is of paramount
importance in the backdrop of rural India and in that context, this visit has
achieved it intended purpose.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY
Rural Marketing by Pavan Kashyap
http://www.organicmandya.com/
https://www.facebook.com/organicmandya/
http://www.rediff.com/business/report/pix-special-madhuchandan-gave-up-a-
lucrative-career-in-the-us-to-help-farmers/20151118.html/
http://www.agricultureinformation.com/postings/organic-mandya-assistance-
organic-farmers/

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GALLERY

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