Dr. Dipak Kumar Sahu is the Chairman and Managing Director of Kanak Bioscience and Research Pvt. Ltd. and the proprietor of Maa Kanak Biofertilizers. He is a PhD holder in Horticulture with ample experience in producing organic fertilizers, biofertilizers, and micronutrients. Furthermore, he is an expert in the organic cultivation of indigenous aromatic paddy, spices, medicinal plants, fruits, and vegetables and their value addition. Dr. Sahu was asked to share more about his vast experience in producing organic fertilizers, biofertilizers, and micronutrients. He replied that after completing his academic in agriculture Stream, he started his own company, “Innovate Agro and Infotech Pvt. Ltd.” and provided consultancy on the cultivation of spices, medicinal plants, plantation crops and end-product marketing. When he realized that farmers and other farm owners needed a large quantity of organic fertilizers, biofertilizers, micronutrients, he started a proprietary farm, “Maa Kanak Biofertilizers”, in 2004-05 with a production capacity of 500 metric tons of vermicompost and 100 metric tons of Biofertilizer. In addition, they have their laboratory where every batch of product is tested according to Fertilizer Control Orders.

In 2008-09, they cultivated an acre of indigenous aromatic paddy, i.e., Kalazira variety and multiplied seeds for next year’s cultivation. In 2010-11, they cultivated around 80 acre of indigenous aromatic paddy. In 2011-12 they formed their consultancy and research company named ” Kanak Bioscience and Research Pvt. Ltd.” During the year 2015-16, they purchased four acre of seeds of indigenous aromatic paddy varieties like New Kalazira, New Chinikamini, Geetanjali and Ketaki Joha from National Rice Reseaech Institute, Cuttack and collected local types Pimpudibasa and Pateni from Mayurbhanj and Balasore and started cultivation at two blocks of Mayurbhanj district. As of 2021-22, they have promoted more than 27000 acre of organic farming, out of that 6000 acre of indigenous aromatic paddy.

Dr. Sahu said, during his Post-Graduation, he wanted to explore the professional application of the domain knowledge of agriculture and associated avenues to generate additional income for the marginalized farmers while protecting the environment. The idea of extracting oil and oleoresin from spices and medicinal plants to meet needs round the year is what inspired him to become an entrepreneur.

He loves reading agricultural literature and translating it into Odia in his free time. He said his future vision is to provide organic end-to-end solutions to small, marginal, poor, landless, tribal farmers for the complete organic cultivation, processing, value addition and end produce marketing. Dr. Sahu’s organization is promoting organic cereals, pulses, millets, fruits and vegetables at the moment and are very interested in the idea of processing and adding value to their products. The company wants to establish organic outlets, e-commerce marketing, and kiosks. The plan is to establish an oil extraction unit to extract oil from spices, medicinal plants, and aromatic plants by 2025. Dr. Sahu’s goal is to foster an entrepreneurship culture within their farmers, especially among the youth and to promote one lakh acre of organix farming by 2025.

Image Source – Interview Times