Published in The Hindu Business Line on 10 July 2000. "Green Thumbs Up"

"Light is good in whatever lamp it may burn, as a Rose is beautiful in whatever garden it may bloom"

--- Dr. S. Radhakrishnan


G. Raghava Reddy, as a progressive farmer in the field of Medicinal & Aromatic Plants in Andhra Pradesh, India. He is deeply involved in cultivating and propagating the newly emerging medicinal and aromatic plants, which have good scope for export and employment potential. This is a brief account of the work done by Raghava Reddy in this fascinating field of agro-economic activity.

He retired as Deputy Inspector General of Police from IPS cadre of Andhra Pradesh in the year 1986. Raghava Reddy's passion for agriculture drove him to settle down after retirement in his farm at Shamshabad in Ranga Reddy District and carry on farming, a traditional occupation coming from generations.

From 1987 to 1997, for full 10 years, he raised a number of commercial crops and realized that traditional cultivation of agriculture is not remunerative, particularly in the drought-prone areas. He then made up his mind to do something tangible to change the cropping patterns and make agriculture a sustainable profession. With this objective he interacted with the scientists of the Central Institute of Medical and Aromatic Plants (CIMAP), Resource center at Boduppal in Ranga Reddy District of Andhra Pradesh. After a good deal of discussions, attending seminars, and participating in the training programs of the CIMAP Hyderabad, he ventured to take up cultivation of medical and aromatic plants on scientific lines.

Raghava Reddy started with the cultivation of MENTHA Arvensis and was able to get five harvests in a single year with good quality of essential oil as against two crops taken in North India. The scientists of CIMAP Lucknow and Hyderabad visited his farm and confirmed that the five crops taken by him was indeed a successful experiment. (Please refer to CIMAP annual report of 1998 and JMAPS scientific journal of 2000 published by CIMAP Lucknow). Encouraged by this initial success, he also took up the cultivation of MENTHA Spicata and MENTHA Piprieta varieties.

Inspired by successful experiments conducted in his farm, a number of educated young farmers from different parts of the country took the cultivation of these plants with a New Hope and confidence. We are proud to say that this part of his social service was well received and also well recognized. Additionally, he raised the following other varieties of medicinal and aromatic plants with the advice and guidance of scientists of CIMAP Hyderabad.

	Ashwagandha
	Kasturibenda
	Sonamukhi
	French Basil
	Stevia Rebudiana
	Vasa
	Aloe Vera
	Annato
	Vetiver
	Lemon grass
	Palmarosa
	Citronella
	Geranium
	Tagetes
	Sufed Musli
	Dhavana
	Mentha Arvensis
	Mentha Piprieta
	Mentha Spicata

He later installed a modern distillation plant and extracted essential oils and supplied to wholesale dealers in Chennai and Mumbai. These dealers were so satisfied with the quality that they in turn set up their wholesale agencies in Hyderabad City, enabling him to have market tie-ups for a regulated market.

In recognition of his sincere and serious efforts in the cultivation, propagation, and transfer of technology of medicinal and aromatic plants, Raghava Reddy was awarded the "Swami Ramananda Teertha Award" by Swami Ramananda Teertha Institute of Socio-Economic Research and National Integration at Hyderabad on 23 January 2001, by its founder chairman Sri. P. V. Narasimha Rao, former Prime Minister of India.

On behalf of the farmers of Maharasthra, he was awarded "Udyogsri Award" of a company by Sri. Pramod Mahajan, the then minister for Information Technology and Parliamentary Affairs, Government of India on 10 June 2001 at an impressive function at ShanMukhananda hall at Mumbai.

On behalf of the young and educated farmers of the backward areas of Telangana, he was presented with "Oshadhi Mitra Award" on 26 August 2001 at Tyagaraya Gyana Sabha Hyderabad for creating a good deal of awareness in the drought-prone areas of Telangana region.

Appreciating his useful work in this field, Osmania University Hyderabad included him as a member in their advisory committee of the Herbal Park. Considering the useful service rendered by Raghava Reddy, Swami Ramanada Tirtha Institute of Socio-Economic Research Hyderabad inducted him as a member in their expert council to organize training programs and to educate the farmers in the rural areas, a laudable service to farming community.

The impact of the work done by him as a progressive farmer in the field of medicinal and aromatic plants can be well assessed from a full page feature published by the national newspaper "The Hindu Business Line" on 10 July 2000, under the caption "Green Thumbs Up" stating that "from Law and Order to the Laws of Nature a retired IPS officer demonstrated as to how you can put your faith and money in agriculture."

"Agriculture and Industry Survey", a leading national magazine on agriculture, published from Bangalore in its monthly issue of December 2000, described his work as follows:

"A variety of medical and aromatic plants like Geranium, Palmarosa, Citronella, Ashwagandha, Kasturibenda, Tagetes, and French Basil were growing as inter crops with traditional crops of onion, garlic, vegetables, and so on. The entire farm, with the varieties of plants, with natural colours and hues presented pleasant geometrical patterns. In the management as well as in the lay out of the plots and programming of inter-crops with the main crops, one can see the stamp of discipline in this farm. A disciplinarian himself, a former police officer of IPS cadre could not escape from the legacy of his past. After all old habits die hard."

Padmasri Dr. M. V. Rao, a former Vice Chancellor of N.G. Ranga Agricultural University Hyderabad, a former Special Director General of Indian Council of Agriculture Research, Government of India, and now present Chairman of Andhra Pradesh-Netherlands Biotechnology Program, visited the farm on 6 January 2002 and recorded as follows:

"06/01/2002 Today, I have immense pleasure and satisfaction of visiting the farm of Sri. G. Raghava Reddy, IPS (retd.), D.I.G. of Police at Shamshabad. It is a memorable experience. To see what he has done and doing, and to learn from this visit and his varied experience is educative, stimulative, and inspiring. Rarely we come across people with such commitment. It is surprising that a police officer would be such a committed model farmer. In spite of the fact that he is 75 years old, he is very energetic, humble, thought provoking, and large-hearted. I wish we had more Raghava Reddys in this country. His vast knowledge shall be exploited, which is practical and pragmatic with full of common sense. May God Bless Sri Raghava Reddy garu with long, healthy, and useful life."

We would also like to mention that National Institute of Rural Development (NIRD) Government of India Hyderabad organized exposure visits of foreign delegates from 17 Afro-Asia countries on two occasions to the farm. A team of Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers from 13 States, senior officers of banks, and other executives from all over the country were also brought to the farm to show the progress being made towards the cultivation, propagation, and transfer of technology in the field of medicinal and aromatic plants in the state of Andhra Pradesh.

There are a large number of such opinions and observations made by a galaxy of prominent scientists, renowned academicians, well known experts, senior executives, wholesale dealers, progressive farmers, research scholars and members of the parliament from all over the country. They expressed their appreciation for the contributions made by him as a progressive farmer who single handedly worked without any science background and without any organizational support in this field.

Apart from field activity, this affable grand old man described by renowned academicians as an "institution", holds free training classes and practical demonstrations on the innovative methods to be adopted for obtaining optimum returns, keeping in mind cost effectiveness. He always takes pride that a "work is done and not acquired." In pursuit of this lofty ideal, he works with iron will and strong determination quoting the immortal saying of Lord Vivekananda that "STRENGTH IS LIFE; WEAKNESS IS DEATH." It is a thought that should inspire one and all.

Amazingly, this former IPS officer turned successful unconventional model farmer moves with such enviable alacrity that he attends seminars, symposia, and group discussions anywhere in the country for the sole purpose of acquiring knowledge. Thus, he proves in letter and spirit that "Knowledge is power." What a role model for us to have and for others.

As a senior citizen of 79 years old, who underwent two bypass surgeries and suffers from stomach cancer, Grandpa still works indefatigably. His sense of life remains in the cause of rural poor by creating good deal of awareness, particularly among unemployed youth, to take up medicinal and aromatic plant cultivations and allied activities with a "Vision and a Mission."

	KARMANYEVA DHIKARASTE MA PHALESHU KADACHANA! MA KARMA PHALA HE TURBHU MATE SAGOSTVA KARMANI !!
	True To The Spirit Of This Sloka: I Have Done My Duty! Leaving The Fruits To The God!!
	PONDER FOR A WHILE
	" When you were born, you cried while the world rejoiced. Live your life in such a way that when you die, the world cries while you rejoice." -- ANCIENT SANSKRIT SAYING