Kerala Engineer Applies Science & Kindness To Dairy Farming, Earns Rs 1 Lakh/Month

At a time when the youth tend to stay away from the mud, the fields and all things agriculture, this engineering graduate proudly introduces you to his dairy farm in Kerala- which is turning a neat monthly profit. Talk about a unique career path. From childhood, Malappuram’s Jamsheer, a 25-year-old B-Tech Graduate, had a special place in his heart for agriculture and veterinary. He kept his passion throughout his growing years.

Studying His Way Into Dairy Farming

Jamsheer understood that just theoretical knowledge about a dairy would not help complete his dream. He took a two-pronged approach. On the learning front, he joined the Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University in Kerala’s Wayanad district in 2013. He also joined a two-year Dairy Diploma course. On the practical front, he bought two cows and five goats as an initial step and kept them in his home. Later he bought three more cows for growing ‘mini-farm’. After completing his Diploma course, he further joined the Dairy Engineering College of the University. “Many discouraged me and asked me to leave the dairy farm at home, thinking that the farm may distract my Engineering studies. But I made sure that I could take care of both at a time and passed the course in 2020,” Jamsheer says, speaking to The Better India (TBI).

“In 2017-18, with the help of my family and a personal loan, I completed the construction of my PCM Farm, which is situated at Kizhissery of Malappuram district. Now I am a dairy farm owner with 40 cows – including 28 milking cows. I get over 270-300 litres of milk per day from my farm, and I earn up to Rs 1 Lakh every month. I sell the milk at Milma, which comes under the Kerala Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation (KCMMF). I also distribute the milk at different shops and hotels. Some villagers also come to the farm to buy milk.,” Jamsheer said.

Keeping The Cows Happy

The farm has Jersey cross cows, Holstein Friesian cross, and many other breeds. Jamsheer happily shares that he has a ‘semi-Hi-Tech’ farm. He states, “I grow grass for feeding the cows at my own farm. The cows also have fresh water all the time through the automatic water bowl system installed on the farm. To reduce the heat in the farm, I have also installed ceiling fans and a mist unit cooling system. The cows can also rest on rubber mats spread on the floors.”

Many say that good music can change an individual’s mood, but did you know that it applies to animals as well?

In the farm, the cows do get music piped through speakers for them as well. Jamsheer stressed that good music boosts milk production and gives a good rest to the cows.

“After feeding the cows, I play the radio at my farm so my cows will have a good resting time listening to music. This trick helps me to get good milk production and reduces my effort. I also would recommend you to play music for your pets, which will help you in many ways,” he added.

Coronavirus Inspires New Trends in Agriculture:

Jamsheer said that plenty of youth had contacted him, asking for help in setting up a farm. He believes this indicates a changing trend in the state, with more young graduates deciding to turn into farmers.

Speaking to TBI, Jashi, an agricultural officer in Kerala, also stressed the same. “Earlier, people considered jobs in agriculture as disgusting. But now things have changed. I feel the reason for the change is due to the Coronavirus pandemic,” she says. “Many lack knowledge about the help the government is providing in the field of agriculture or other farming platforms. It is also to be noted that NRI returnees, who lost their jobs abroad, have also started business in agriculture,” Jashi added.

Source: The article is extracted from The Better India.