Abdul Khader Nadakattin credited with over 40 innovations designed to assist small and marginal farmers across India, showcasing a commitment to agricultural advancement and rural development.
Abdul Khadar Nadakattin humorously turned the cliched scenario of splashing water on a deep sleeper to wake them up into a personal routine during his school days, using it as an earnest method to rise early.
At just 14 years old, Abdul Khader Nadakattin devised an innovative “Wa(h!)ter Alarm.” The mechanism was simple: one end of a string was tied to the key of his alarm clock, and the other end was attached to a water bottle. When the alarm rang, the string unwound, causing the bottle to tilt and pour water onto Abdul face, effectively waking him up.
It helped me wake up and complete my school, he recalls with a laugh. Though Abdul managed to pursue education until Class 10, he did not continue with higher studies.
But his water alarm conversations eventually led him to discuss the more serious water issues his village faced. “My father owned 60 acres of ancestral land, but water scarcity hindered us from earning good profits from farming. My father admitted that our family financial condition was poor and asked me to contribute to the farm. So, I gave up my dream of pursuing a graduation in agriculture,” says the 70-year-old.
Despite being deprived of formal education, Abdul inventive spirit remained undeterred. Little did he know at the time that the water alarm would be the first of many of his innovative creations.
One Innovation at a Time
Abdul Khader Nadakattin journey as an innovator is a testament to his dedication to improving the lives of farmers. With over 24 innovations to his name, including tools for tamarind seed separation, ploughing, sowing, and water management, Abdul has played a pivotal role in addressing the challenges faced by small and marginal farmers across India. His practical solutions, born from personal experience and a deep understanding of rural struggles, have made a lasting impact on the agricultural community, earning him the prestigious Padma Shri award in 2022.
LEGACY AND IMPACT
Soon after taking over the reins, Abdul Khader Nadakattin developed a tiller machine capable of deep ploughing, designed to be operated by a bullock. “In 1975, I established the Vishwashanthi Agricultural Research and Industrial Research Centre to sell the product. However, financial constraints hindered my ability to market it effectively, and the product failed to take off,” he recalls.
Later, Abdul Khader Nadakattin developed a plough blade that did not require sharpening and lasted far longer than others in the market. “The blade retained its sharpness, ensuring its long life. It could also be attached to a tractor,” Abdul explains.
Following this, he created a seed-cum-fertiliser drill that enabled the sowing of seeds of various sizes with consistent spacing. “The equipment is used for sowing a wide range of seeds, from jowar to groundnut, and also facilitated the dispersal of fertilisers, soil, and other organic matter,” he adds.
To meet the demands of farmers in Maharashtra, Abdul then built an automated sugarcane sowing machine. Over time, his innovations gained popularity, leading to a steady increase in demand for his products.
Apart from his innovative efforts to help farmers, Abdul Khader Nadakattin also focused on improving the agricultural yield on his own farm. He applied the same inventive spirit to his personal farming practices, experimenting with new techniques and tools to enhance productivity and overcome challenges like water scarcity and soil fertility.
He sourced 600 saplings and planted them across 6 acres of land, maintaining a gap of 20 feet between each tree. This method was part of his efforts to improve agricultural yield and experiment with better farming practices on his own land.
In 1985, the region faced severe droughts, but Abdul Khader Nadakattin managed to source water from a distance of 3 km. “I dug 11 bore wells, but only two yielded water. So, I sourced water from a long distance and stored it by creating six farm ponds. These ponds also helped harvest rainwater during the monsoons. I used the stored water for flood irrigation of my plantation of 600 saplings,” he explains.
The plants grew well, and feeling confident in its success, Abdul planted more than 1,100 trees across a 10-acre area, bringing the total to 1,800 saplings, he says.
However, another unexpected challenge arose. I did not know how to make use of so much tamarind produce. My wife and daughter stepped in, making pickles and jams to sell in markets across the state, including neighbouring Hyderabad, he recalls.
So, Abdul decided to harvest tamarind and make pickles from them. “But the process of separating seeds from the tamarind was tedious, and the labour shortage made it even more difficult. The seeds had to be separated manually, which was a time-consuming process,” he explains, building up the crescendo before revealing his next innovation.
After spending nearly Rs 3 lakh and over six months, Abdul designed a machine to do the job. “The instrument involved a system where the tamarind slid on a tapered peg, pushing the seeds out of the tamarind pod,” he says. To make the process of preparing tamarind pickles more convenient, he built yet another device.
“The pickle-making process required tamarind to be sliced into smaller chunks, which was again labor-intensive. So, I designed another machine to make the slicing more effective and efficient,” Abdul adds.
Over the years, Abdul continued to produce and sell more machines. His reputation for this niche but problem-solving innovations earned him the nickname “hunase huccha,” meaning “tamarind crazy.”
“It was the most difficult innovation of my life, as the seeds often got stuck in the tamarind, making the separation difficult. I researched and experimented for years to achieve the desired result,” he reflects.
However, these innovations and his passion for helping the farming community came at a heavy financial cost to Abdul. He shares, “I struggled with debts all my life and mortgaged part of my agricultural land to invest in research for innovations. I never sell equipment for profits; I offer them a make-to-cost, which is about 25 percent cheaper than what is available in the market. It is a seva (service) for the farmers, and I do not wish to burden them financially.”
Today, Abdul has received funding for his research from the National Innovation Foundation, University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad, and the Karnataka government. “I received Rs 16 lakh from the Karnataka government to develop the ploughing machine and have also invested other prize money received,” he adds.
Some of Abdul Khader Nadakattin”s popular innovations being sold in the market include:
These machines have become essential tools for farmers, helping improve efficiency and productivity in agriculture.
Abdul Khader Nadakattin journey from a small village farmer to a renowned agricultural innovator highlights the potential for transformative change in agriculture. His dedication and creativity inspire farmers and innovators, proving that with perseverance, even the toughest challenges can be overcome.
Edited by Gayathri
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