Satyajit and Ajinka Hange climbed the corporate ladder after completing their MBA from Pune University, working with leading multinational companies for almost ten years. But there was always a strange feeling. Slowly stuff started coming off somehow. He realized that he could be completely satisfied only when he was in his 100-year-old Wada in Bhodani village of Indapur taluka. He decided to launch Two Brothers Organic Farm (TBOF) after getting tired of his corporate employment. He faced severe criticism for his selection. But he had a rigid set of beliefs. The Heng brothers started farming on a small piece of land and now operate a 21-acre organic farm with an annual revenue of Rs 12 crore. They use traditional farming techniques and cow dung as manure.
TBOF: The Beginning
Two Brothers Organic Farm (TBOF) was founded in 2014 by Satyajit Hange (42) and Ajinkya Hange (39), both of whom left their positions as bankers to pursue their own organic farms. Despite being from a farming family, the brothers were kept away from farming from a young age. Both the brothers attended school in Pune from kindergarten to graduation and also worked there for some time. He spent the next seven to eight years traveling to major cities in India before deciding that farming was his vocation.
initial challenges
The brothers found that the farm’s production fell far short of their fellow farm laborers. Before beginning, they knew that the decline in soil fertility and non-organic farming practices resulted in low production on most farms. Additionally, both the amount of active labor and the availability of water are declining. He knew about organic farming, but few others in his area were actually doing it. He started meeting farmers who were doing unconventional farming across India. In some isolated areas across the country, organic farming was conducted, but not in a way that was profitable. From the day he came to know about the negative effects of chemical fertilizers, he stopped using chemical fertilizers.
use of conventional fertilizers
The two brothers reintroduced the use of cow dung as fertilizer for their plants. Soil is replenished with required micro and macronutrients through the use of traditional fertilizers such as cow dung. To increase fertility, he mulched his fields with organic waste. While poly-cropping helps in promoting soil fertility, soil particle size, water holding capacity and ultimately agricultural biodiversity, mono-cropping causes a specific nutrient deficiency. As he began experimenting with poly-cropping, his farm now has an edible forest with a variety of fruits, vegetables and 25 to 30 different plant species, some of which are medicinal.
experiment with papaya
One of his early experiments was with papaya. Although it didn’t have a particularly attractive exterior, it tasted good. On the other hand, the market rejected their prices because they were based on the appearance of the fruit. He then started creating his own brand TBOF and took his produce to markets and shopping centers, and he also ventured into the online space. After four years of trial and error, the brothers created a model using local seeds, their own fertilizers and pesticides, which significantly reduced their farm expenses. Their actual market value was three to four times higher than the local market for their yield potential. They have been successful in increasing market awareness of the value of organic products through a variety of community and non-profit programs that have had an impact on their local farmers.
ultimate success story
Gradually, TBOF received a large number of visitors and farmers from 14 different countries as well as from all over India. Travelers, farmers, media professionals and bankers from the United States, France, Germany and Australia are among them. Additionally, the Maharashtra government invited farmers from across the country to learn more about their farming practices. During the last six to seven years, more than 25,000 farmers have received organic farming training from Satyajit and Ajinkya. The two also visit their farms, to evaluate and advise them on ways to improve their produce. The brothers have also joined hands with local farmers to help them convert their farms to organic practices and market their produce.
Currently, the duo sells a wide range of organic items including laddoos, gulkand, chyawanprash, ghee, peanut butter, groundnut oil, traditional wheat flour, varieties of jowar and nutrition-rich rice and pulses. No third party exists. Everything is available for purchase online, and orders ship within four to five days of placement. Their annual revenue in 2016 was Rs. 2 lakhs. However, at present their annual turnover is around Rs. 12 crores. Everyone in the supply chain is now a stakeholder after Team TBOF recently gave stock worth around Rs 3.6 crore to all its employees, from cowboy to driver.