“Maharashtra brothers” ‘Indian Farmer’ YouTube Channel Revolutionizes Agriculture Practices In India”

The town of Vita in the Sangli district of Maharashtra is counted as one of the most drought-prone areas due to scanty rainfall. Santosh Jadhav and Ashok Jadhav, two young men from Sangli district, to resolve the age-long farmer’s plight of dryland agriculture started with their own YouTube channel called Indian Farmer. They felt that there is an ardent need to bridge the knowledge gap. This initiative of these two young energetic, talkative, young, and deeply enamoured individuals with the internet, smartphones, drones, farming, and “jugaad” is the current sensation in the country’s rural world. They started their channel in June 2018 and are presently at 182 lakh (18.2 million) subscribers for their channel Indian Farmer. Their hard work has also earned them whooping followers for their Facebook channel.

They only had a smartphone when they first started. Still, today, according to Akash, the channel’s tech wizard, they have the newest iPhone, a Canon 200D camera, a DJI drone, good microphones, two MacBooks for daily work, two PCs for editing, and a team of four.

Their channel provides techniques and details on various agricultural topics, including direct farming methods, agro-related activities, new farming implements, agricultural applications and IOT (Internet of Things) gadgets that have emerged recently. They discuss the operation of the agricultural markets and also present successful farming examples from all throughout the nation. The jugaad section of the channel, where the pals come up with inexpensive fixes for common issues and do-it-yourself mechanical quick fixes, is arguably its most popular segment.

Though facing several hurdles from family, who wanted them to make a career outside farming, the mid 20’s duo followed their desire to bring revolution in the agro sector. “We wanted to accomplish something together so we are on it. We shared a passion for agriculture” said Santosh, the leading man behind the sensational YouTube channel. 

The duo took two steps towards their success, one of which can be attributed to Santosh’s easy way of talking, in simple Hindi with a broad smile, no sermons, and no patronising voice. This, according to him has been an effective approach. The second added plus is that they are not studio speakers; they film on the 11-acre ancestral farmland of Santosh, where they cultivate sugarcane, mango, pomegranate, and vegetables like capsicum, tomato, etc. They are familiar with the issues of the farming sector, so it is simpler for them to demonstrate and discuss issues practically, which makes their broadcast more engaging for its audience and more accessible for them to comprehend.

On the other hand, Akash is a skilled web researcher. He mockingly declares, “If ever I write a book, the dedication page will read, ‘Dedicated to Google!‘” and refers to himself as a “Google prodigy.” He is the one who identifies farmers who are employing novel or innovative methods on their farms, contacts them, and then travels to the farm to take photos after setting up an appointment. They have travelled to Himachal Pradesh’s apple orchard and Punjab’s paddy cultivation and have successfully cultivated farming techniques for their channel. Their earning ranges from 50,000 to 1 lakh monthly, depending on their video outreach. 

They look forward to including other farming communities, such as those raising chickens, fish, goats, etc. Their main aim is to improvise the farming sector of our country through their ‘jugaad’ techniques. They are also hoping to include youngsters across India who wish to contribute to the agricultural revolution in India.