Ravindra Manikrao Metkar created a new identity with poultry business and organic farming, know the story of Ravindra Manikrao Metkar
Ravindra Manikrao Metkar comes from a small village in Amravati district of Maharashtra. His family was very simple, and they were three brothers. They had only 1 acre of land, which was very less for such a big family. It was very difficult to run the household expenses and make a living with this limited land. The financial condition of the family was very pathetic and many times they had to struggle even for food and drink. In this difficult situation, Ravindra, instead of giving up, stepped towards the solution.
In 1995, he took a bold decision to start his own business by taking a loan from the bank. He chose poultry business and organic farming as his path and started a poultry farm with 4000 chickens. This step was a big risk for him, but Ravindra believed that with hard work and proper guidance he could achieve success in this poultry business.
Struggle of Ravindra Metkar
Ravindra Manikrao Metkar tells that his father was a peon and the family was facing financial difficulties. In this difficult situation, he started working since childhood. With his hard work and dedication, he achieved success in the poultry business. Although there were many difficulties in his journey, he never gave up and continued to struggle.
Ravindra started working in a chemist shop at the age of 16, where he used to get only Rs 5 per day. Despite financial constraints, he did not leave his studies and used to go to college on foot despite lack of money. One of his neighbours had achieved success in poultry farming, which inspired Ravindra to take up the poultry business.
How to start Poultry Business
Ravindra started his poultry business with 100 chickens by taking Rs 3,000 from his father’s Provident Fund (PF). His hard work and dedication paid off and he gradually had 400 chickens. During this time, he also continued his studies and obtained a post-graduation degree in commerce in 1992.
After this, Ravindra Manikrao Metkar got married and bought an acre of land in Amravati so that he could expand his poultry business. For this, he took a loan of Rs 5 lakh from the bank and set up a poultry farm for 4,000 chickens. His business continued to grow, and he also rebuilt his house. Gradually he expanded his farm to 12,000 chickens.
Bird flu caused huge losses to Poultry Farms
The poultry industry was badly affected by the spread of bird flu in India in 2006. Ravindra had to sell his 16,000 broiler chickens at a huge loss. Despite this difficult phase, he did not give up. In 2008, he took a loan of Rs 25 lakh and restarted his poultry business with 20,000 chickens. Today his poultry farm is spread over 50 acres, where 1.8 lakh chickens are being reared. His poultry business is now flourishing in full swing, and it earns him up to Rs 60,000 daily.
Do organic farming along with poultry business
Ravindra Manikrao Metkar says that he has a total of 50 acres of land, out of which he does organic farming on more than 20 acres of land. Various types of crops are grown in his fields, which include orange, seasonal, coconut, banana, apple, soybean, wheat, cotton, pulses and many other vegetables.
Ravindra believes that proper use of natural resources is necessary for organic farming, and that is why he uses manure obtained from poultry business in his fields. This manure is completely natural, which improves the quality of his crops.
For irrigation, he uses drip irrigation and sprinkler method, which not only saves water but also provides the right amount of water to the crops. Using these techniques not only helps them in crop growth but also reduces water consumption, which becomes even more important in the era of climate change.
Earnings and costs
According to Ravindra Manikrao Metkar, his annual income ranges from Rs 41 lakh to Rs 50 lakh. He says that to achieve this success, he has tried to reduce the cost in his farming and poultry business. He tries to produce as much as possible at less cost, which gives him more profit.
Apart from this, Ravindra makes maximum use of agricultural equipment, which not only increases the speed of work but also saves labor. Using these equipment properly also increases production and reduces hard work. In this smart way, he has increased his earnings by connecting his organic farming and poultry business with modern techniques.
Homemade organic medicine made for farmers
Farmers face problems like pest attacks on crops and animals entering the fields and damaging the crops. To deal with these problems, Ravindra Manikrao Metkar has prepared a natural medicine, which can increase the yield by 30%. Farmers of many districts around him are using this medicine and are getting good results.
Ravindra says that nowadays people are moving towards natural and organic products, and keeping this in mind, he made this organic medicine. This medicine is completely pesticide-free and can be easily prepared at home. He has written a letter to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) to check the authenticity of this medicine and has appealed to the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) to test it scientifically, so that more and more farmers can benefit from it.
Honours and Awards
Ravindra Manikrao Metkar has received many honours and awards for his hard work and outstanding contribution in the agriculture sector, which are as follows:
Vasantrao Naik Shetanishtha Puraskar – 2014 (Agriculture Sector, State, Department of Agriculture, Maharashtra)
Vasantrao Naik Smriti Samman – 2018 (Agriculture and Allied Business, State, Vasantrao Naik Pratishthan, Pushad)
Adarsh ​​Shetkari Puraskar – 2019 (Agriculture, State, Dr. Panjabrao Deshmukh Agricultural University, Akola)
Rajiv Gandhi Krishi Ratna Puraskar – 2018 (Best Entrepreneurship, State, Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Ghatkhed, Amravati)
Agro Vision Shetkari Puraskar – 2019 (Agriculture and Allied Business, State, Agrivision Foundation, Nagpur)
Yuva Pratap Puraskar – 2019 (Best Entrepreneurship, State, Agriculture Graduates Association, Pune)
IARI Innovation Farmer Award – 2020 (Agricultural Mechanization and Drip Irrigation Poultry Farm, National, IARI, New Delhi)
Dr. Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Ratna Award – 2020 (Entrepreneurship, State, Jai Kisan Farms, Nashik)
IARI Fellow Farmer Award – 2021 (High Tech Production Technology, National, IARI, New Delhi)
Jagjivan Ram Innovation Farmer Award – 2022 (Integrated Farming System, National, ICAR, New Delhi)
Amritam Sustainable Agri Award – 2024 (Organic Farming, National, Sri Aurobindo Yoga Knowledge Foundation Trust, India)
Through these awards, Ravindra Metkar has been honored for his excellence and innovation in the agriculture sector. It is clear from these awards that his hard work and dedication has earned him recognition not only at the state but also at the national level.
His message to new farmers
Ravindra Manikrao Metkar says that farmers should always work towards producing good produce at low cost. If farmers produce more at less cost, their profits will increase and they will be able to become financially strong. Apart from this, he also advises that farmers should start other small businesses along with agriculture, such as poultry farming, animal husbandry, beekeeping, dairy farming, etc.
This will give farmers a source of additional income, and they can overcome financial difficulties. They can increase their income by creating more than one income source from the same farm. Ravindra believes that if farmers take their agriculture in the right direction by adopting new technologies and combining different businesses, they can achieve success.
Conclusion
Ravindra Manikrao Metkar’s story proves that despite difficult circumstances and struggles, if there is hard work, dedication and the right strategy, success can be achieved. Through poultry business and organic farming, he not only transformed his life but also inspired the farmers around him.
The secret of his success lies in producing more at lower costs, using modern techniques and integrating other businesses with agriculture. Ravindra also explained the benefits of natural farming to farmers by preparing organic medicines. The awards and honours he has received reflect his dedication and innovation in the agriculture sector. His message is clear — work in the right direction and diversify your sources of income to achieve success.
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