In the heart of Dasuya district in Hoshiarpur, Punjab, a tale of agricultural innovation and resilience is unfolding. Sh. Surinder Kumar, born and raised in this agrarian landscape, has emerged as an inspirational figure for farmers across the region. His transition from a 20-year career in exhibition conference management in Delhi to becoming an innovative farmer in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic shows his determination and commitment to sustainable farming practices.

Surinder Kumar’s journey into agriculture wasn’t a predictable one. Driven by the economic uncertainties brought about by the pandemic, he returned to his roots, drawing on the farming experience instilled in him during his childhood. His parents, deeply rooted in agriculture, had imparted invaluable knowledge that would later become the foundation of his success.

In pursuit of a new venture, Surinder Kumar turned to a friend in the UK, a seasoned farmer with expertise in strawberry cultivation. Armed with this knowledge and complemented by his own extensive research, Surinder Kumar embarked on the ambitious journey of strawberry farming in India. The initial challenges were manifold, ranging from the unavailability of high-quality seedlings in India to the struggle of exporting seeds and seedlings from other countries.

The first year proved to be financially daunting, as he faced significant losses on his initial 3-acre venture, with expenses averaging 8 to 9 lakhs per acre. Undeterred, Surinder Kumar sought solutions and identified the need for superior strawberry varieties. This realization led him to import unique strawberry varieties with distinctive flavors from Italy, varieties that could thrive under Indian conditions. Fulfilling all government regulations for seed importation, he received guidance from PUSA on the proper procurement and cultivation of these imported plants.

As Surinder Kumar’s strawberry enterprise began to take root, he expanded his agricultural footprint by acquiring land in Himachal Pradesh. Currently, he manages an impressive 8-acre plot in Jhangola village in Delhi, with 4 acres dedicated to strawberry cultivation and the remaining 4 acres supporting a variety of vegetables, including capsicum, cauliflower, broccoli, radish, and wheat.

One of Surinder Kumar’s key strategies for maximizing profit margins is his adoption of relay cropping, a method where different crops are cultivated sequentially on the same piece of land within a single growing season. His relay cropping patterns, particularly between strawberry-watermelon and capsicum-watermelon, have proven to be highly lucrative, demonstrating the potential for diversification in farming practices.

In addition to innovative cropping patterns, Surinder Kumar places a strong emphasis on sustainable agricultural practices. He has implemented integrated pest management techniques to minimize the use of harmful pesticides, safeguarding both soil and crop health. Recognizing the importance of water management, he has developed a variety-specific fertigation regime, optimizing the use of water and fertilizers for enhanced crop growth.

Modern technology plays a pivotal role in Surinder Kumar’s farming approach. Real-time temperature and humidity monitoring through data loggers ensure optimal conditions for his crops, showcasing his commitment to leveraging technology for agricultural efficiency.

For the marketing and sale of his produce, Surinder Kumar has strategically partnered with supermarket giants Reliance Fresh and Big Basket, providing him with a fixed market and ensuring a steady income stream. This collaborative approach not only secures his financial stability but also contributes to the economic growth of Jhangola.

His message to the fellow farmers is seed selection and plantation at the right time is very important in strawberry farming. Also, he actively engages with and assists other farmers who wish to delve into strawberry farming, offering guidance on seed selection, cultivation practices, and post-harvest care.

In conclusion, Sh. Surinder Kumar’s agricultural story stands as a beacon of innovation and sustainability. His strategic adoption of relay cropping, importation of unique strawberry varieties, commitment to sustainable practices, and embrace of technology exemplify a holistic approach to farming. As an advocate for responsible and profitable agriculture, Surinder Kumar not only cultivates success for himself but also serves as an inspiration for the farming community at large.

In his pursuit of excellence, Brijesh Kumar encourages farm visits from various agricultural scientists, fostering knowledge exchange and community growth. His dedication and innovative farming methods even caught the attention of DD National, where he was featured for his groundbreaking approaches to agriculture.

Brijesh Kumar’s journey has been punctuated by accolades and recognition, underscoring his contributions to the agricultural landscape. In 2022, he was honored with the prestigious IARI Fellow and Innovative Farmer Award. Various institutions and organizations have also appreciated and awarded him for his dedication and innovative approaches. Government funding further validates his efforts and commitment to sustainable farming practices.

As Brijesh Kumar continues to innovate and expand his farming horizons, his story serves as an inspiration to all those who believe that passion, dedication, and innovation can lead to remarkable success, even in the heartland of agriculture. His journey reinforces the idea that farming is not just a livelihood but a canvas for innovation and a path to economic prosperity. In the ever-evolving world of agriculture, Brijesh Kumar is a true pioneer, paving the way for a brighter and more sustainable future for farming in India.

In the bustling urban landscape of Basai Darapur, New Delhi, where concrete dominates and green spaces are scarce, Padam Singh’s story emerges as a testament to the extraordinary transformation that passion and dedication can bring about. Born into a family of farmers, Padam always harbored dreams of creating something exceptional for his environment his relentless pursuit of knowledge and unwavering commitment eventually led him to create “The Terrace Garden,” an awe-inspiring organic haven in the heart of the city.

Padam Singh’s journey towards becoming an urban farming pioneer began long before he retired as the Additional Commissioner of Income Tax, Delhi, in 2021. During his tenure, he would often frequent PUSA, Delhi, India’s National Institute for Agricultural Research, where he immersed himself in the world of home-based farming and agriculture. His maternal grandfather’s orchard provided valuable insights into fruit farming, and he supplemented his learning with extensive online research and videos.

In 2013, Padam Singh took a significant leap by establishing his Organic Farming Kitchen Garden on the rooftop of his home. Spanning 2500 square feet, this rooftop oasis comprises 400 plants and vegetables, showcasing the fruits of 35 different fruit species. Among these species, he mainly nurtures:

Padam’s childhood inclination toward fruit farming found a perfect outlet in this endeavor. He personally tends to each plant, nurturing them with care and dedication. His passion has sparked the interest of many, with people frequently visiting his home on Saturdays and Sundays to witness his thriving rooftop garden. Inspired by his example, several individuals have embarked on their own home-based farming journeys. Padam Singh extends his influence by visiting other households, sharing his knowledge, and even gifting plants to encourage others to embrace the joys of organic gardening.

One remarkable aspect of Padam Singh’s approach to farming is his commitment to organic practices. He refrains from using chemical fertilizers available in the market and instead creates his own organic manure at home. He learned this skill through extensive online research and by attending relevant classes, emphasizing the importance of sustainability and environmental consciousness in his gardening endeavors.

Padam Singh’s journey is a shining example of self-driven success. Despite lacking formal agricultural training, he relied on keen observations at PUSA and discussions with scientists to chart his path to success. His remarkable achievements include three awards from the Head of the All India Kitchen Garden Association, with two first prizes and one-second prize in recognition of his exceptional plants. Furthermore, his journey has been showcased on television, with appearances on DOORDARSHAN in 2018 and 2021.

Beyond his role as an urban farmer, Padam Singh wears many hats. He is a licensed advocate, a distinction granted by the BAR Council of India, an international table tennis umpire, and a sought-after guest lecturer at various universities and colleges. In his community, Padam takes pride in teaching young children about farming, imparting valuable knowledge to the next generation.

Padam Singh is a devoted father, with two sons who share his curiosity about his unique approach to farming. One of his sons is an IT Engineer, while the other holds a degree in B.Com Honors. They are deeply interested in their father’s agricultural pursuits, potentially ensuring the continuity of his legacy.

Looking to the future, Padam Singh has no intentions of commercializing his agricultural passion. He remains committed to sharing the abundance of his terrace garden with the elderly, children, family, and relatives. His dream is to acquire a substantial piece of land where he can expand his gardening endeavors further, cultivating an even greater variety of fruits and vegetables to share with his community.

Padam Singh’s journey as an urban farming pioneer exemplifies the power of unwavering passion, relentless dedication, and the pursuit of knowledge. In a concrete jungle, he has created a green oasis that not only sustains him but also inspires countless others to embrace the beauty and potential of organic gardening. In his humble rooftop garden, Padam Singh sows the seeds of change, one plant at a time.

In the heart of Rohtak, there resides a man who dared to break the mold of corporate success to follow his heart’s calling. Mr. Pradeep Singh, a native of this village, embarked on a journey that not only transformed his life but also left an indelible mark on his community. His story is one of passion, dedication, and a commitment to reviving the roots of his homeland.

Pradeep Singh’s journey began with a simple thought – a desire to contribute to his own community, where farming had always been an integral part of life. The lush fields and fertile lands of Rohtak inspired him to spread awareness about dairy farming and help fellow farmers overcome the challenges in this field.

After completing his MBA, Pradeep spent a decade in the corporate world, working for the renowned company Havells. However, he soon realized that his deep connection to his native place and his passion for agriculture called him back. He felt a profound need to do more for his community.

In December 2018, he founded “Bagdi Milk Power Milk Processing Enterprise,” a venture dedicated to transforming the dairy farming landscape in Rohtak. The enterprise produces a range of dairy products, including Badam Dudh, Lassi, Mava Barfi, Gulab Jamun, Kheer, and Paneer Pakode, all made from the highest quality milk.

Pradeep Singh’s mission goes beyond just producing dairy products; it’s about empowering the uneducated and unskilled youth of his region. He provides training to local farmers, teaching them how to obtain nutritious milk from buffaloes and what should be fed to the animals to maximize their health and milk production. Currently, approximately 80 farmers are associated with him, receiving fair prices for their produce.

What sets Pradeep Singh’s enterprise apart is his commitment to providing clean and healthy products to consumers. He owns cows, but for buffaloes, he collaborates with local farmers and educates them on best practices. This approach ensures that both the farmers and consumers benefit from his venture.

Not only does Pradeep involve farmers, but he also supports local artisans who provide him with traditional “mitti ke bartan” (clay utensils). These artisans are integral members of his farmer groups, helping maintain the authenticity of the products he offers. He utilizes modern machinery, such as a Mawa making machine and milk chillers, to ensure the highest quality and hygiene standards.

With 17 direct employees, 12 of whom contribute to the farms and five dedicated to producing ghee, Pradeep Singh has created meaningful employment opportunities in his community. His dedication to quality is reflected in the price of his ghee, which costs around Rs. 1500 per kg (cow) and Rs. 1200 per kg (buffalo), with additional shipping charges if needed.

Pradeep’s younger brother is also actively involved in the business, and the entire family supports his vision and efforts. Together, they have become a symbol of community-driven entrepreneurship in Rohtak.

Pradeep Singh’s journey has not gone unnoticed. He has been recognized for his outstanding contributions to the field of dairy farming and milk processing. He received awards from prestigious institutions like the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) in Pusa, Delhi, and Haryana Agricultural University in 2019.

Looking ahead, Pradeep Singh has ambitious plans for the future. He aims to expand his online presence and make a wider range of products available to customers, including sunflower oil. His unwavering commitment to his community and his dedication to quality have transformed him from a corporate success story to a dairy farming pioneer, revitalizing the farming landscape in Rohtak and inspiring many to follow their hearts and make a difference in their communities.

In the heart of Punjab’s Patiala district, in a village named Shergarh, a story of determination, innovation, and dedication unfolds. Navdeep Singh Virk, a passionate farmer, embarked on his journey in 2012 with just ten cows. Over the years, he has not only transformed his small dairy farm into a thriving enterprise but has also become a pioneer in promoting the European breed of Red and White Holstein Friesian (HF) cows in India. Navdeep’s success emphasizes the importance of genetic diversity, immunity, and high milk production.

Navdeep Singh Virk’s journey began with a modest herd of ten black and white Holstein Friesian cows. His vision was clear – to provide the best care for his cows and to continually improve their breed. To achieve this, he made the bold decision to import semen from Europe, specifically of the Red and white Holstein Friesian, which are known for their superior milk production and resilience. These Red and white Holstein Friesian breeds are distinct from the conventional A1/A2 milk cows, offering unique advantages. These cows have different names in different countries. These are known as Ayrshire in Scotland, Dutch in Pakistan, and Red and White HF in India.

Navdeep’s herd now consists of 22 animals, including two bulls. Semen shortage, which is a common challenge for dairy farmers, is effectively managed by Navdeep through the use of his own produced bulls. After three years, a bull becomes capable of serving as a breeding sire. This not only ensures a sustainable source of semen but also allows Navdeep to sell high-quality bulls at better rates than cows. He has sold one bull, two milking cows and one heifer to the Animal Husbandry Department, Sikkim.

Expanding Horizons

Navdeep Singh Virk’s dedication to his farm extends beyond the borders of Punjab. He supplies semen to farmers in Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Bihar. His reputation for quality semen has even caught the attention of semen banks, who source semen from his farm. Navdeep’s commitment to breeding excellence has created a ripple effect in the dairy farming community.

Navdeep firmly believes that milk production is heavily influenced by genetics. Consequently, he does not purchase cows from outside sources. Instead, he relies on careful breeding to maintain and improve the genetic quality of his herd. The result is a remarkable range of milk production, spanning from 7,000 to 13,000 liters per cow.

Navdeep’s dedication to genetic diversity also extends to preventing inbreeding. He maintains meticulous records to ensure that no inbreeding occurs within his farm, preserving the health and vitality of his cows.

To maximize milk production, Navdeep employs the services of a nutritionist who formulates balanced diets for his cows. On average, his cows produce 35 liters of milk per day, with some reaching an impressive 45 liters. The nutritionist takes into account factors like body weight and milk production to tailor diets to each cow’s specific needs.

Navdeep’s farm goes beyond just meeting the basic needs of his animals. He has set up tanks, bowls, and pools where fresh water is added daily. Cows have the freedom to spend time in the pool, which not only cools their bodies but also keeps their udders clean. This attention to the comfort of his animals is proof of Navdeep’s commitment to their well-being.

Navdeep Singh Virk’s journey from ten cows to a thriving dairy farm is an inspiring tale for farmers across India. His success offers several valuable lessons:

Diversify Your Breeds: Navdeep encourages farmers to consider different breeds based on their specific conditions and budget. High milk production and immunity should be top priorities.

Start Small: Beginning with a small number of cows and gradually expanding is a wise strategy. Investing in cows that provide at least 25 liters of milk production is a good starting point.

Embrace Innovation: Navdeep’s use of imported semen and his emphasis on genetic diversity are key factors in his success. Farmers should not be afraid to adopt innovative practices.

Focus on Sustainability: Sustainable practices, such as careful nutrition planning and environmental responsibility, are crucial for long-term success in dairy farming.
Share Knowledge: Navdeep’s vision includes educating others about the benefits of these breeds.

Conclusion

Navdeep Singh Virk’s remarkable journey from a small dairy farm to a thriving enterprise shows his excellence in dairy farming. His story is an inspiration to farmers everywhere, offering valuable insights into the benefits of genetic diversity, immunity, and high milk production. Navdeep’s vision for the future includes expanding his farm’s capacity and further promoting the advantages of Red and White HF breeds. His message to fellow farmers is clear: adapt to changing conditions, focus on sustainability, and invest wisely for a prosperous future in dairy farming.

In the serene village Kalakh of Jaipur, Rajasthan, nestled amidst the landscapes of India, Mr. Gangaram embarked on a remarkable journey of transformation, transitioning from a career in education to becoming a staunch advocate for sustainable farming practices. His story is a testament to his unwavering commitment to promoting organic farming and fostering a culture of agricultural research and innovation in his community.

Before dedicating himself entirely to farming, Mr. Gangaram owned a school in his village from 2000 until 2016. In 2018, he handed over the reins to his brother to pursue his lifelong passion for agriculture. Recognizing the importance of knowledge sharing, Gangaram actively encourages trainees from various universities to visit his farm, providing them with valuable insights into sustainable farming practices.

Gangaram’s journey into sustainable farming began with formal training at HITC Horticulture in Durgapur and attending Organic Kheti training programs. Inspired by his agricultural background, he established the Seport Organic Farm and Agro Research Centre in November 2017.

Today, Gangaram’s farm is a thriving testament to his dedication. He cultivates a diverse range of crops, including cucumber, melons, strawberries, broccoli, figs, and various types of lettuce. In addition to these crops, he also grows seven different types of green fodder.

Gangaram’s journey into organic farming was fueled by a pivotal moment in 2012 when he read an article about the hazardous chemicals sprayed on crops in Punjab, leading to health issues. This revelation ignited his determination to pursue organic farming and promote chemical-free agriculture. In 2016, a visit to Mini Israel in Jaipur further solidified his commitment to farming by witnessing the success of over 500 polyhouses.

On August 28, 2017, Gangaram commenced his journey into polyhouse farming, having received training and guidance from experts in the field. He conducted extensive research, consulting with his family, who shared his agricultural background, before venturing into farming. Continuously seeking to enhance his knowledge and expertise, Gangaram emphasizes, “I took various pieces of training and to date don’t miss a chance of learning about farming.”

Gangaram’s dedication to sustainable farming extends beyond the boundaries of his polyhouse. He also breeds fish, raises Avishan sheep (10 for meat), and maintains a dairy farm with three Gir cows and five Murrah buffaloes. Currently, his polyhouse spans three acres, with a fourth acre under development. Overall, he supervises 15 bighas of land shared with his two brothers. While all of his farming practices are organic, the polyhouse requires the occasional use of WSf and Biohouse chemicals.

One of Gangaram’s unique features is his direct interaction with consumers. He sells strawberries directly to visitors and offers a wide variety of vegetables at local markets. Additionally, he supplies his produce to Kissan Mela, ensuring that his fresh and organic products reach a broader audience.

Gangaram’s commitment to education is evident as he welcomes two batches of students from SKN Unit City who are pursuing B.Sc as part of the RAWE program. His farm serves as an experiential learning platform, offering hands-on exposure to sustainable farming practices.

Gangaram’s remarkable journey has not gone unnoticed, earning him a series of prestigious awards and recognitions. In 2019, he was honored with the JB Kheti Award at the state level. In 2021, he was recognized as an innovative farmer by IARI, Delhi. He continued to receive accolades, including the Pandit Din Dayal Upodaya Karsi Award in 2021 and the IARI Fellow Award on February 9, 2022.

Looking to the future, Mr. Gangaram envisions expanding his sheep production by exploring more breeds and implementing sustainable practices. His relentless pursuit of knowledge, coupled with his dedication to sustainable farming, makes him a true trailblazer in the field of agriculture. Gangaram’s story serves as an inspiring example for individuals seeking to make a meaningful impact in their communities through sustainable and organic farming practices.

In a world where sustainable agriculture is becoming increasingly important, Gangaram stands as a beacon of hope and a source of inspiration for those who wish to make a positive change. His dedication to organic farming and his commitment to sharing knowledge not only enrich his community but also contribute to a healthier and more sustainable future for all.

Reflecting on his journey, Hardeep emphasizes the profitability of dairy farming, provided one pays meticulous attention to expenses and focuses on the crucial aspects of feed, breed, and cow management. He stands as a testament to the notion that with the right blend of passion, knowledge, and determination, even a non-traditional background can lead to extraordinary success. His story underscores the potential of agriculture as a dynamic and rewarding profession, inspiring aspiring farmers to think beyond conventional boundaries.

In the sacred grounds of Chamkaur Sahib, where the echoes of historic battles still linger, a modern warrior treads a different path. Amarpreet Singh, a farmer with a relentless spirit, has harnessed the power of integrated farming techniques to revolutionize his 28-acre farm. Drawing inspiration from his forefathers’ bravery, Amarpreet has rewritten the story of agriculture in his own way, utilizing innovative methods to maximize his land’s potential and secure a sustainable future.

Embracing Change: The saga of Amarpreet Singh’s agricultural journey began when he decided to trade his corporate suit for the farmer’s plow. In 2010, Amarpreet left behind his role as an Assistant Manager at HDFC bank to pursue his calling in farming. His father’s fishery business laid the groundwork, but Amarpreet’s vision extended beyond traditional boundaries. Armed with an MBA degree, he fused modern business acumen with ancestral wisdom to craft a thriving and sustainable plan.

The Rise of Fishery: Fish farming, often fraught with market unpredictability, became a canvas for Amarpreet’s ingenuity, which he practiced in 21 acre of farm. Recognizing the need for strategic marketing, he ventured into collaborations with local vendors. By forging partnerships with chicken vendors, he ensured a steady market for his fish. Technical expertise gained from the Fisheries Department, Ropar, was pivotal in mastering the nuances of fish farming. Five distinct breeds (Golden or Common Carp Fish, Rohu Fish, Grass Carp Fish, Catla Fish, and Mrigal FIsh), recommended by the Punjab Government, took root in his farm, enabling a consistent and quality fish yield.

Managing a fishery isn’t without its challenges. Amarpreet’s insight unveils the delicate dance of nurturing fish to optimal size for market demand. Subsidies from the Punjab Government ease the financial burden, making fishery a viable venture. Wise netting practices, combined with innovative tactics such as underground pipelines, optimize water usage and harvest yields. His farm now resonates with the symphony of diverse activities that contribute to a harmonious ecosystem.

Pig Farming: Amarpreet Singh specializes in breeding large white Yorkshire pigs, a choice driven by their rapid growth rate and substantial litter size. On average, a female pig produces ten offspring. Presently, his farm is home to 63 pigs, with an average weight ranging from 60 to 65 kg. In terms of feeding, there are three primary methods: utilizing commercial feed, preparing homemade feed, or relying on waste products. Amarpreet Singh Ji favors commercial feed due to its superior formulation and mechanized production processes. Notably, the use of commercial feed enhances litter size; on this regimen, he records an average of 10 offspring per cycle, which occurs at least twice.

Sales transactions take place on the farm, facilitated by vendors who assess the pigs’ weight before making purchases. The average pig’s weight falls within the range of 80 to 85 kg. Typically, this sales approach involves immediate cash payment to the farmer.

In some instances, pig farming encounters challenges such as the disruption of pig sales caused by African Swine Fever. This viral disease can lead to a temporary suspension of sales for approximately a month, after which regular business operations resume as usual.

Goat Farming: Amarpreet Singh’s agricultural journey continues to evolve, as he ventures into goat farming with the Beetal breed, a recommendation by the Punjab Government. Despite his relatively short six months of experience, he has already witnessed growth in this sector. This growth is particularly evident due to the significant number of pregnant goats under his care, contributing to a growing inventory of approximately 20 goats in total.

In the midst of successfully integrating various farming aspects, Amarpreet Singh envisions further expansion by incorporating duck farming into his repertoire. Recognizing the potential benefits for his fisheries business, he believes that introducing ducks could enhance his overall farming dynamics.

Amarpreet’s dedication and accomplishments have garnered recognition, including the Chief Minister’s Award in 2019 for his achievements in piggery and integrated farming. Presented by the Punjab Government, this award was bestowed by the former Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, during a ceremony held at the PAU University in Ludhiana. Over the years, Amarpreet Ji has also earned multiple certifications, showcasing his commitment to honing his expertise.

Throughout his journey, Amarpreet attributes a substantial portion of his success to his supportive family. He acknowledges their instrumental role, particularly during his transition from a private job to becoming a full-time farmer. His wife, who is also well-versed in fish farming, provides valuable insights and guidance that have propelled his agricultural pursuits forward.

Thriving in Diversity: In addition to fishery, pig farming, and goat farming, Amarpreet’s farm boasts poultry and crops such as pulses, mustard, and turmeric. His prudent land use practices exemplify his commitment to maximizing returns. Poplar trees stand as a testament to his holistic approach, nurturing nature as much as his profits.

A Glimpse into the Future: As his journey continues, Amarpreet envisions integrating duck farming, yet another promising venture that complements his existing operations. Awards and certifications acknowledge his dedication, culminating in the Chief Minister’s Award for his contributions to piggery and integrated farming.

Family, Learning, and Advice: Amarpreet credits his family’s unwavering support for his success, particularly during his transition from the corporate world to farming. He encourages educated individuals to embrace integrated farming, highlighting its role in bridging the gap between mankind and nature. A testament to resilience, he urges fellow farmers to diversify their income streams and embrace integrated farming as a route to sustainable growth.

Conclusion: The story of Amarpreet Singh’s transformation from a corporate professional to an integrated farming pioneer is a testament to the untapped potential of modern agriculture. Through innovative techniques, thoughtful collaborations, and a deep commitment to environmental harmony, he has not only maximized his land’s yield but also set an example for a new generation of farmers. His journey showcases how harnessing the power of integration can pave the way to prosperity while treading lightly on the Earth.

This is the story of a man who’s been ingrained with farming skills since his childhood. A fourth-generation farmer and entrepreneur from Shopian, Jammu and Kashmir, with ten years of national and international project management, agribusiness, product development, innovation, production, and planning management experience. Adnan Ali Khan has completed his B.E. in Industrial Production Engineering from Bharati Vidyapeeth University in Pune and his MBA in Marketing and HR from the Islamic University of Science and Technology in Awantipora, J&K.

He has started his startup, AL Kareem Souq Pvt. Ltd., with the brand name “TUFA,” in 2019 with a vision and mission to empower farmers in J&K. “TUFA “in Arabic means apple.

The main focus of his startup, “TUFA,” was to remove the middleman from the Agriculture and Horticulture value chain by branding, marketing, and selling products via online and offline modes directly to customers or business-to-business, which increased marginal farmers’ profit by 30% to 40%. Also, many other AgriTech startups will come forward to take the lead in this direction. The primary goal is to increase the value of Kashmiri products such as apples, walnuts, almonds, saffron, and others while making them more affordable to customers.

After conquering success in selling apples, he decided to innovatively package apples in J&K, which has encouraged him to introduce other premium products from Kashmir, like saffron, walnuts, almonds, shilajit, lavender oil, kahwa, and others, to the pan-Indian market.

Adnan Ali received a huge response from customers across the country and abroad. He not only manufactures but also brands, markets, and sells his products without the use of any middlemen. This model has increased the income of farmers, and their bargaining power has increased. The main goal was to create a startup ecosystem in J&K so that the agriculture and horticulture industries could reach new heights.

It occurred to him in 2010 while conducting research that farmers are exploited by middlemen, with farmers receiving only 20% of the price spread. Mr. Khan has a management background. He started doing research and found that there was a huge gap between the wholesale price and the retail price.

Adnan found that there is huge demand for Kashmiri products, which are premium products. Tufa started with small packs of apples and supplied them to supermarkets in Kashmir, and it was a huge hit with customers. Then he started with other products like saffron, walnut, almond, lavender oil, etc.

Adnan Ali Khan strives to achieve excellence in agro-product development by helping marginal farmers using the principles of equity, inclusion, and sustainability.

His mission is to become a successful agro-farmer at the national level by offering assistance to marginal agro-farmers in the exploration of market opportunities, the achievement of direct and seamless connectivity, and integration with the mainstream market through technological intervention.

“TUFA” is truly a gift from nature, as all products are natural and straight from the farm, with no adulteration or preservatives. Most products have mineral, nutritional, and medicinal value, like walnut, almond, saffron, lavender oil, etc. The bright side is that organic products are 30% less expensive than other brands in the market. The quality is unmatched.

• Apple, Walnut, Almond, Saffron, Shilajit, Lavender Oil, Gulkand,
• Figs, Cranberry, Blue Berry, Rajma Dal,
• Kahwa Tea, Honey, Masala Tikki, Red Chilli Powder,
• Lavender Tea, Apricot, Walnut Oil, Almond Oil, Apple Pickle, Apple Chutney, etc.

Khan has been lucky in starting his initiative, as he was supported by everyone during his journey. His family and mentors have been a constant source of support. Also, his initiative was supported & praised by many dignitaries, like NIAM Jaipur, Vice Chancellor SKUAST Kashmir, Vice Chancellor IUST Kashmir, Director CIED IUST, and Director General Horticulture Kashmir. Among those present were the Hon’ble Lt. Governor of J&K, UT President Shri Manoj Sinha, and J&K farmers.

His plan is to create a franchise model for selling premium Kashmiri products. Adnan will have a pan-India presence, and we will try to introduce more unique products from Kashmir. He wishes to be live on, Flipkart, and Amazon so that he can serve all customers. He is also attempting to establish physical stores across India through the franchise model. He wants to grow his business at the pan-India level.

There are many personal challenges that Adnan faced  in terms of initial investment, lack of knowledge, and expertise. During COVID-19, all operations were halted. Now things have eased out, and we are moving in the right direction.

Adnan Ali expresses his desire to make ‘TUFA’ the first unicorn from J&K in the next 10 years. He wants to provide a platform for marginal farmers to sell their produce directly to customers without the intervention of a middleman. He believes that every day he is working towards his purpose of creating a brand for premium Kashmiri products that will offer quality products at a reasonable price.

Farmers must be self-assured, establish their own businesses, sell their own products, and eliminate the middleman from the agribusiness value chain. We must work hard to achieve the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India’s goal of doubling the income of every farmer.

Dharambir Kamboj, from rickshaw puller to successful innovator, was born in Damla Village, Haryana, in 1963. He was the youngest of five siblings. During his early teens, Dharambir was forced to stop studying to provide financial support to his family. Dharambir Kamboj, who once struggled to make ends meet, now sells his patented machines to 15 countries and earns lakhs of rupees per year.

In the early 80s, Dharambir Kamboj was among the thousands who left their villages and moved to Delhi in search of a better livelihood. His efforts were futile because he lacked a degree, so he took on odd jobs to support himself.

Dharambir Singh Kamboj has an extraordinary rags-to-riches story, and it is all about perseverance that has led to him becoming a farmer-entrepreneur who now is earning in lakhs. 59-year-old Dharambir Kamboj, has a life that combines both hardships and a dash of luck!

Life, according to Dharambir Kamboj, an innovator who overcame many obstacles on his path to success, is all about triumphing over your weaknesses and continuing to work hard. This multifaceted entrepreneur wears many hats. Kamboj is best known for his multipurpose processing machine, which allows farmers to process a variety of farm products on a small scale.

Dharambir found peace in a public library near the Old Delhi railway station after working as a cycle rickshaw puller in Delhi for a year. In his spare time, he would read about farming topics such as growing exotic crops such as broccoli, asparagus, lettuce, and bell peppers. “Delhi was a learning experience for him,” he says. However, following an accident in Delhi, he relocated to his native village in Haryana.

He returned to his village after recovering from his injuries in the accident. For six months, he participated in a training program run by the village development society to learn more about improving agricultural practices.

In 2004, he was given the opportunity to visit Rajasthan by the Haryana Horticulture Department. During the visit, Dharambir interacted with farmers to learn about the aloe vera crop and its extracts for obtaining products with medicinal value.

Dharambir returned from his Rajasthan visit looking for ways to market the aloe vera and other processed products as profitable ventures. In 2002, he met with a bank manager, who educated him on the machinery needed for food processing but quoted him Rs 5 lakh for machines.

Kamboj’s multi-purpose machine is a portable machine with a single-phase motor that can process a variety of fruits, herbs, and seeds.

It also functions as a large pressure cooker with temperature control and an auto-cutoff feature.

The machine has a 400-liter capacity. In an hour, it can process 200 liters of aloe vera. The machine is lightweight and portable, and it is powered by a single motor. It is a one-of-a-kind machine capable of pulverizing, mixing, steaming, pressure cooking, and juice, oil, or gel extraction on its own.

Dharambir’s Multi-Purpose Processing Machine has garnered a lot of recognition. The National Innovation Foundation also granted him a patent for this machine.

These machines are sold by Dharambir Kamboj in 15 countries, including the United States, Italy, Nepal, Australia, Kenya, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, and Uganda.

In 2009, National Innovation Foundation-India (NIF), presented him with the Haryana State Award for his invention of the multipurpose processing machine at its Fifth National Biennial Awards function.

As Dharambir once stated, “People teased me when I first started my experiments.” They were never interested in me. “When I was working hard and conducting various experiments, my father thought I was wasting my time.”

Dharambir Kamboj, popularly known as ‘Kissan Dharambir’ also received a National Award from the President of India in 2013

Dharamveer Food Processing was one of six companies chosen by the Villgro Innovations Foundation and the Council on Energy, Environment, and Water (CEEW) for the Powering Livelihoods program to help India’s rural economy in 2020. The Rs 22 crore program, according to a CEEW statement at the program’s launch, provides capital and technical assistance to Indian enterprises working on clean energy-based livelihood solutions. The initiative also provided a total of Rs 1 crore in emergency funding to six selected businesses to help them cope with the COVID crisis.

“Before this program, Dharamveer had very little production.” It went from four machines in a month to 15-20 in a month. The revenue also increased rapidly. This program assisted Mr. Kamboj & his son Prince with mentoring and guidance on how to increase production using methods such as solar-powered machines. Villgro also provided Dharamveer Processing Company with approximately Rs 55 lakh during Covid. Dharamveer & his son Prince were able to train multiple people on how to operate the machine and generate employment through social media.

The company plans to export its food processing machines to around 100 countries in the next five years, with a revenue target of Rs 2 crore this fiscal year and around Rs 10 crore by FY27. So far, Kamboj has sold approximately 900 machines, employing approximately 8,000 people.

Dharambir Singh believes farmers should be able to process what they cultivate that will give them the independence to earn more income. More government schemes & training should be implemented , conducted so that farmers can upskill themselves from time to time & can avail opportunities that would help them secure a future.

If we talk about India, then people do a lot of animal husbandry here. People’s attachment to animals, their maintenance, and their different affinities with them are seen here.

Let us tell you that India has the first place in the world in terms of number of buffaloes, the second place in terms of cow and goat farms, and the third place in terms of number of sheep. Animal husbandry brings in crores of rupees here each year. Today you will read about Narendra and Lokesh, residents of Haryana, India, who started Yaduvanshi Goat Farm and are earning crores of rupees by rearing goats. They both studied at the Army School. Narendra and his friend Lokesh are residents of Narnaul in Mahendragarh district in the state of Haryana. Both had been friends since childhood. Both of them completed their early education at the Army School. Narendra then pursued B.Tech., while his friend Lokesh completed his MCA studies. There was such a friendship between the two that they completed their studies together.

Narendra stated that when he and his friend Lokesh used to study together, both of them did not want to do business. Later, while working at a regular job, they planned to expand their business. Both of them liked their jobs and were earning lakhs of rupees, but both of them made a plan to do something of their own. With this thought, both of them started goat farming. Yaduvanshi Goat Farm was then founded in 2016.

Talking about the farm for goats, Narendra says that if someone is thinking about goat farming, then first of all it is necessary to have a big farm for it. Narendra and Lokesh also prepared a campus of about 3.5 acres for goat rearing. He has an acre and a half of goat land and two acres of green grass for goats. They exclusively deal with the Totapari variety of goat.

Narendra and Lokesh are goat breeders with the largest stall-feeding farm in Haryana. On Narendra’s farm, he has made arrangements for goats to live here according to their age. Young goats are kept in one place. On the other hand, there is a separate arrangement for goats whose age is one year. The goats are segregated on the basis of their age and biological well-being.

There is also a separate arrangement for goats older than one year. They say that it is better if the windows in the goats’ rooms are a little closer to the ground, as this keeps the ground cool. He also advises people not to keep windows at a higher height. Before opening Yaduvanshi Goat Farm, Narendra and Lokesh ensured special care for goats. Proper arrangements have been made for the goats to stay on the farm (Yaduvanshi Goat Farm). Green trees have been planted inside the premises so that the goats get constant shade. Along with their roaming inside the farm, complete arrangements have been made for food and water. An iron feeding structure that can rotate has been installed, and small plastic drums have also been arranged for them to drink water so that they do not face any kind of problem.

Since both friendships have been irreparable throughout this journey, their respective families took pride in their friendship and have been supporting them through their highs and lows.

The health of the goats is also taken into consideration at Narendra and Lokesh’s Yaduvanshi Goat Farm. Narendra says I take care of these goats like my children. From the time they are born until they reach adulthood, he is responsible for their health. Vaccines, medicines, and food are also provided for them following birth. A health checkup is also done from time to time. Goats are vaccinated under the supervision of a veterinarian, and a high nutritional value for goats is maintained all throughout, with no repeat breeding and no virus outbreaks to date.

Narendra says that a virus named Brucella forms quickly in goats. This virus is extremely dangerous and can spread to humans; as a result, blood tests of goats are performed on a regular basis. He says that goats have a designated feed at Yaduvanshi Goat Farm. Special care is taken with regard to the nourishment and upkeep of these goats.

There are now more than a thousand goats on their farm. Yaduvanshi Goat Farm, goats are reared well, Earlier, its number was 500–600, but now the number of goats is increasing rapidly. By the way, up to 3000 goats can be kept on the farm built by Narendra and Lokesh.

Talking about the profit of Yaduvanshi Goat Farm, today Narendra and Lokesh are earning crores annually by selling goats for meat and goat milk. He also sells manure made from goat dung, which costs up to 2,000 rupees for one trolley of cow dung. There is even better income from this. It is used as manure, which is very beneficial for the fields.

Along with goat rearing, Narendra and Lokesh also provide training in goat rearing. If someone is short on money, then such people are given free training. During the training, they are taught everything they need to know about goat rearing. It is also told about the problems in goat rearing. Today, many people are opening their own businesses after getting training from them. It is believed in their locality that these two friends have set an example by opening up such a phenomenal goat farm. These two friends were the first ones to make people in their area aware of goat rearing in their area.

Both the friends share their personal beliefs: everyone wants to eat goat meat, but no one wants to keep it. If you want to eat meat, then goats will also have to be raised properly. For goat farming, he says that this business cannot be successful until the goats are taken care of from birth until they grow up. If there is a slight deficiency or negligence, it can harm your business, and if all things are done well, this business will also provide you with crores of rupees.

For those interested in goat farming and rearing, they run a YouTube channel by the name of Yaduvanshi Goat Farm in order to train people with respect to the upkeep of goats.

Narendra and Lokesh want to export their goats to Gulf countries, where the prices are much higher, to earn more profit. They are also planning to open up new farms so that they can get help in terms of quantity for export business in Gulf countries.

The main challenge in livestock is labour management. With an annual increase in raw materials, the costs flare up. There was previously little commercial knowledge of the goat farming model that Narendra and Lokesh established in order for their own business to thrive.

Their message is to be patient and get proper training before starting any livestock business. Also, wait at least 2 years in goat farming to get a net profit. Please choose a breed according to your area and business needs, ensure you have well-trained labour, and keep an eye on the goats.

This is a story about a couple who lived in the heart of Punjab, Patiala, and fueled each other’s dreams. Er. Deepak Singla is a civil engineer by profession and is research-oriented, and the added bonus is that his wife, Dr. Rosy Singla, is a food scientist. Both did a lot of research work on fruit and vegetable waste and have come up with organic liquid fertilizer, which is a boon to our society.

Being an environmentalist and a civil engineer, he always thought of creating a single product that could solve many problems prevailing in our society, and the Swach Bharat Abhiyaan gave it a green signal. The product is prepared from fruit and vegetable waste, which helps in waste reduction and helps in improving soil quality, which is deteriorating day by day in Punjab and India.

In 2016, Deepak and his wife Rosy launched a premium range of herbal, organic, and nutraceutical fertilisers under the brand Ogron: Organic Plant Growth Nutrient Solution

They believe organic production will reduce chemical imports and will help in boosting our economy. Moreover, it will solve the health issues that have cropped up due to the mass usage of chemicals and pesticides. The air , water, and soil pollution will be treated if organic production is there.

Professor Deepak tried to solve problems faced by farmers by offering them a natural product that can increase the fertility levels of their land, can decrease the pesticide residue, and can convert it to organic land in three to four years with its continuous usage. It promotes the growth of all types of plants and crops. It is a natural organic fertiliser and helps in bioremediation also.

The product is in liquid form, so uptake by the plant is easier. They both shared a similar vision and a set of values that became their most powerful tools in fueling the other’s business passion. Their aim was to create a brand that prioritised the use of standardised herbs and organic waste to create a premium range of fertilisers.

Their driving force was to decrease the health problems that are being faced by people, like cancer, lactose intolerance, and wheat allergies, which are increasing day by day due to the excessive and overuse of chemical fertilisers and pesticides. At the same time, they developed organic products that are environment friendly and in harmony with nature, thus preserving land, water, and air for future generations to come.

This helped them to utilise the waste as well as serve society with a healthy alternative for plant growth and the kitchen garden instead of using chemicals.

So far, this duo has successfully reduced 30 tonnes of waste till date. Organic farmers from nearby areas and nurseries are giving them an approximate sale of more than Rs. 15000/-per month and sales are increasing with an increase in awareness among people

In the year 2021, Dr. Rosy Singla thought, why not serve society with the goodness of a diet? A healthy diet is a form of holistic medicine that focuses on promoting balance between your body and mind. Then she came up with the unique concept of Rosy Foods, with valuable experience of 15 years and tons of research and hard work.

Being a food technologist and knowing so much about the chemistry of foods, she was always keen to help people treat their health issues with correct diet patterns. She has done a lot of research on food technology, and her partner, being an environmentalist, has always been a great support. Although it was a bit difficult to manage with a job, her husband supported him and motivated her to start millet-based food products. She did consultancy for two firms and planned diets for pregnant and lactating mothers and for children as well.

● Chanoats

● Ragi pinni:

● Chia Protein Laddu

● Nutra Berry Delight(Amla Chutney)

● Mango Boost(Aam Panna)

● Pear chatka

● Soya crunch

● Honey choco nut balls

● Ragi chakli

● Bajra laddus

● Natural plant protein powder

● Millet Savoury

Various government schemes like Aatmanirbhar Bharat, Make In India, Startup India and many more have acted as the main pillars to boost Rosy Foods.

The idea is to address the health problems of Punjab people and Indians. Since Dr. Rosy is a firm believer that a diet has the power to cure many diseases. As they say, “Thy Medicine, Thy Food.”

Dr. Rosy wanted to address these issues in greater detail, so she curated foods that would cater to

● Undernutrition in children as well as pregnant women,

● To use foregone grains (millets) as a healthy alternative to serve society.

● preparing food items with therapeutic effects for specific groups of people, like diabetics and heart patients.

● To solve environmental issues with the use of millets, like water level in soil and pesticide requirements,

Dr Rosy has successfully opened a Regd office cum store at Green Complex Market, Bhadson Road, Patiala. For customers’ ease and convenience, they’ll start selling their products online.

Chronic illnesses are becoming more prevalent. One of the main causes is chemical farming, which has increased crop yields numerous times but poisoned all of our food products in the process. However, there is currently no immediate replacement for chemical farming that would allow farmers to attain tremendous crop yields and meet the world’s food needs. India has a 1.27 billion population. But another issue that affects us all is the exponential rise in non-curable diseases. We must take this matter extremely seriously. The best alternative might be organic farming. It is the most affordable technology because producing organic manures requires the fewest resources and labor.

The value chain for millet and millet-based goods, especially the ready-to-eat category, needs to be promoted and strengthened in light of 2023 being the UN-designated International Year of Millets. Millets are becoming well known as climate-smart crops with significant nutritional and health advantages. To improve the ecological balance and the health of the populace, millet farming needs to make serious efforts to become more widely practised. Our state is currently experiencing a severe water crisis due to a sharp decline in the water table brought on by rice production. Compared to rice, millets use a lot less water to produce tonnes of grain.

Millets are good for us, good for the planet, and good for the farmer too.

There are some such turns in the journey of life that change the person. A similar incident happened with Neeraj Kumar Prajapati, a resident of Ahulana village in Gohana, Haryana. Which has not only changed his mind but has also sent his life on a new path.

Seeing the train carrying cancer victims, Neeraj dropped out of the fifth semester of BTech. and left worrying about his career to set out on a bicycle to awaken the light of poison-free farming, i.e., organic farming. In view of this step taken by Neeraj’s selfless spirit, he has been named The Bicycle Man of India.

Prajapati, Neeraj Kumar stated “My mind got upset when I saw patients going for cancer treatment on a train going from Bathinda to Bikaner in Punjab. Most of the cancer patients on the train were travelling for treatment. Among them, people from Haryana and Punjab were more.

He believed indiscriminate use of pesticides in agriculture was also one of the major causes of cancer. In view of this, he decided that he would try to motivate the farmers to adopt organic farming.

Neeraj not only taught them organic farming techniques, but he also devised marketing channels. As well as selling points for their produce today, all of these farmers are not only earning more money, but also producing more with minimal resources.

Neeraj has now trained nearly 70,000 farmers and is assisting them in producing 1,000 kgs of food per month. He successfully partnered with international agriculture institutes and housing societies to sell the harvest in 2018. His efforts did not come to an end there. Through his approach and communicative skills, he enabled farmers to travel across the country on their bicycles and set up markets for vegetables and grains.

Following his bicycle touring adventures with farming, he decided to write about his experiences in a book titled “Farmer’s Life.” Learning about organic farming and implementing its methods, he has now done everything from convincing farmers to training and assisting them in selling their produce.

Neeraj Prajapati ensures that during a trip to a specific region, he meets researchers, scientists, and experts on organic farming and then brings these new techniques to farmers in various villages.

He works as a helping hand to farmers. He listens to farmers’ concerns and then consults with experts to find a solution.

Due to the COVID restrictions and lockdown, Neeraj’s mission was on a halt

“It’s about time for us to focus on young and promising farmers, particularly those who have only recently begun working in the fields.” “Young farmers should be made aware of the

proper techniques so that they feel motivated to continue working in agriculture,” says 25-year-old Neeraj

Prajapati, who is on a mission to ride a bicycle across the country for 111,111 kilometres to raise awareness about organic farming and the problems associated with pesticide application to crops. States It was one of the most ecstatic feelings I’d ever experienced. “It had been three years since I had dropped out of B-tech, but I felt the transition was paying off,” Neeraj Prajapati observes.

Back to the beginning: How a B-tech dropout named Neeraj Prajapat became a farmer and helped the farming community in India embrace organic farming and GAP through cycle tours across the country.

He used his savings to buy a bicycle a few years later. After conducting extensive research, he began exploring various research institutes, colleges, and villages.

After three years of organic farming and he felt confident enough to train other farmers in nearby Haryana and Punjab districts.

This engineering dropout pedalled more than 44,817 kilometres across many northern states to educate farmers about the benefits of organic farming.

He has cycled through Rajasthan, Punjab, and Haryana to educate farmers about the dangers of pesticide application to their crops. He has been raising awareness about how these chemicals are produced. As a result, the country’s lung disease and cancer cases are on the rise.

So far, Neeraj has made people aware by travelling 44817 km in Haryana, Delhi, Punjab, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. Neeraj has set a target of 1 lakh 11 thousand 111 km cycle journey for organic awareness.

“I’m about to cross the 45,000 km mark,” Neeraj said. He plans to recruit more farmers in the coming years through his upcoming bicycling programmes in various horizons, and he wants to raise awareness about the benefits of consuming organic produce and GAP.

They planned to make farmers aware of poison-free farming by travelling from Kashmir to Kanyakumari without worrying about their careers and started the journey. Wherever they go, they go to the fields and tell the people about the harm caused by excessive use of pesticides.

Neeraj expresses his opinion on minimizing the use of agrochemicals. How it is important to shift towards organic farming and safeguard the soil health and increase the microbe quantity in the soil for a valuable harvest.

This is a story of a young entrepreneur who is one of those successful young millennials who is setting a new standard for young people today. Before beginning her career as an entrepreneur, Navnoor Kaur worked for a total of three years as an employee in the corporate sector. She has a Master of Business Administration degree from IMT Ghaziabad. She was born into a service family from Ludhiana, Punjab. She is the first-generation entrepreneur in her family & has always been quite enthusiastic about the prospect of contributing to a socially impactful agricultural initiative throughout her career. She planned to take the initiative to go from refined sugar to jaggery with the assistance and backing of her family, friends, and mentors. Jaggery’s heavenly taste is what makes it popular. However, this naturally sweet food has enormous health benefits.

Navnoor’s curiosity led her to visit a number of jaggery plants, where she became aware of the presence of adulterated and unbranded jaggery in the market, which was produced under unsanitary circumstances, as well as the use of chemicals in the process of cleaning sugarcane juice.

But since there has been an abrupt change toward healthy living, she felt the need to add jaggery instead of sugar in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle. However, persuading others that this was the healthier option was the true challenge.

In the year 2019, Navnoor conceptualized her brand “Jaggercane,” and in the year 2021, she started testing the samples of her brand. After an overwhelming response, she began processing and selling her brand. Her plan was to encourage people to switch to jaggery, which is a more nutritious sweetener that, even when consumed in small amounts, may provide more than thirty percent of a person’s recommended daily iron consumption.

Navnoor and her co-founder, Kaushal Singh, who holds an MBA in Agribusiness from Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, had the vision to transform jaggery from a “sad packaged good” sitting in the back of department stores into a trendy good that catches the eyes of the people and finds its way into the people’s hearts. Navnoor visited Kaushal Singh’s farm & found it to be very hygenic.

They do not make any sacrifices in terms of quality and are certain that their goods are superior to those of their rivals due to the sanitary manner in which they are processed and the use of okra roots for the cleaning of sugarcane.

The results of their poll led them to the conclusion that most individuals do not like the taste of jaggery. Jaggercane creates goods that have increased value, are tastier, are stylish and new age, and are suitable for people of all ages. These items may even be consumed on a regular basis as snacks.

The vision of Navnoor and Kaushal is to replace sugar with jaggery.

Both parties noted that there are two avenues via which they generate revenue: business-to-business and direct-to-consumer.

“Selling to other businesses enables us to get immediate payment, as does our practice of white labelling. We use that money to build our brand in the direct-to-consumer market, which is expensive to do on your own.

In addition to this, they said that “even though we would be using better sweetener choices in tea and coffee, the snacks would still include refined sugar.”

In addition, Jagger Cane provides a variety of really delightful snacks that are high in iron and protein and can satisfy your craving for something sweet while still being good for your health.

The company operates based on a social impact-driven business model, and its leadership is comprised of purpose-driven women. Additionally, the majority of the workforce that is responsible for producing and packaging the company’s goods is comprised of women.

On the other hand, Jaggercane was recognised by Bhagwant Mann, the Chief Minister of Punjab, as one of the emerging startups in the state of Punjab. Jaggercane is now one of the rising businesses in Punjab.

Due to the fact that Navnoor did not come from a business background, she was confronted with a number of obstacles when she began from scratch, and the financial expenditures associated with marketing and processing were significant.

There is a great deal of room for improvement in all aspects of agricultural work today. The trend these days is for people to go back to their origins. To meet the ever-increasing demand, farmers shouldn’t put all of their faith in MSPs but should instead concentrate on developing some innovative solutions.

As his name implies for the man himself, ‘Mahaveer’, which means courageous, since his family was deeply rooted in farming for years. His inner calling was to do something of his own, which gave birth to “Pushkar Food Industry” in Bhavata, Sardhana district, Ajmer. He started by growing different varieties of roses like damask & Chinese on a 12-acre farm to make Gulkand.

Mahaveer Dhariwal is a Chief Life Insurance Officer who’s worked with LIC for over 25 years in Ajmer, Rajasthan. He paved his own path to success and started growing roses to produce gulkand in his own garden. Today, he is the proud owner of the most famous gulkand in Rajasthan “PFI Gold Gulkand”.

Mahaveer Singh believed in serving a greater purpose of feeding people for all the good reasons. He grew roses to produce Gulkand over the years, but on a smaller scale for his personal use. As a farmer, he knew that Gulkand is rich in antioxidants and is an energy booster. Taking Gulkand regularly could relieve people from severe ulcers, constipation, and heartburn. He was aware that Rajasthan is one of the hottest states in India. The use of gulkand in summer helps in preventing sunstrokes, nostril bleeding, and dizziness. Taking a step forward, he started moving ahead without looking back. His family has been supportive ever since they had nurseries for the last 15 years.

While working as a Chief Life Insurance Officer, he turned his odds in his favour by growing roses on his farm. Later, during the pandemic, he developed high-quality organic Amla products. Today he has 3-4 different types of products made out of Gulkand & 6-7 out of Amla.

As we grow with time, so did the Pushkar Food Industry. Entering a new phase of growth, Mahaveer is improvising and working hard every day to come up with new products. Mahaveer’s brand consists of 14–15 food products that are packaged and labelled under his supervision. All the products manufactured by his company are FSSAI approved (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India)

He recently came up with varieties of passionfruit and dragon fruit, which are only available with him in the entire state of Rajasthan.

His speciality encompasses Amla ladoo, which most people in his locality fondly enjoy. The purpose of coming up with such a unique creation was to cater to health-conscious people.

While talking to him, he stated people are willing to spend Rs 600-700 on Kaju Barfi whereas our ladoos are under the price bracket of Rs 300 and are a healthier option for those who believe in eating mindfully.

To add more, he said it is more of a self-journey where he is progressing and learning every day. He directly sells his products to the users as he believes he can’t compromise on quality.

Previously, the Pushkar Food Industry has been covered and the telecast was aired on Doordarshan TV for their quality products and Mr. Mahaveer’s determination.

Mr. Mahaveer’s story makes us believe that if you have the courage and belief, you can go a long way. As the saying goes, “Faith does not make things easy, but it makes them possible.”

He believes that the most challenging part for farmers is that they are unaware of government policies that are made for them and cater to their needs. The assistance that is required to learn more is missing.

Mahaveer’s main agenda is to shift his business across India. & open numerous walk-in stores. To begin with, his first store is opening in Jaipur, and the next destination will be Delhi.

You must have surely seen brothers and sisters fighting but have you also seen them working together for running an enterprise towards a business?

Sangeeta Tomar and Bhupinder Singh from Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh are perfect examples of siblings who started a Venture together and have successfully reached new heights with their determination and grit.

Sangeeta and Bhupinder were born and brought up in Muzzafarnagar, Sangeeta who got married in the nearby village is well settled with her new family. The proceeding belt of Uttar Pradesh state is known to have the best quality sugarcane, though this crop is grown in other states as well the quality and tastes differ. The duo thought of growing sugarcane on 9.5 acres of land possessed by them and finally in 2019 they started the processing of products made from sugarcane under the name ‘Kisaan Agro- Products’.

A total of 12 products are produced from jaggery having different flavors which are made from authentic fruits rather than just the essence of Chocolate, Mango, Saunf, Elaichi, Ginger, Mix, Ajwayin, Dry fruit and Peanut jaggery.

Bhupinder Singh never took any training in this field but his ancestors used to cultivate sugarcane and produce Jaggery mostly in the state of Punjab. He didn’t just start practicing the same but understood the need of today’s consumers who wanted to eat small pieces of sugar after having their meal. He ideated on making flavored Jaggery into small pieces where 1 piece = 22 grams, which was easy to eat at a single time with either food or milk as a barfi and also this was far healthier than that being natural.

Sangeeta takes care of the marketing and carries out the regular inspection when he is not physically present at the production plant. A point of consideration is the usage of steel-infused machinery which is covered and no pollution occurs while production. Moreover, the products are machine made therefore there is no change in the taste and the adoption of proper measures the flavor is locked with the perfect taste to give for maximum customer satisfaction. The team distributes their products to 106 government stores and 37 private stores in Delhi.

The amount of sugarcane used per day is 125q and to complete this requirement they need to buy this crop from other farmers in their village. The process of making jaggery generally takes place from September to May but when the yield is affected by climatic factors it takes place from September to April only.

Bhupinder Singh got retired in 2009 as an NSG commando from the Indian Army and then worked in a five-star hotel to attain experience in the food industry. In 2019 he decided to do something big from the traditional practices he learned in his village so that people would respect him. He also generated employment for the labourers working in his production plant and his field and also by buying sugarcane from other farmers.

Sangeeta Tomar who has completed her master’s in English major is now an independent woman. Her children are all settled abroad but she wanted to live in her village and practice farming.

A quality product demands a consumer who knows the difference between an organic product and a duplicate product. There are farmers in his village who are making jaggery even in July by using sugar and chemicals. These farmers sell their product at a lesser price which attracts the buyer towards the chemical-made jaggery.

He wants people to come back to agriculture. There are fewer jobs with more applicants and eventually it’s high time to start one’s own business rather than being unemployed. Moreover, agriculture is a diverse sector and there are various fields which one can choose as per their interests.

Bhupinder singh wants to directly sell his products to the consumers without the involvement of middlemen. Which will eventually lead towards more profit for him and similarly the consumer will have to pay less than what he is paying now. He would be able to buy the organic product at a lower price.

Khushi Ram hails from Tehri, Uttarakhand, here we present his journey of becoming a progressive farmer.

His parents used to practice farming using traditional farming and then he added scientific techniques to their old age experience which he acquired from KVK, Ranichauri. Until 2002 he didn’t plan to take up farming as an occupation but due to his parent’s health issues and being the eldest of five siblings he had to take up the responsibility. He later started to like farming and became fond of nature and started experimenting in his field by growing different crops.

He owns a total land of 4 acres, in this land, he cultivates a variety of fruits, vegetables and pulses which include tomato, capsicum, cucumber, eggplant, mushroom, wheat, Rajma, Strawberry and Kiwi. He has constructed 5 polyhouse, in two of the polyhouse he grows tomatoes, in one of the polyhouse he has planted a nursery and in the remaining two he cultivates cucumbers and capsicums respectively.

He also grows broccoli and a Japanese variety of Kale, Parsley and Mizuna. other than this he has grown 350 plants of the fruit peach on his land. In addition to this, he practices aquaculture and poultry farming on a small scale. He generally practices organic farming where he uses the excreta of the three cattle present on his farm and biofertilizers such as Trichoderma and Pseudomonas but sometimes he also uses insecticides as an integrated pest management technique as per the need.

 Khushi Ram lives in an area where there is shortage of water. However, to battle this problem he adopted improved production technologies including rainwater harvesting, drip irrigation, sprinkler irrigation, plastic mulching and micro-irrigation.

He never stopped learning and kept experimenting with the new knowledge that he learned in the vast field of agriculture. His main purpose was to increase his income and that is how he initially started with poultry farming which couldn’t be successful and later shifted to mushroom cultivation which gave him profit.

His success became an example for others and motivated others to work hard and succeed. When the workload increases generally in harvesting season he takes help from the ladies of his village. Khushi Ram generates employment for the ladies and makes them independent to work and earn on their own. The women who worked in the previous season are not available in the next season as they don’t get time from their work rather a new group comes and he trains and guides them in the same way.

He is grateful for the government and all the schemes that it introduces and helps the farmers to increase their standard of living. All the five polyhouses and farming machinery are under 80% subsidy and had to pay 24000 ₹/- per polyhouse. Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Ranichauri has helped him from the beginning in better understanding schemes and agriculture advancements. With the help of the horticulture department, he has planted 500 high-density plants of apples on his farm. As the level of snow is decreasing for a few years in his village he has planted M9 and M26 rootstocks of apple, he being the first farmer to grow them in his area is excited to see the yield in the coming season.

First of all, productivity is affected by the destruction caused by wild animals. There has to be a person inspecting the field from monkeys during the day and pigs at the night. Another challenge that he faces is the market linkage as it is smaller and ranges only to Chamba, Rishikesh and Dehradun, the profit earned is less than what is expected. The annual profit goes upto ₹ 7 Lakhs per annum but due to climatic disturbances like flood, cloud burst etc. there is more loss than what is earned in most of the seasons.

He advises farmers to reduce the use of chemical fertilisers which has led to so many harmful diseases in humans. If a farmer uses it in lesser quantity or switches completely to organic farming, the lifespan of humans can be increased.

His main motive will be of increasing the market. And following the Integrated Farmer System to increase his income.

The sugar which we consume in our homes is destroying our body from within. Most of the illnesses of our sedentary lifestyle such as hormonal imbalance, high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity is one way or other related to sugar. While the solution to this problem is to consume a healthy substitute and i.e. Jaggery.

Naresh Kumar is a progressive farmer who lives in Kharak Ramji, district Jind, Haryana and owns a business of Organic Jaggery, Shakkar, Khand and 32 different products made by these three sole ingredients.

He started his career by studying Ayurvedic therapy, later through his knowledge of Ayurvedic herbs he made medicine for de-addiction of drugs back in 2006. He named this medicine ‘Wapsi’ which literally means to come back from the addiction. He shared this with the Apni kheti team that there was numerous allopathic medication for de-addiction but an ayurvedic medicine with the proven result was more significant. As Ayurveda is the oldest medicine and can cure mere impossible illnesses from ancient times.

In 2018 he moved his focus from medicines to food processing and introduced 32 varieties of different yet organic products. There are different types of Jaggery – jaggery for tea, for digestion, jaggery which includes Ajwain, Elaichi, Soonf, chocolate as per the consumer’s demand. Other products include Jagerry chutney of Carrot and Beetroot, apple, Pineapple, Amla and Jams.

The processing unit is on 4 acres of land. All these products are made by traditional methods making them 100% organic. When the Jaggery is made, the processed fruit and vegetables are added to it and are then stored in an earthen pot. There is no usage of water or sugar while making these products.

 Another product which he makes for cattle is Dudhwardhak Shira which increases their capacity of producing milk. This shira is a unique product for repeater cattle. He had the formulation of this product earlier itself therefore he thought of implementing what he had in his mind before but he also had second thoughts about getting it made by a third party but was afraid as there were chances that the chemical formulation could differ. As it is not easy to trust anyone what if the other person would make the product organically or adulterate it. The uniqueness of this shira is that it is made from the Rav of desi khaand.

KVK Pandu Pindara located in Jind and Harayana agricultural university helped him in his initial days of business. These two provided him with the technical knowledge that he lacked. He was guided by Dr Vikram who is the manager of marketing at the Agri-Business Incubation Centre (ABIC) at Haryana Agricultural University. This centre recently underwent a training and after which they could manage to grab 20 lakhs for expanding his product “Dudhwardhak Shira” under the RAFTAR scheme.

From 2015 Wapsi medicine has been there in the market and along with this he was also practiced agriculture. He has been selling this medicine directly to customers since 2015. He also has 20 distributors from majorly Haryana and some parts of Punjab. He faced difficulties in the beginning because every other product in the market was fake while his product being organic had higher prices and he had to face challenges when he started but then later customers got aware of the differences between organic and fake products and now his products are appreciated by the customers. He said it was not easy to explain to people that all other products had adulteration and weren’t good for the body. During the season he gets a profit of 3 Lakh rupees monthly.

In the season when there is more work, he hires 15 labourers which are generally 5 in number in the off-season. Although he cultivates sugarcane due to huge demand the quality falls short so he has to buy sugarcane from the farmers who practice organic farming and are a member of Pillukhera jeevak Utpadak Samho (FPO) where he serves as a Director.

•Awarded with the title of progressive farmer by Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University in 2019.

Naresh kumar wants to take his business to new heights and increase the production of Jaggery and its products at larger scale.

He wants to encourage other farmers to start processing of the crop they produce as there is more margin in making a whole product rather than selling a raw material. A farmer who sows wheat should start a processing unit of wheat flour, the one who sows sunflower should take oil out of the seeds and such processing is possible for all other crops.

Yes. You read that right, Rajat Salgotra from Jammu makes eco-friendly products such as diyas from cow dung, agarbatti from used flowers, flowerpots and biodegradable Ganeshji for Ganesh Chaturthi.

Although cows are worshipped in India, they still face so much cruelty. Till the cow is lactating it is of value; but as soon as it stops producing milk they are left on the road, where they either die in a road accident or gets choked on plastic. On the other hand, Gaushala dumps the cow dung in drains where they clog and become a breeding ground for chronic diseases. He felt it was high time to resolve this issue and so he started to work towards the welfare of these voiceless beings. He planned to make eco-friendly products while he was pursuing MBA from Jammu University and executed the plan after completing his studies in 2019. The company Samast Eco. Pvt Ltd. was founded in the year 2021, the initial investment was about 2 Lakhs. Until 2021 all the research work was done which included easy availability and handling of raw material i.e cow dung, in large quantity and how numerous products can be made using cow dung. After various failed attempts he found that perfect diyas were made only with the cow dung of Desi cows.

He didn’t straightaway start with the work but first gained knowledge, and experience from UNDP, Jammu in the project Plastic waste management. Where he learned about sustainable development and how resources can be used for our generation as well as can be kept for the use of future generations. Then, with the help of Disha Foundation (an NGO), he started making diyas from cow dung. The usage of cow dung solved two problems; the farmers thought that cows could now generate extra income even after they stoped lactating, and due to the waste management technique the drains of his city are cleaner now.

In the initial days, the family questioned him about his decisions as he had no agriculture background, and why would an MBA graduate reject all the high-paying jobs but rather work with cow dung. But he didn’t doubt himself ever and believed in himself. He faced different challenges at this time; the fragrance of the natural ingredients in agarbatti was not liked by the consumers. And the major issue was the transportation of cow dung from farmers to the manufacturing unit. At every step from the initial days till today, Disha Foundation has played a big role in supporting him.

Jammu like any other city has many temples and there is never a shortage of used flowers from temples. He has selected 2-3 temples of Jammu city which provide him waste flowers from which he makes Agarbatti by drying the flowers followed by processing. The cow dung is firstly powdered by the grinder and then made into a paste for Diyas, which is then poured into moulds for shape while agarbatti is handmade. Then the products are kept in sunlight for drying. He collects a total of 500 kg of cow dung cakes from farmers daily.

The team includes Rajat and 3 more people from the same NGO with an addition of 40 women from self-help groups. The women were given training on how to use the mould to make Diyas and how to give the finished look to Agarbatti and Diyas to make it attractive for the buyer. Rajat’s initiative has generated employment for them. Now, these women are independent and can earn a living for themselves.

All the raw products are provided to these ladies and all they have to do is make beautiful eco-friendly products. The sales and marketing is handled by Rajat himself where his education has helped.

He has been appreciated by the government of Jammu several times. He proudly told Apni Kheti that the DC of Jammu has shown full support for his work and appreciates him always. Other departments which have supported him include the Forest department of Jammu and Kashmir, Municipal Corporation, Pollution Board and Indian Oil.

He also provides cow dung to farmers to start a living for themselves, and he is also interested in opening franchise outlets in different cities as well.

He soon plans to sell his eco-friendly products on e-commerce websites like Amazon and will have a pan-India presence in the market.

Vision is very important in life. If you believe in yourself, others will believe in you. I always knew eco-friendly products have the potential to stand in the market competition and worked hard towards my goals.

Rajveer, a resident of Ramnathpura, Rajasthan was always inclined towards agriculture from an early age and had this unending desire to know about the new technologies in this field. You will be surprised to know that he used drip irrigation in the year 2000. In 2003 he started organic farming of jojoba plant but then he went to explore Europe in 2006 and worked there in construction line but his heart always belonged to agriculture. He told us about his weekends when he used to drive past beautiful fields of crops in France and he used to miss his homeland. The inspiration behind organic farming came from Europe, he saw that the temperature was cold there but still all the vegetables were available irrespective of the weather conditions with the help of poly-houses. When in 2011 he came back from Europe he religiously started practising organic farming of fruits and vegetables. He then constructed a polyhouse on his farm in 2014 for which he also got a subsidy from the Rajasthan government.

He established Prerna Organic Farmhouse in his village which is located in Jhunjhunu district and got his farm registered by Rajasthan State Organic Certification Agency (RSOCA). The total land under cultivation is 3 hectares out of which jojoba is cultivated for oil production in about 1 hectare, cucumber is cultivated inside the poly-house which is constructed in 4000 m2 and the rest of the area there are 152 plants of dates, 100 plants of red apple and 200 plants of guava.  In the summer season, watermelon is cultivated and in the rainy season, sweet corn is sown. Dates are sold in the raw stage as well as after drying as pind khajur.

He also sells organic honey at a lower price of ₹300/Kg to attract customers and organic Desi ghee of Sahiwal and Rathi breed at ₹1800/Kg. He takes orders from customers through a Facebook page named Prerna Organic Farmhouse and through WhatsApp groups. Only cucumber gets sold in mandi whereas all the other products like watermelon, Dates, ber, and guava are sold directly to customers. He also grows organic black wheat which has numerous health benefits and this too gets sold through direct orders by the customers. The customer who once buys always praises the product and becomes a permanent buyer, the reason behind this is the art of Rajveer’s seed selection and quality organic products. In the initial days when he switched to organic farming, he saw a little decline in land productivity but then as time passed by he started making profits by selling the produce at a more rate in comparison to the mandi.

Although he has 5-6 cows and makes organic manure on his own but the quantity is not enough and so he has to buy manure of ₹50,000 from nearby farmers. He has two labourers to help him on his farm. Rajveer’s father Devkaran Singh, wife Suman Singh and children Prerna and Pratik also help him in his daily chores.

Rajveer is the director of Farmer Producer Organisation (FPO) named Chidawa Farmer Producer Company Ltd. which was registered in the year 2016. Lately, they have sold mustard after collecting it from the farmers.

He is not only saving the soil by not using harmful chemical fertilisers but also practices rainwater harvesting by constructing a tank in a hectare of land. Other than this he also uses solar panels for boring water through tubewell on his farm and uses the same electricity for his home. He has been implementing eco-friendly techniques in his since 2001in his village and has set an example for others by saving the environment. Other farmers in his village also get encouraged by seeing such practices and visit his organic farm to learn new techniques.

•    He was awarded at the district level by KVK Abusar, under ATMA Scheme in the year 2016-17

He will now move to kinnow farming, grading followed by processing of this fruit which is in great demand. He is also planning for agro-tourism where he plans to construct small cottages for the tourist who want to enjoy mother nature.

There is a need to stop using chemical fertilizers as it has only negative effects on our body and leads to so many illnesses. Now there is a boom in organic products and farmers can also earn good profit from such products.

Our Country beholds that farming is a career option which cannot generate a decent income. When we talk about farmers the only picture that comes to our mind is of an old man sitting near his barren land, a farmer is always portrayed as a helpless being. In today’s story, you will come to know about a progressive farmer Mukesh Manjoo who wanted to change this mindset of society.

Mukesh Manjoo from Pilani, Rajasthan used to work as a National Security head at Delhi Airport but in 2018 his father was diagnosed with cancer and he had to take VRS (Voluntary Retirement Scheme). He used to see his grandfather and father practice agriculture for living in his childhood and became fond of this.

He has 20 acres of land under cultivation and started farming in 2014 when he planted kinnow and mausami over 4 hectares of land on his farm and named his organic farm ‘The Manjoo Farms’. Then in 2016, he cultivated olives on 4 acres of land, followed by Dates in 2016, Thai Apple Ber in 2019 and planted Sangri in 2020. In 2022 after watching Pushpa movie he planted Chandan on his land.

He also practices intercropping and cultivates ayurvedic medicinal plant – Ashwagandha and cash crops like watermelon. The main highlight of his farming is the authentic traditional farming he practices, he applies organic manure on his land made of cow dung and cow urine, buttermilk etc. he doesn’t use heavy agriculture machinery on his farm due to two main reasons- he wants to employ the workers and generate employment for the needy and secondly, he believes that the machinery compresses the soil’s internal layer, deteriorates soil health by decreasing water holding capacity of the soil.

He follows the Integrated Farming System, along with crop production he practices fish farming, poultry farming (Kadaknath variety), beekeeping (50 boxes), and owns several domestic animals like Sahiwal breed cows for milk and related products; camel for agriculture purposes instead of machinery and two horses for his children to learn horse riding.

Most of the regions in Rajasthan are under a dry zone and there is always a shortage of water. Mukesh believes in water conservation and has made space for rainwater harvesting in his field. He also uses different irrigation practices to minimise the wastage at his end, for example, Usage of Drip irrigation, sprinkler irrigation and Rain pipe which irrigates the field in just 15 minutes and through these techniques he is successful in saving water.

His brother Pramod Manjoo who worked as a vigilance offer in Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) until 2018, helps him on his farm and has always shown full support. In the start he faced a few problems in getting the right customers as a person who values health and is aware of the benefits of organic food. However, because of his vast friend list and his hard work, he survived and today enjoys a great profit in organic farming. His main focus was to go for different crops which could generate regular income for him. So along with seasonal crops, he also grew crops which stay in high demand throughout the year.

Mukesh doesn’t sell any crop in mandi. According to him for becoming a large-scale farmer, the right market should be set and strategically hard work should be done in the right direction. All his products are cultivated based on customer needs only and his customers are scattered from Pilani, Rajasthan to metro cities like Delhi and Gurgaon. Likewise, he sells olives directly to hotels like Taj Delhi at ₹250/kg and olive oil at ₹1000/litre. The main marketing technique which proved to be a huge success for him is Word-of-mouth marketing. Once a customer has a taste of his delicious organically grown fruits he becomes a permanent consumer. The quality of the organic products and the confidence in his work has made him a progressive farmer.
Achievements

•    Awarded at State level by Chief minister of Rajasthan in 2021

•    Awarded by Rajasthan’s agriculture minister in 2020

•    Awarded at district level under ATMA scheme in 2019

•    Awarded for the promotion of indigeneous breeds of cows in 2018

He plans to start Agro-tourism by making cottages on his farm so that people can experience living in nature’s lap once again.

In 2009, Government of Rajasthan tied up with Atul Ltd. a company based in Gujarat, and started working on the scope of cultivation of Dates in the western region of Rajasthan and the results were positive. The government then started encouraging farmers to take up this new practice of farming and about the high demand for this product. Furthermore, Date Palm plants were stocked in Jodhpur for the farmers. In addition to this, farmers were given a subsidy of up to 90% due to which the cost of one plant was cut down from ₹2500 to ₹225.

The team from Atul Company used to visit the area for inspection and encouraged farmers to cultivate Dates and create awareness on how they could enjoy the profit in the coming years. This is how they met Mr Abdul Rehman who is a progressive farmer from Tawariwala, a village in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan. He has practised traditional farming since 1995 in which he grows castor, mustard, onion and wheat but opting for an entirely new practice wasn’t an easy task.

He was hesitant at first but they convinced him to take the risk and assured him that he had their full support. Then he was handed 465 plants to be cultivated in 3 hectares of land. The variety grown was Khunaizi. This variety has one of the best quality dates and is very authentic in taste. The first harvesting of this fruit is done after 5 years, he cultivated them 100% organically and sold the Dates at the raw stage. This plant also grows offshoot which generates additional income as the single offshoot retails at ₹800-900 and there are at least 10 offshoots in a single plant, annually he earns 8-9 Lakhs from selling offshoots. In 2016 the government send him to Israel to learn about new techniques in Date Farming. In the initial days, he faced quite a lot of struggles as there were fewer consumers because people weren’t aware of dates back then and had to travel to the nearest district Pokhran which was 125km away. Moreover, other crucial and basic resources like water and electricity were not accessible.

Mr Abdul also owns a farm where he practices livestock farming which includes Poultry, Goat and Dairy farming. All the animals are local breeds, there are 4-5 cows that produce 15-20 litres of milk, and there are 70-80 goats and 100 hens. Their biological waste is used as manure for crops which has proved to be very beneficial. This practice also generates 10-15 lakhs of income annually.

Achievements

•  Awarded Innovative farmer at national level by ICAR- Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi
• Best Agri. Entrepreneur Award in 2016 by the government of Rajasthan
• Awarded at the state level in Gujarat along with a cheque of ₹ 51,000 in 2013.
• Awarded at the district level in 2011-12

Future Plans

Mr Abdul wants to expand Dates farming and experiment by cultivating different varieties.

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He wants other farmers to cultivate Dates as this farming requires less labour. The plant doesn’t get affected by changing weather conditions and the only requirement is roots dipped in water and sunlight on the plant.

It is believed that only men can financially lead the house but some women break the stereotype and prove themselves that they are no less but equally capable. This is a story of one such social worker from Rajnandgaon, Chattisgarh.

Looking at today’s farming practices which include nothing but the use of chemicals should be avoided but rather the use of organic manure should be opted by other farmers. She also talks about children putting their old parents in old age homes which is morally wrong. These are the same parents who took care of us when we were young and now when they need help in their old age, they shouldn’t be left alone but caressed the same way as we were by them.

Her husband gave his full support to her decision. She was on cloud seven after receiving the go-ahead signal. She was optimistic about it. She thought she had overcome all the challenges and she could see her path steered clear.

Then she considered taking culinary classes. As she began her research, she made the choice to start labelling her products under the name “Delicious Bites”. The ideal choice for her, given that she resided in Ludhiana City, was to get training from Punjab Agricultural University (PAU). She didn’t waste a second in starting her training at PAU.

After completing her course, she started working part-time. Meanwhile, she came across Dr. Ramandeep Singh, Marketing Head at PAU, who has guided numerous farmers in finding success and is always willing to assist them in prospering. Dr. Singh was greatly impressed with Jyoti’s work when she gave him a detailed overview of her ambition and her lifelong quest to start something of her own. He saw the determination in her. So, then he introduced Jyoti to the PAU social media team and gave her strategic marketing ideas.

Dr. Ramandeep then considered promoting Jyoti’s initiative on the Apni Kheti app and then the Apni Kheti team crafted Jyoti’s story to highlight her for better reach and support.

Jyoti had countless responses to this, and she soon began to receive calls from customers all over the city who wanted to place orders.

She started expanding her business as she garnered more marketing knowledge, using resources from Punjab Agricultural University amidst this process. After a few weeks, when her business of baking cakes and cookies was well established, she took the decision to produce more products.  .

The ingredients required to make biscuits are completely organic. Other goods that include jaggery are cakes, bread, and a variety of biscuits. She took a step forward, then built connections with other organic farmers and started purchasing the required ingredients directly from them.

Dr. Ramandeep made all of this possible by assisting Jyoti in establishing her career.

Currently, Jyoti manages all marketing and promotion of ‘Delicious Bites’ on Instagram and Facebook pages, which she also owns.

In 2019, she was rewarded with Rs. 16 lakhs from The Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana-Remunerative Approaches for Agriculture and Allied Sector Rejuvenation (RKVY-RAFTAAR) for taking up a great initiative of preservative free products.

Jyoti Gambhir then became a partner with Celebrating Farmers Edge International (C.F.E.I.) PVT LTD in 2021, where she is assisting many farmers in the processing of naturally grown sugarcane into healthy products such as cane jam and alkaline cane juice tea. C.F.E.I. has already established two Farmer Interest Groups (F.I. G) through this company, and their goal is to establish 100 F.I. Gs by the end of the year with the assistance of SBI Coimbatore and IIT Mumbai, their technology partners. These farmer groups support, educate, and help them learn how to market their own products.

We all have dreams, but not many fulfil them. Mrs. Jyoti Gambhir is the proud owner of Delicious Bites and has managed to fulfil the quest of her lifelong dream by opening her first outlet in Maharashtra under the partnership with C.F.E.I. She plans on expanding her business further this year and is opening another outlet in her hometown, Ludhiana.

It all started with a home bakery, baking cakes and cookies and delivering orders. She gradually learnt about the various types of preferences people have and began baking vegan and gluten-free products. She went from selling 15 units per day to selling 1,000 units per day and launched her own brand. As they say,

“Dreams don’t work unless you do.”

In 2021, Delicious Bites, a preservative and chemical-free bakery, was the only bakery from Punjab selected by the Govt. of India to showcase their products in the Dubai Expo India Pavilion.

It is said that a person can do anything if he has his family’s support, either it is about starting something new or taking an old work to new heights of success.

One such story is of two brothers who made their own mark in the society with their hard work and gained success by taking their inherited banana farm to new heights.

Continuing their father, Hari Sahay Tripathi’s occupation of banana farming, the two brothers worked hard and made their father proud of their achievements.

Being a resident of Bahraich in Uttar Pradesh, father of Amitesh and Arunesh was the head of the village and he used to do banana cultivation along with conventional farming in his 65 bighas of land.

Mr. Tripathi was the first farmer to start banana cultivation in his village and at that time both of his sons were studying. Amitesh (elder son) studied B.Sc in Agriculture and used to work in a private company and Arunesh (younger son) was preparing for SSC exams along with that pursuing B.Sc degree in Biology. During this time Mr. Hari Sahay Tripathi passed away.

In those difficult times both brothers returned to their village to support their family. As their father was the village’s head, the villagers decided to make Mr. Tripathi’s elder son Amitesh as the new head of the village. And along with that both the sons decided to continue their father’s occupation of banana farming.

But during this time, a storm came in the village and destroyed the entire banana crop. In those difficult times, Tripathi brothers didn’t lose their hope and courage and after trying hard they were compensated by the government for their affected crops.

After this incident, both decided to start a new beginning with the compensated money they received from the government. Animesh and Arunesh planted all the nine varieties of banana that were earlier planted by their father. They started banana farming in 30 bighas of land and in the rest of the 35 bighas they continued conventional farming.

As a result of the new beginning, the crop production was very good and the income was around 1 lakh per bigha. Quality of the crops grown by Tripathi brothers was excellent, resulting to which many companies started contacting them directly to do business with them.

Both the brothers fulfilled their dreams by taking their father’s business of banana cultivation to new heights with their hard work and understanding. Apart from being a farmer, Amitesh is also the village’s head and also has some duties & responsibilities towards his village which he manages honestly. And due to this reason, both the brothers are quite famous among the good farmers of the city.

In the coming time, the two brothers want to prepare banana plants by setting up their own factory together and become a successful farmer like their father.

All farmers do farming, but the farmer whose story we are going to share with you is different from others. Hardly any farmer would have thought about treating patients along with farming. And Mota Ram Sharma is one such farmer who became a doctor because of mushroom cultivation.

Mota Ram Sharma, famously known as Mushroom Man, used to do mushroom cultivation in his 5 Bigha land along with dairy farming almost 24 years ago. Mushroom farming was not in trend in Rajasthan at that time. He started growing oyster mushrooms in the beginning. Most of the farmers only knew about button mushrooms at that time. So, Mota Ram prepared powder out of mushrooms and started feeding the cattle, as he was unable to market the large quantity of oyster mushrooms he had grown. After feeding on this powder, incurable disease like Mastitis in cows was even cured. Mota Ram started growing oyster mushrooms on a large scale after this achievement. When agriculture authorities came to know about this, they advised him to take training. He went to Solan and Jaipur to take the training. And after acquiring all the skills and information, he started growing button and shiitake mushrooms. He started selling button mushrooms in Delhi Mandi, from which he started earning well. Presently, he is doing mushroom farming without using an air conditioner.

While farming mushrooms, Mota Ram also started preparing mushroom seeds and now he is farming 16 different varieties of mushrooms.

In 2010, he became the first farmer to grow Ganoderma Mushroom in India, due to which he received the Mushroom King of India Award. He uses this ganoderma mushroom variety to make cancer medicines.

Many people are surprised due to this inspiring feat of Mota Ram Sharma, who has passed only fifth class and has no college degree. During the time of his discovery, he came to know that the cause of cancer in humans is due to deficiency of Vitamin B-17 in the body and this vitamin is present in the Ganoderma mushroom. Presently, he is making different medicines from mushrooms, from which he is treating cancer patients.

Around his farm, he has planted Ashoka trees, Aloe Vera, Asparagus and Giloy plants, which he uses to make medicines.

Both the sons of Mota Ram Sharma are doctors, but now they also do mushroom farming with their father.

Mota Ram Sharma has received many awards because of his efforts and discoveries made in the field of mushroom farming, which are as follows:

In the coming future, Mota Ram wants to help farmers and solve their problems with his experience and do more innovations in the field of mushroom farming.

Horses are considered to be man’s favourite animal from the very beginning. In ancient times, horses were the only means of transportation. Even today, there are many animal lovers who consider animals as an important part of their lives.

This is the story of one such animal lover, Harpreet Singh Bajwa, who has made his own Horse- Farm due to his love for animals.

Harpreet Bajwa, a resident of Kharar near Mohali in Punjab, belonging to the Military family, was practicing horse riding from the age of 10-11 years. Harpreet’s grandfather and father have served the country in Military and practiced horse riding there. Harpreet was also fond of horse-riding since childhood.

After studying his B.Com and being in a military family, he was getting trained for the job in Military with the intention of serving the country. In the meantime he also learned horse riding. But for some reason, he did not succeed for Military and started working in Delhi and Mohali for 10-12 years.

With horse riding at a young age and almost 20 years of experience in equestrianism, Harpreet wanted to turn his hobby into a reality.

As it is said, the passion of horses is very expensive. This is why many horse enthusiasts maintain a distance from this occupation, due to higher costs. Similarly, being from an ordinary family, Harpreet could not do more, but with the money he saved during his tenure, he decided to start a horse farm.

There are several areas that require horse riding to get involved. For this purpose, he took land on lease. It costs him around Rs 7-8 lakh to start the farm. He named this farm as DKPS. Harpreet Singh Bajwa named this school after his parents’ name- Davinder Kaur and Parkash Singh. In this farm, he had horses of the Throw bread Breed. Throw bread Breed is a breed of horses that is considered the best for racing.

Currently he have 5 mares and 1 horse in the farm. Earlier, interested ones in horse-riding came up to his farm, which included children and the elders. The fees for horse riding in this farm is also low, which is why a number of people come to learn horse-riding even today.

Harpreet also prepares his school children to participate in various horse racing competitions. His school children have participated in many regional and state level competitions and have won many awards.

Harpreet’s decision to open a horse school is a very commendable decision, as those who cannot afford to spend a lot of money learning horse riding can fulfill their wish through DKPS.

Harpreet wants to create a better and healthier generation by training horse-riding.

Goat Farming is a very profitable occupation because it requires very little investment. If we talk about livestock farming, most of the farmers are practicing Dairy Farming business. But now-a-days, Goat Farming is considered as the most successful profession in livestock farming and many young people are also getting successful in this profession. This is the story of two such young men who started practicing Goat Farming after completing their studies and in addition to achieving success, they are also training other farmers in this regard.

Sandeep Singh and Rajpreet Singh, residents of Taruana, a village in Sirsa district, Haryana, wanted to do business instead of doing job after graduation. Rajpreet has completed his M.Sc. in Agriculture, so on his suggestion, the two friends decided to pursue agriculture or livestock farming business. For this purpose, they first thought of setting up a polyhouse but due to some reason, they did not succeed.

After that, they decided to start livestock business. For this, they met with the veterinarians and they advised them to adopt Goat Farming.

With the advice of experts, they got training for the Goat Farming before starting. They went to CIR Mathura for training and after 15 days of training, they started SR COMMERCIAL Goat Farm at 2 kanal land in Taruana village.

Now-a-days, it is very common that if you want to start a business, it can be easy to get a loan from the bank but Sandeep and Rajpreet started the Goat Farm in 2017 with the help of their family members without any financial assistance.

As the saying goes, the paths are met with one’s advice, but to achieve the destination, one has to work hard.

So, both of them started working hard to achieve success in this business. They wisely started the Goat Farm with only 10 goats on a small scale, all of which were of the beetle breed. They brought these goats from the mandis of Ludhiana, Raikot, Moga, of Punjab State. Gradually, they became aware of the problems that arise in Goat Farming. Then they started looking for solutions to these problems.

Their steadfast determination and support from family members led them make the Goat Farming profitable. Sandeep and Rajpreet then started working on improving the goat breeds in the farm. Today, due to their hard work, the number of goats in their farm has increased from 10 to 150 within 2 years.

Knowing the difficulties that goat farmers face, they started providing Goat Farming Training to help other goat farmers so that they could make more profits. Sandeep and Rajpreet provide practical training on their farm, which provides the trainees more information and they are making good profits from the goat farming business using these techniques.

Apart from providing Goat Farming Training, SR Commercial Goat Farm sells goats to the farmers not only from Punjab and Haryana but also from other different states of the country.

In the coming time, Sandeep and Rajpreet want to start their own Goat Farming Training School and go ahead with the field of agriculture as well. In addition, they want to make goat’s feed products and do self-marketing.

In our country, farmers are more leaned towards conventional farming, but this practice does not provide expected profit as per the hard work. But, a swift shift has been encountered among the farmers of young generation.

It is observed that youngsters are adopting new farming patterns and techniques and they are giving preference to vegetable and fruit farming above conventional practices. And as we know those who dare to think and do different, only they can make a big change.

This is a story about one such young farmer, Amandeep Singh Sarao, who is cultivating a crop about which earlier he had no idea. He has gained a new identity in the society, with his hard work and passion.

Mansa (Punjab) based Amandeep Singh’s grandfather and father had bought many land pieces for their personal business interests. But due to lack of time, they rented their 32 acres of land to another farmer, on which conventional farming practices were being followed. He was not much influenced towards agriculture in the beginning, as there was not much farming work at home.

After completing his graduation, Amandeep visited Gujarat with his friends for outing. There, he visited a farm. His friends find that farm very odd, so he decided to go inside the farm and explore it. He discovered that it was a dragon fruit farm by the name GDF.

Very few farmers in our country know about dragon fruit, as it is a foreign fruit and that’s why Amandeep too did not know much about it. GDF farm’s owner Nikunj Pansuriya briefed him more about its farming. After coming back to Punjab, he consulted with his family about it and they praised their son that he has decided to do something different from the usual. Social media was the main source of information for him about the dragon fruit farming and he came to know many new things about it.

Through the internet, he came to know that in Punjab, a Barnala based farmer Harbant Singh Aulakh is also practicing dragon fruit farming. So, to gather more information he visited his farm and from there he felt encouraged & determined to start this new venture.

Amandeep took back 2 acres from the rented land. With the advice of GDF’s owner he get the poles ready and ordered plants from four different places. He named his farm – “Sarao Dragon Fruits Farm” and whenever he faced any difficulty, he took help from experts and internet. In the beginning, he planted red and white variety of dragon fruits.

As it is said that “Things which are happening around you are noticeable and does not require evidence or proof”, in the same way, first year’s fruit of Sarao Dragon Fruits Farm were very tasty and everybody relished it.

Amandeep’s sister-in-law, Harmandeep Kaur, works in the forest department and she advised him to grow sandalwood along with the Dragon Fruit. In our country, sandalwood has its own importance, as it is used for religious activities and its prices are also very high. So, he started collecting information about sandalwood farming.

Amandeep contacted and met Mr. Nitin Patel, the head of Chandan Vikas Association, Gujarat. Nitin Patel has about 2000 sandalwood plants at his farm. In the beginning, Amandeep took a few sandalwood seedlings to plant it on his farm on trial basis. And today, Sarao Farm has about 225 sandalwood plants.

As a young farmer, Amandeep always thought about doing something new. So he started grafting Dragon Fruit plants. For this, he took training from Mary Ann Passaul, who is from Tangum Philipine Island.

• Valdiva Rosa

• Asunta

• Connie Mayer

• Delight

• American Beauty

• Purple Haze

• ISIS Golden Yellow

• S8 Sugar

• Ausi Golden Yellow

• Vietnam White

• Royal Red
• Simple Red

Amandeep still gathers new information related to agriculture field and he has also installed drip irrigation system at his farm. Everybody nearby his village praises him because of his strong determination and hard work and many people visit his farm to know more about his farming techniques.

In the coming time, Amandeep is planning to start marketing its fruit produce on a larger level and along with that he also wants to prepare and sell products made up of sandalwood.

Earlier, farmers used to think that we should follow the same agriculture practices that have been followed by our ancestors. But today’s youngsters believes in the passion of trying & implementing something new, which is good as it could influence others farmers towards progressive farming.

This is a story about a farmer who used to do something additional along with conventional farming.

Baijulal is a Bihar based young farmer, whose father used to cultivate paddy and wheat in 3-4 acres of land and rear cattle including 2 cows and 1 buffalo for dairy farming purpose. After graduating in B.Sc. Physics, Baijulal started helping his father in the fields, as his family’s financial conditions were not good. But he always wanted to do something different, so in the free time he used to watch agriculture videos on YouTube. One day, he came to know about mushroom farming and this is how it started.

To gather more information about mushroom farming he contacted a few mushroom producers, and this is how he gained more interest and enthusiasm towards it. But when Baijulal discussed this with his family, they disagreed with him, as no one has ever done it before in their village. But Baijulal had thought that he would do something unique because of his strong will power.

To begin with the mushroom cultivation, he brought 5 KG spawn from PUSA University and for this he started boiling the waste stubble. Seeing Baijulal doing this, villagers started making fun of him. But he never cared about anyone and even started working harder.

For farming information he took help from YouTube videos and sometimes he used to ask the experts for their advice. With the time when he harvested the mushroom, then his hard work was really appreciated by everyone. His relatives tasted the mushrooms produced by him and everybody liked it.

When Baijulal sold his produce for the first time in the market, even the customers also admired the quality of the mushrooms and gradually the demand increased. Achieving this milestone inspired Baijulal to start mushroom farming of larger extent.

To become successful, one has to do struggle and the result of this struggle is success. Similarly, after getting success due to hard work, Baijulal started his company named as  “Champaran The Mushroom Expert Pvt. Ltd. Company”.

Presently, he is farming Milky and Button mushrooms and is making good profit from it. Now Baijulal has become proficient and skilled in his work and he also provides training to the other men and women. He provides 2 Kg Spawn, PPC Bag, Formalin, Bevastin and Spray Machine to the farmers who get training from him for Mushroom Farming.

Apart from this, Baijulal also purchases fresh mushroom from the Mushroom farmers that are not sold, dries them and prepare their products such as Soup Powder, Mushroom Pickle, Mushroom Biscuit, Mushroom Peda, etc.

In the future, Baijulal wants to form a group of farmers and sell products made using mushrooms on a larger extent.

“After marriage, every women is to take care of her household”, this is the thinking of our society. But a women is the one, who can do anything to solve the critical conditions of her family.

This is a story of a woman, Balwinder Kaur, who belongs to a middle class family and her qualification is in M.A (Punjabi). After completion of her studies, she got married to Mr. Gurwinder Singh, who was working in a private company. Due to some reasons, he gave resign to his job and this led to poor financial conditions of the family. For improving the financial conditions of her family, Mrs. Balwinder Kaur decided to offer a helping hand to her husband, and he also supported Balwinder in this decision. As it is rightly said, If your better-half walks along with you every obstacle becomes easier to handle and with her husbands’ support, she started a PG(Paying Guest) in the house. The work flourished in the starting, but later on she decided to shut it down because earning was very less. Then she thought of opening a boutique but again dropped the idea of same. In 2008-09, she did a course of beautician but she was not interested in this so she never thought of taking over it in her career.

Pickle prepared by Balwinder Kaur is all time in demand from her relatives because of its deliciousness.

For polishing her talent, Balwinder Kaur got a training of making pickles and chutneys from Indian Institute of Food Processing Technology Liaison office, Bathinda. There she met Dr. Gurpreet Kaur Dhillon, who guided her and encouraged her to expand her work.

As she knew the importance of marketing and labelling in any business, so with the help of Dr. Satwinder Kaur and Harinder Kaur, she got the training in packing and labelling of the products.

After getting the training in Squash manufacturing from KVK, Bathinda, she started her work at home. She made a Self Help Group (SHG) in which there were 12 women. These women helped her in cutting the material and in packing of the prepared products.

The training was the key to sharpen the inborn skills of Balwinder.

Balwinder Kaur manufacture and sell her products under her Brand name “Zebra Smart Food” She has also made a whatsapp group (7589827287), where she directly take orders from the customers and deliver to them.

She want to sell her products worldwide so that people should come to know the taste and quality of her self-made products.

In our country, most of the agriculture-based families choose traditional farming methods over modern. But still, there are some farmers who are changing with time and are turning agriculture into a profitable business and are also setting a great example in the society with their significant efforts.

Sardar Jiyun Singh, father of Khushpal Singh, a farmer based in Punjab’s Maana village of district Sangrur, used to do conventional farming on 22 acres of land.

Being born and brought up in a farmer’s family, Mr. Khushpal Singh’s interest was also towards agriculture. And after the sudden death of his father, all the family and farm’s responsibilities came onto his shoulders. He started growing other crops like mustard, turmeric, paddy, potatoes and maize along with wheat. As time progressed, he also started beekeeping and dairy farming. For beekeeping purposes, he used to take the honey bees to other states and places like Rajasthan, Afghangarh and so on, but after some time due to some reasons, he had to quit the beekeeping business.

Later, he thought of adding something additional to his farming routine. So, he decided to start sugarcane farming. To start with a strong base he gathered all the information from Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana and took training from KVK Rauni, Patiala. Steadily and systematically he began taking his steps forward, and from farming sugarcane, he started processing it into jaggery.

Jaggery prepared by him was liked by everyone. On people’s demand, he also started preparing powdered jaggery and other products. After achieving this small but appreciable milestone, he never turned back and started working hard to fulfill the customers’ demand. People from the nearby village started recognizing him because of his work.

To sell the produce he is running a ghulad by the name “Zimidara ghulad Sarao & Gill” at Patiala-Sangrur road. People come from far & wide to buy jaggery and other products from him.

Most of his customers order & purchase jaggery from him on the basis of their demand. He also put up his stalls in Kisan Melas, other than ghulad. The admiration and praise that he receives from his customers motivate him more to produce quality and natural products.

In this whole venture, Mr. Khushpal Singh gets full support from his family, especially from his brother Mr. Harbaksh Singh, who always stands with him in all the good & bad times.

In the future, Mr. Khushpal Singh is planning to extend his product list, and also to introduce his products in the market with great packaging with good marketing and promotion.

Walking in a crowd never creates an identity for an individual, something new has to be done to create an identity. Where everyone was working on some old things, a farmer took the decision to do something different. This farmer, Jaskaran Singh, son of Baldev Singh, is a resident of village Kauni, Tehsil Gidderbaha.

Baldev Singh used to practice conventional farming in 27 acres. Due to the family farming business, Jaskaran Singh started working with his father at a very young age, due to which he was unable to look after his studies and for that reason he dropped his studies. The moment when he stepped up in the field, an invaluable relationship was built up with soil. From the very beginning, his father used to cultivate wheat and rice, but Jaskaran Singh had something else in his mind.

When I saw people growing crops other than rice and wheat, it was struck in my mind to do something unique- Jaskaran Singh

Keeping this thing in mind of doing something different, he decided to cultivate strawberries. This decision of Jaskaran disappointed his father very much. His disappointment was natural because planting a crop that is not familiar is a big step. But after assuring his father, he along with his 2 friends set up a strawberry farm in 8 acres. Due to insufficient information and lack of studies, there was a fear of getting failed but passion was on the top of head and a belief that hard work never goes in vain. Hence, he took a training of horticulture and started his business.

He did not face much hindrance in starting strawberry cultivation. Initially he bought seeds from Delhi with his friends’ advice. Farmers avoid strawberry cultivation as it is labour extensive and demands a hard work. Meanwhile, his friends decided to drop this business after realizing that knowledge about strawberry cultivation is not enough. One of them started doing business to secure his future and another is still in hardship for going abroad. But, this enthusiastic person was not going to drop this idea at any cost.

Young blood is coming in trap of colourful lifestyle of abroad and no doubt they are moving there for securing their future. Instead of moving out of country, I wanted to do something innovative in Punjab so that new generation would get motivated and they could secure their future here – Jaskaran Singh

The fruit of his hard work was even more than his expectation, due to which he turned his full attention towards this farming. After this, he planted Himachali variety of strawberry and now he buy seeds from the ‘Hub of Strawberries’ Pune. Jaskaran Singh sells his strawberries at the Mandis of Bathinda, Sri Muktsar Sahib and Malout.

Along with strawberries, Jaskaran also practice farming of muskmelon and cucumbers. He has made a good profit in just 4 to 5 years. Jaskaran Singh has developed his own vegetable nursery and is planning to make his own strawberry nursery.

The Water level is falling drastically so farmers should move towards drip irrigation system – Jaskaran Singh

Jaskaran wants to do processing of strawberries and marketing of self-processed products in the future and to inspire other farmers for doing the same.

Surinder Singh Nagra is a resident of Village Kohala of Jalandhar District, Punjab and now-a-days, he is running a medicinal nursery at Kartarpur Sahib. Mr. Nagra has made his popularity among people by cultivating different varieties of medicinal plants.

Surinder Singh is singleton of Pehlwan Nasib Singh and Ramesh Kaur. Besides doing farming, Mr. Nasib Singh used to carry goods from aadtiya and unload it at Jalandhar on the cart from where he got the financial support for family. Due to financial hardship at home, Surinder Singh started driving a taxi for offering a helping hand to his father at the age of 18. When family conditions were getting propitious, he got married. But due to some issues with his wife, he got divorced. After a while, he again got married to Nashatar Kaur. He began working as a supervisor on a liquor shop in order to fulfil his family responsibilities more effectively. But after a while, he realised that the liquor trade is a crime and so Mr. Nagra left this job. Meanwhile, sudden dismiss of his father was a great mislaying for him, as the burden of whole family was now on his shoulders. For the sake of his family, he inaugurated a fertilizer and chemical shop. But there also, he faced a great loss because of thievery at his shop.

After this loss, he started working as an agent (aadtiya) and side by side, he also started transportation work. The thing of concern is that, he never charged any sort of interest to the farmers, instead he provided money to the farmers. This was somehow benefiting the farmers but greatly effecting the finances of Surinder Singh. Considering these things, he focused on the transportation business and due to his hard work in this, he owned 4-5 luggage carries at the end.

Besides the family responsibilities, he have a unique interest which made him popular amongst people. From the very young age, he was fond of learning about medicinal plants and spend most of his time in the same.

When the life was coming on its track, at the eleventh hour, a mishappening occurred due to which he lost his one leg. The moment his friend Shiv Kumar got to know about this misery, he straightway went to meet him. Shiv Kumar was diabetic and at that time, he had blisters and ulcers but still he came to see his friend. He gave him Rs 10,000 and a watch as token of love.

Afterwards, he started illuminating himself about medicinal plants with more conscious mind. For this purpose, he went to the hills of Kerala, along with his son so that he couldn’t face any sort of problem in language which is not native to him. For completion of this work, all his luggage carriers were sold. Bank officials started insulting him as he was unable to pay the bank loan which he took for initiating a shop business.

Then I came to know about joining of a new manager in Bank. I met him and told about my state of affairs. He helped me as a noble person and gave me sanction for loan of 12-13 lacs to pay off my earlier loan- Surinder Singh Nagra

Getting liberty from this, he planted stevia plant, which he bought from Palampur. After this, he started planting more medicinal plants. His kids helped him a lot in this business.

Gradually he started making medicines from the medicinal plants, which benefited a lot to the patients. He feels glad for having success in such a business. This is handled by his daughter Ms Gurdeep Kaur. Younger son of Mr. Nagra is running business of dairy farming. He make products from milk and sell them in the market. Every member of the family is serving their potential in making powder from medicinal plants and taking care of it.

Due to his efforts in this stream, many a times he has been honoured by Shromani Vaidya Committee and he has built a good relationships with ATMA. Now, he along with Central Government is working on projects for enlightening people about the medicinal plants.

Surinder Singh wants this business of medicine to be handled by his saplings as well as the treatment and help of people should go on the same track.

It is said that if you are determined to do something, then success runs back and forth and this truth is shown by a young engineer named Japinder Wadhawan.

Japinder connected his engineering studies with the field of farming because the farmer and farming have a huge contribution to society. The need for farm machinery also changes from time to time. With the help of latest technology, the work from sowing to processing can be done easily within a short span of time. But not every farmer is investing in these expensive machines. This problem was easily understandable to engineer Japinder Wadhawan, also known as ” Raftaar engineer. This young engineer is famous in Mohali for creating farm machinery at a low price. Japinder Wadhawan, who studied mechanical engineering, was completely unaware of the field of farming at first. He first worked as an assistant professor and maintenance engineer. Fortunately, he got an opportunity to attend the “Make in India” event in Delhi.

In this event he met a farmer, Sardar Harpal Singh Grewal, who had come there for rotavator. Japinder, realized Harpal’s need, and promised him to make a 10 foot rotavator. Harpal also got 40,000 rupees deposited in Japinder’s bank account for the preparation of machine. But Japinder had never designed any such machine, but at the same time he did not want to break his promise. So, realizing his responsibility, he started preparing the rotavator. With great hard work along with his colleagues, he prepared the rotavator in a month. This new attempt made by Japinder was successful and he got a lot of encouragement from the farmers. After this, Japinder started meeting the farmers in his spare time and came to know about the difficulties related to the machinery used by farmers in farming. During this time, Japinder met Dr. Ramandeep Singh, an expert and professor of farming business, Punjab Agricultural University and Mr. Sukhi Longia, a progressive farmer. With such personalities around him, Mr. Japinder encouraged himself to know more about the difficulties faced by farmers in farm machinery.

He got another project for a turmeric boiling machine. He got this project too by luck. In a bus, he met a farmer who wanted to make turmeric boiler machine. Within a month, Mr Japinder prepared turmeric boiler. After this, Japinder decided not to look back. Whatever projects he got from the farmers, he tried his best to meet the expectations of the farmers with his hard work, in which he was successful. After the success of these Projects, Mr. Japinder formed a team with his fellow colleagues and this team was named – Raftar Engineering Professional Company. Their team consists of engineers and college students from about 15 different disciplines, who have done a master in their respective fields. To make his skills accessible to other farmers and people, Japinder shares videos of machines prepared by his team with other farmers through social media.

Out of about 300 farmers associated with the Raftar Engineering Team, 120 farmers practice organic farming and Japinder himself motivates farmers to adopt for organic farming. Not only from Punjab but farmers from many areas including Haryana, Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh comes to Japinder to get the machinery ready. It is said that in human life, success comes along with failure. The Raftar Engineering Team has so far worked on 20 projects, out of which 17 projects got success and 3 projects failed. But this failure did not break their courage and made them to work more efficiently. He has a team of 15 associates with him, who helps him in everything.

Along with preparing machines for the farmers, Japinder also helps the students studying engineering to complete their projects, which will prove beneficial for the farmers in the coming time. In order to motivate the farmers to go for organic farming, Japinder also gives huge discounts to the organic farming farmers for machinery.

In the future, Japinder wants to take his company to a larger level, set up his own industry and start working for import and export of his own made machinery.

Now-a-days, our young generation is more eager to settle down overseas because they feel that in abroad, they can have more secure future. But if we do our job with hard work and devotion by staying at our own nation, then we can have secure future in India too and need not to go anywhere else.

One such young man is Pawandeep Singh Arora. After completing his MA, Pawandeep first tried to settle down in abroad, in light of the fact that, as other youth, he additionally feels that there are more chances to work abroad.

Pawan’s uncle lived in Spain, so only after completing his matriculation, Pawan tended to go there. But due to some reasons, this desire remained unfulfilled, nevertheless, he continued his studies. As time passed, he noticed that his dream of going abroad is not working out. After completing his graduation, he opened a coaching centre with his sister. He closed the coaching centre after 2 years, when his sister got married.

Pawandeep’s father, Mr. Shamsher Singh, is into beekeeping farming since 1990. Being educated, Pawan wished either to go abroad or to have some good job here, because he did not want to continue this beekeeping business. But then his father began falling sick. At that time, Mr. Shamsher Singh was working at his Bee farm in Madhya Pradesh. The doctor advised him to take rest, due to which Pawan himself had to go to Madhya Pradesh to handle the work. That time, Pawan did not had any information about extracting honey, but after being on the farm for 4 months in Madhya Pradesh, he got enlighted himself with knowledge on beekeeping. He benefited a lot in this work. Gradually, Pawan’s interest started growing in the beekeeping and he decided to adopt beekeeping as his business and concentrated all his attention on this. To gain more knowledge about this, he also took 7 days’ beekeeping training from Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Amritsar. After developing an understanding about the extraction of honey, now Pawan is focused on the marketing of honey. He saw that traders are buying honey for INR 70-80 per/kg from him, and selling it for INR 300 per/kg.

Pawandeep first had 500 boxes of honey bees, but he reduced the number of boxes from 500 to 200, so that he could focus more on the marketing for his beekeeping and he also shifted 3 workers to do the work of packaging. He profited a lot by packing and selling honey himself. He visited various farmers’ fairs too and sold honey himself, from where he got good results from the people.

Being young made, Pawan understands the importance of social media. So he created a website to sell honey and also promoted it online, in which he got succeeded.

Now-a-days, due to lack of knowledge about marketing, beekeepers tend to close their honey farming. If the business of beekeeping is done with a knowledge of marketing, then a lot of profit can be made in this work too.

Pawandeep extracts honey from different places such as river canals. He carries honey bees boxes on the sides of canals so that honey can be extracted, and then migrates them back so that they can be packed and made ready for selling. He prepares “A” grade honey, which completely freezes, which is the hallmark of real honey. People with low eyesight used honey prepared by his farm which improved their eyesight.

Along with honey, Pawan also processes turmeric. He takes raw turmeric from farmers and processes it and sells turmeric along with honey. Pawan’s father (Shamsher Singh), mother (Neelem Kumari) and wife (Ritika Saini) also helps him in this work. For this work, they get help from the girls in the village for packaging of honey.

After achieving success in the bee-keeping business, Pawan wants to take this business to a higher level and market different products.

It is often believed that dairy farming is mostly done by less or uneducated people. But now the educated youths are also joining this business by seeing other people making more money in this work. Nowadays, men as well as women are getting ahead in dairy farming. In this story we are talking about a woman who succeeded in the dairy farming business and is now becoming an inspiration to other women.

Milan Sharma, a resident of Haryana, has studied M.Sc. Biochemistry. While studying, she was married to Chetan Sharma, an Electronic engineer. After getting married she gave birth to two sons and got busy in her family chores. After the sons started going to school, she started learning German language in her leisure time and later got a job as a German teacher in a school. In addition, she worked with the German Cultural Centre as a project manager for many years. This project was designed to teach children in German and then help them to move to Germany for higher studies.

Milan’s father-in-law had 4 cows in the village and he always did everything himself. Unfortunately he died in 2017, so Milan and her husband started looking after the 4 cows kept by their father and with it they bought 2 more Sahiwal breeds. With the passing time, their dairy business started to grow and Milan had to leave her job. But she didn’t know much about dairy farming, so she got training from the NDRI Karnal, LUVAS and GADVASU to increase her knowledge. Number of cows increased to 30. She then started a farm named as “Revanar” in 6 acres of land. Revnar is the combination of Revati and Narayan – names of her husband’s grandparents. She get this farm registered from FSSAI. At present they have 140 cows of Sahiwal, Tharparkar, Rathi and Gir breed.

With the increase in number of cows, the amount of milk production also increased. Earlier, only relatives and some people in the village purchased milk from them, but later on others also started buying milk from them because of the good quality. At first, they used to put milk in the drums and give it to the customers, but after a while they realized that there should be some change. Now they sell milk to customers by putting milk in glass bottles. Customers return those glass bottles in which milk is sold to them. The next day, milk is then given to the customers in the same glass bottles. They also sell milk and milk products (cheese, yogurt, butter, lassi, desi ghee) online. Milan sells her dairy milk to customers in Delhi, Noida, and Faridabad.

Along with the dairy farm, she cultivates 15 acres of land in Mathura. Here in the crops she grow wheat, paddy and mustard.

She also use cow dung and urine from dairy. They has set up a bio-gas plant, which produces gas from cow dung and urine, which is further used to produce food for cows such as porridge (dalia).

In addition to this, Milan has grown various types of fruit trees, medicinal plants and heritage trees on her farm, such as Neem, Tahli, Kadam, Papaya, Gillow, Amla, Guava, Bel Patra, lemon, tamarind, etc. By adding the leaves of all these trees in the cow’s urine, she produce the Jeev amrit which is used for the crops. In addition, she use buttermilk in the fields as the replacement of pesticides.

Millan’s husband, Chetan, works in solar panels installation in homes and companies. He has also installed 800 kW solar panel on his farm.

Milan wants to give her entire village a chemical free environment. Going forward, she want to prepare her dairy farm as a skill centre and provide training to the veterinarians. She want to start a project with the government to set up a community biogas plant in their village. The project will provide free gas to all the villagers, where they will also know about the proper utilization of cow dung. By doing this, they can use the waste of the bio gas plant as organic manure in the fields and thus can reduce cost on the fertilizers

Every parents’ dream is that their children should get a good job so that their future is secure. Similar was the dream of Amarjeet Singh Dhillon’s parents. So they taught him in a good school for his good future and got him enrolled in higher education for B.Tech mechanical. After completing graduation in Mechanical Engineering, Amarjeet decided to pursue his Masters in M.Tech. and also got admitted. But he was not having any particular interest in the study of M.Tech., so he decided to leave the studies in between.

Amarjeet’s family had 12 acres of land on which his father and brother used to practice conventional agriculture. For one year Amarjeet also used to do farming with his father, but due to being a young man, Amarjeet did not want to get enrolled himself in the traditional agriculture. To further increase his knowledge in agriculture, he started visiting Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana.

He joined the Young Farmer Course in PAU. After the completion of course, he decided to do horticulture. He first started fruit farming at his farm named “Green Energy Farm”.. Later on, he also started vegetables cultivation, flower farming and beekeeping.

Amarjeet has set up a time-table for the whole of the year, according to which he harvests the crops sown in different months.

Amarjeet does not do organic farming. At first he tries to control insect-pests and diseases using organic methods only but if further needed, he use sprays as recommended by the PAU in recommended amount. Even today, Amarjeet participates in all KVK, university and district level training programs. Whenever he gets in trouble, he always seek advice from PAU experts only.

Amarjeet has received many honors at the state level and national level, some of which are mentioned below:

In the future, Amarjeet Singh Dhillon wants to focus all his attention on the self marketing and processing of fruits and vegetables.

With passing time, we are forgetting the rich heritage of Punjab by adopting Western civilization. Our culture, heritage and background have become part of an exhibition. In ancient times, stitching mats, shawls and phulkaris used to be the hobbies of Punjabi women. But nowadays instead of stitching Phulkaris, women doesn’t even like to wear them. Our new generation may not even know what Phulkari is?

In this era of western civilization, there is one girl of Punjab who is trying to maintain our heritage. Graduate in economics, Manpreet Kaur from Tarn Taran district, manufactures Phulkaris. After completing her studies, Manpreet wanted to help her family due to financial constraints at home. Manpreet’s grandmother and mother used to make Phulkaris. One day suddenly Manpreet caught sight of a Phulkari in her grandmother’s trunk. So she thought of starting a business of Phulkari manufacturing. To make her thinking a reality, Manpreet shared her thoughts with her friends. But her friends refused this idea by saying that there is no profit in this business and nowadays people do not like such stuff. Everybody said that there was no point in doing this.

After this, Manpreet started making efforts to revive her heritage. In 2015, with the help of a group of 5 women, she made five Phulkaris. After making the Phulkaris she thought where to sell them now? For this purpose, she started searching the internet, from which she found that there is a government organization that buys Phulkaris. Manpreet showed those 5 Phulkaris to the organization and they took those for sale. The organization used to pay the money after the Phulkaris were sold. Because of this, Manpreet received the money after two or three months, making it difficult to keep up with the house. The same continued for a year.

After working in this manner for a year, she thought that this could not work, as she had to pay the rest of the group members. So she took the help of Internet. She created a page on social media. But here too people didn’t show much interest in buying Phulkari. Due to this, Manpreet thought that what people consider backward, why not give it a modern look?

This method of Manpreet proved to be quite effective. This increased the sales of their Phulkari. In this group, 20-30 women from the city were working, but Manpreet wanted to integrate with the village women too, as they are more aware of their heritage and culture and have considerable experience in this work. But it is very difficult for women in the villages to come out and work. Therefore, Manpreet herself comes to the women in the villages and gives them the material of Phulkari manufacturing, so that they do not face any problem. Manpreet’s initiative brought employment to women who could not work outside the home.

Through the internet, Manpreet’s group got their first order from abroad. They received an order of 40 Phulkaris to give as gift at the wedding. The Phulkaris sent under this order were greatly favoured, which increased the demand for their Phulkaris abroad. Foreign media also helped Manpreet’s group. They promoted Manpreet’s interview through video call, which resulted in receiving many more orders from overseas, such as Canada, United States, etc. Senior journalist Baltej Singh Pannu shared Manpreet’s post on social media, which helped her a lot.

Along with this, a number of students from various colleges comes to Manpreet for training and internship.

Manpreet has received many awards due to her efforts in preserving our heritage, some of which are mentioned below:

Due to these efforts, Manpreet has also been made Brand Ambassador of Tarn Taran District.

In the upcoming time, Manpreet wants to make this business of Phulkari popular in India as well, so that the future generations will understand their rich heritage.

Message
“The younger generation should make efforts to preserve their legacy. This work may also create job opportunities. Women who can’t go out and work can do it staying at home and it can be a source of income for them.”

In today’s world, where most of the children consider their parents as burden, there is a girl , Priyanka Gupta, who is working hard day and night to fulfil her father’s dream.

Priyanka, who has done MBA (Finance), spent her childhood in a small town of Punjab , Nangal. Her father, Mr. Badridass Bansal, was an employee in Bhakra Dam’s Electricity department and he loved farming in his agriculture fields. He had a small patch of land in his backyard where he usually practiced vegetables farming. After staying in Nangal for long 12 years, he got transferred to Patiala and started living there with his family. They had some spare land in Patiala and so started farming there. Also, they purchased a plot in Sangroor to build their house.

Mr. Bansal retired from the electricity department as Chief Engineer. Due to this period, they got to know that Priyanka’s mother , Veena Bansal, was suffering from cancer . She bravely fought the disease for a long time and later bid the world goodbye.

After Veena Bansal’s death, Badridas devoted all his leisure time to farming. As there was no construction near the plot that he purchased in Sangroor, he cleared all the land and started to do farming there. In the next 10 years, he gained great experience and knowledge in farming. Looking at his farming methods and the end products he started gaining popularity among his relatives as well, who became his regular customers. Realizing his capabilities Mr. Bansal took up farming as his occupation.

Unfortunately, later he started facing some health issues. To help her father Priyanka enrolled herself in farming. Gradually, her interest in farming also increased.

Initially, they started working with Punjab Agro, where they were really doing well and their sales were at its peak. Eventually, they opened a shop in Sangroor with 4-5 farmers, but due to some problems they had to shut down their shop.

At present, they have a 4 acre farm in Sangroor but it is not registered because the farm land is taken on lease and the owners are not ready to get it registered.

Priyanka faced various problems in her farming journey but always overcame them with the help of her education. This father and daughter duo spent most of their time on farm and practice pure organic farming.

They faced various problems during the marketing but due to her studies, she managed do it . They spent their most of the time on farm and they did purely organic farming.

Priyanka is professionally not only trained in biscuit and squash manufacturing (Punjab Agricultural University) but also in bee-keeping.

Priyanka got a training of biscuit and squash manufacturing from Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana. She also got training of bee-keeping from which she learned a lot.

Priyanka’s husband Mr. Kuldeep Gupta who is an architect, all of his friends and relatives buys products prepared by Priyanka.

Except making these products, Priyanka also manages to do bee-keeping and poultry. Her husband also helps her in this work.

She is planning to sell all the products to a single person who can further market her products because she wants to devote all the time in improving quality of the products and fulfilling her father’s dream.

Land is everything to a farmer. Yield of the crop will directly depend on how fertile the land is. But if the land will be barren, then there would be no hope left for a farmer. There is a farmer from Himachal Pradesh who is earning good money by doing farming on barren and unproductive land.

Mandeep Verma, after completing his MBA, served 4-5 years in Wipro Pvt. Ltd. But he was not satisfied with his job and returned to Solan with his wife. He decided to do farming on his land, in Solan, which was not productive. He didn’t want to do conservative farming like all the farmers generally do. He decided to do something different from others and ended up at choosing horticulture.

To make this view a reality, he first got complete information about the weather in his area, then he met the doctors at Agricultural University and got the knowledge about horticultural crops cultivation. Then he decided to do Kiwi farming.

After meeting with Horticulture department of Solan and professors in Dr. Yashwant Singh Parmar University, he decided to prepare Kiwi orchard in 2014. He made the Kiwi orchard in 14 bigha land.

In this garden, he planted the Alicene and Hayward varieties of kiwi plant. He invested about 14 lakh rupees on his kiwi farm and then in 2017, he made a website to sell the kiwi fruit.

The supply of Kiwi is done after the online order is received from the website. The delivery is available in Hyderabad, Bangalore, Delhi, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh.

All the information regarding harvesting and packing of the fruit is given on the box. A packing of 1 kg fruit is prepared and sold at Rs 350 but price of kiwi in Solan is Rs 150/kg.

According to Mandeep, kiwi cultivation in India is originated from Himachal Pradesh. But now Arunachal Pradesh contributes 60% of the total Kiwi production in India.

Mandeep cultivates the kiwi using organic methods only. He knows the importance of organic farming that’s why he prepares the vermicompost himself.

After successful results in Kiwi farming, he started Apple farming in 2018. He believes in “Zero Budget Farming”

Due to getting success in Kiwi farming, in 2019, Mandeep was awarded with “Progressive Farmer Award” in Kisan Mela, HP.

Currently Mandeep Verma has two nurseries and he want to increase the number.

In this era of unemployment, our young generation is either becoming a drug addict or settling down abroad. But on the other side, there are few youngsters like Rishab Singla, who are doing miracles by their innovative ideas in the field of agriculture. This is the story of a 23 year old young boy Rishab Singla from Haryana, who wants to achieve something different in his life. He has pursued BBA and wished to do his own business. As we all know, now-a-days, each and every person, from a small child to old ones, everybody likes chocolates a lot. So, Rishab started to think about chocolate manufacturing. During his studies, he came to know that organic farming of cocoa plants is done in Karnataka. But he was not much aware about this because his father was a trader of intense sticks. In order to know more about cocoa plants, he went to COORG (Karnataka). After getting proper information about cocoa plants and their cultivation, he decided to start chocolate manufacturing.

In February, 2018, Rishab purchased organic cocoa beans from the farmers of Karnataka and for the first time with the help of mixer-grinder, he prepared a chocolate at home. In the starting, he faced a number of problems in doing this work but he never lost hope. He made a variety of different flavours chocolates successfully. In this way, he started to manufacture chocolates at his home. His family members also helped him in making chocolates, but as the work load started to increase, he hired 8 labourers in manufacturing process, resulting in employment of the unemployed.

Rishab Singla always purchases only organic cocoa beans and manufacture chocolates from them. Now Rishab has started to procure organic cocoa beans from Bengal also. After gaining complete knowledge about cocoa beans and preparing chocolates from them, now he has started packaging of the chocolates himself. He does the packaging of chocolates in such an effective manner that customers can get the idea of the quality from the outside itself. His customers feel extremely delighted after tasting the chocolates.

Being a young boy, he understands the importance of social media in everybody’s life. By using social media as a tool, he started online marketing of his brand ‘Shyam Ji chocolate’. By doing this, his business got a new direction.

Products by Shyam Ji Chocolate:

He also has plans to establish his own chocolate company which will be equipped with all the latest technology.

The desire to eat healthy and live chemical free life is leading many farmers towards organic farming. One such farmer, Amarnath Singh from Bathinda has also turned towards organic farming and is successfully reaping profit out of his farm.

Before stepping into the agriculture field, Amarnath was an ICICI life adviser for 5 years (2005-2010), and the land which comes from ancestors in inheritance to him was given on rent to other farmers earlier. Well, this is not the only background story of this land. Everything was going smooth, his father – Nirbhai Singh used to cultivate the land until 1984. In 1984 conditions got worse and matters got escalated in many regions of Punjab. At that time Amarnath’s father decided to leave Rampura Phul – a city in Bathinda district, and they shifted to Tapa Mandi – a town in Barnala district and also the maternal home of Amarnath’s father.

Nirbhai Singh was very attached to his land, so even after leaving the Rampura Phul, he used to daily visit his farm from Tapa Mandi. But, one day, when Nirbhai Singh was coming back from his farm, he met with an accident and he died (2000). Since then, Amarnath has been taking care of that land and other family responsibilities.In 2010, income source from the rented land reduced, as he got no fair deal that could offer him the land’s right price. So, he decided to switch to farming. Moreover, in 2007 one of his friends, Nirmal Singh Ghootna told him about many progressive farmers in the field of organic, in case if he thinks of switching to farming.

Rajiv Dixit is the person who inspired Amarnath Singh towards farming. To get more help Amarnath also joined Kheti Virasat Mission in 2012 and started attending their camps from where he extracted the most knowledgeable information required for farming.

Cotton & Paddy were the first commercial crops reaped by Amarnath Singh and some veggies for home purpose too. In 2012. He grew Kharif crop Guar in 11 acres from which he didn’t earn much profit, but income was enough to satisfy his home and other farming expenditures. Gradually with the time, Amarnath reduced pesticides use and in 2013 he completely stopped it. In 2015, he also started reducing fertilizer in his fields. Out of total land (36 acres), he is doing farming on 26 acres and has given rest of the land on rent.

Amarnath – I can myself feel the positive change in me and my family’s life after boycotting the use of fertilizer and pesticides.

Eventually, Amarnath decided to shift to his native village in 2017 and today he is leading a happy life with his family. He has named the farm on the name of his father – Nirbhai Farm so that he could be remembered always through it.

To promote organic farming, Amarnath himself prepares decomposer and natural pesticides at home and also distribute it among the farmers free of cost. Today, whatever Amarnath Singh has achieved, it’s all because of his own hard work and determination.

Message
My message is for the younger generation, nowadays younger generation is very much influenced by the social media sites and apps like Facebook, Instagram, and Whats App, so they should take useful information related to agriculture from it, instead of wasting time.

“It is believed that future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”

Milakpur is a small village in the interior of Jhajjar district of Haryana, which is not even properly linked to the main road and has no direct bus service. It almost seems impossible for a person to think of starting any allied farming activity or business while living in such a place. But the successful endeavour of Mukesh Devi in beekeeping field has proved that anything is possible if you have the passion to do it. Even after suffering from painful toxic stings of bees, Mukesh Devi and her husband had never thought of stopping and they continued their passion of producing the best honey in Northern India.

In the year of 1999, Mukesh Devi’s husband – Jagpal Phogat started beekeeping after getting inspired by one of her relatives who was also doing beekeeping. With the help of training provided by Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Mukesh Devi also joined his husband’s venture in 2001. The work which they began so early with few beehives, started growing gradually with the time and now it has been expanded in other areas of states as well- Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Rajasthan, and Delhi.

Seeing the health benefits and rising market demand for honey, now Mukesh Devi has started selling the honey under her own brand – Nature Fresh. Currently, she has 2000 honey bee boxes for honey collection.

Mukesh Devi has not only made her family status financially stable but she has also provided employment to more than 30 people. By sending honey bee boxes to 5 different states with the help of their employed workforce, Mukesh Devi and her husband collects around 600 to 700 quintals of honey annually, and by honey, it doesn’t just means the ordinary honey with same flavour and taste, they have honey in more than 7 different flavours which are collected from the plants of Tulsi, Ajwain, Coriander, Shisham, Eucalyptus, Lychee, Neem, Mustard, and Pigeon Pea. Tulsi honey is one of the best honey they have with great market value.

When it comes to honey collection then the couple pay special attention to the time and weather of different states and according to that they set up their beehives at different locations. For organic honey, boxes are sent to the jungles in different states, below are given some time spans of honey collection from different places:

• For Tulsi Honey – Boxes are sent to the jungles of Madhya Pradesh (October to November)
• For Ajwain Honey – Boxes are sent to the jungles of Rajasthan (December to January)
• For Ajwain – Boxes are sent to Jammu & Kashmir and Punjab (May to July in Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab)
• And from Feb to April, boxes are set up at different locations in Haryana

Moreover, the income of this couple is not only limited to honey production and its selling, they also sell Comb Honey, Honey Amla Murraba, Honey Carrot Murraba, Bee Pollen, Bee Wax, Propolis, and Bee Venom, which have a good market price. Presently, Mukesh Devi and her husband are earning around 70 lakhs annually just from beekeeping.

Mukesh Devi and Jagpal Phogat efforts have been appreciated by many organizations and officials, some of them are given below:

• Received National Award from IARI, New Delhi, in Rashtriya Krishi Unnati Mela for beekeeping and producing different varieties of honey in 2016.
• Mukesh Devi & Jagpa Phogat honoured by Agri Leadership Award at Surajkund, Faridabad
• Awarded by Union Minister of Steel – Birender Singh for good honey production
• Awarded by Parshottam Khodabhai Rupala, Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
• Their achievements have been published in IARI progressive farmer magazine namely Adhyeta and Innovative Farmer Magazine with other 39 progressive farmers.

Mukesh Devi is a progressive beekeeper and her initiative has set an example for other women entrepreneurs that if the efforts are in the right direction than even beekeeping business can make you a millionaire.

It was Jaswant Singh’s grandfather who passed on the interest of floriculture to him and today Jaswant Singh is a progressive farmer who is practicing flower farming along with organic methods. The journey of Jaswant in the field of farming started at a very young age when his grandfather used to ask for his help while gardening. Slowly the interest of Mr. Jaswant Singh also turned towards flower farming. But for commercial purpose, his father was cultivating Paddy and Wheat like his ancestors, and due to less land and weak economic condition of the family, his father was least interested in taking any risk and adopting any new thing.

Besides knowing the family conditions, Jaswant Singh enrolled himself in the horticulture training organized by PAU, just after completing his 12th studies. Although he took the training of horticulture, his father never allowed him to practice floriculture on their land due to the fear of crop failure and loss. For some time, Jaswant Singh also continued with wheat and paddy cultivation, but soon he convinced his father for flower farming (Marigold, Chrysanthemum, Gladiolus, Rose, & Local Rose) and in 1998 he started it on a small patch of land (2 Marla ≃ 25.2929 square metres).

“When my father agreed, at that time I was totally steadfast about floriculture and decided to expand it with the time and reap good profit from it. Although there was no good market nearby to sell the flowers still I was determined and didn’t want to step back.”

When the time of harvesting came, at that time Jaswant Singh visited the houses in his nearby villages in which marriage ceremonies or any celebrations were going to be held, and took the contract of decorating their houses and car with the flowers. In this way, he earned a profit of Rs. 8000 to 9,000 over his income. Seeing the progress of Jaswant, his father and other family members were very happy and this boosted up the courage of Jaswant Singh. Gradually he expanded flower farming in 2 ½ Kanal and presently it’s in 3 acres. Time-to-time, Jaswant bring some new flowers and plants from the nursery, to add variety to his farm. Now, he has also started preparing nursery of flowers, from which he is earning a good income and even today also he manages the marketing part on my own.

Well Jaswant Singh’s hard work did not go in vain, for the tremendous efforts he has been awarded Surjit Singh Dhillon State Award (2014)

Future Plan:
In future, Jaswant Singh is planning to expand floriculture and also venture in the field of poly-house farming by taking land on lease.

Food is the basic necessity of life, but what if your food is adulterated or contaminated at the very basic level during production!

Today, food adulteration is a major issue in India, producers/manufacturers have gone blind when it comes to quality and they only focus on quantity, which not only affects the flavour and nutrition of the food but also affects the consumer’s health. But one such a duo of young farmers from the Malwa region of Punjab has aimed to provide only pure food to the community.

This is the story of Navdeep Balli and Gursharan Singh who entered the market with their unique product – raw turmeric pickle and became popular within a short span of time.

Coming from a well-educated background, these two young men decided to provide what is good for the society. All this started when they discovered multiple benefits and home remedies of raw turmeric that helps in controlling bad cholesterol, curing skin diseases, allergies, and wounds, also helps in preventing cancer like deathly disease and many other disease preventing properties.

From the beginning both the friends had decided to do something different, so they started turmeric cultivation and reaped good yield of 80-90 quintal per acre. After that, they decided to process their harvest themselves and sell it in the market in the form of raw turmeric pickle. The place from where their product get noted among the people was Bathinda’s Sunday Market and now they have started selling it in many places in the town.

Before entering the food processing business, Navdeep and Gursharan consulted the district senior agricultural expert – Dr. Parmeshwar Singh and took his advice over farming. Today, even the doctor himself feels very much proud that by following his advice both these young fellas are doing good in the food processing market and are coming up with more basic pure processed food products to be used in the kitchen directly or indirectly.

After the raw turmeric pickle success, Navdeep and Gursharan got their processing plant established in Rampura and currently their product list has more than 10 items, which includes Raw Turmeric, Raw Turmeric Pickle, Turmeric Powder, Chilli Powder, Sabzi Masala, Coriander Powder, Butter Milk (lassi), Curd, Chat Masala, Garlic Pickle, Cumin Seeds, Gram Flour (besan), Tea Masala etc.

This duo is not only making food processing a profitable venture but are also encouraging other farmers to adopt food processing with farming to gain better revenue.

Future Plans: Planning to adopt crop diversification in the future to make their harvest nutrient rich and farming more economical. Also planning to sell their processed products to farther areas, and make people aware of food adulteration and importance of health.

Message
Farmer should start food processing with farming if they are seeking better returns from agriculture.

Today just inheriting land is not the only solution to get rid of the loaded debt and the vicious circle of chemical farming which are making farmers handicapped day by day. Farmer is supposed to be a person who has to do the hard work by keeping in mind all the future outcomes and should also be prepared with the alternatives if anyone of the future outcomes fails. And only those farmer who understand this right way of farming by not letting get them shattered from the increasing pressure, with the help of modern technologies, ideal marketing strategies and of course hard work, let their next generation adopt the same profession happily.

This is the story of a Hoshiarpur based advocate Santvir Singh Bajwa who turned into a successful young farmer after seeing the success of his father Jatinder Singh Lally Bajwa in the field of horticulture. Alike his father he chose to do floriculture in poly-house and also made that venture a success.

Santvir Singh Bajwa while sharing his views – “Well, if we observe the trend in present youth, then you can track a clear record of youngsters either going abroad or opting an alternative career option other than farming. And the main reasons behind this is, there is no fixed income in farming and there is a fear of loss. Moreover, weather and government scheme also not accompanies the farmer in a better way which can give assurance of better backup plan.”

Gifted with the same skills as his father who successfully implemented diversification three decades back and established beautiful fruit orchard in the village of Mehlanwali, Santvir too established his own flower poly-house, where he started Gerbera cultivation. Being aware of the market demand for ornamental flowers, Santvir also started farming roses and carnations, which generated good profit to him.

“From my experience of poly-house farming, I want to share an important information with other farmers that farming in poly-house needs the extreme care of the crops and proper farming practices then only you can achieve a good yield. I personally consult the floriculture experts and progressive farmers and also take help from internet to give my best. – Santvir Singh Bajwa”

Even now Santvir Singh is also helping his father with new marketing strategies and is making good profit from fruit farming too.

When it comes to agriculture, then farmer should stop following the sheep herd and do what truly motivates them to wake up daily from their bed and stand up in the fields, whether its vegetable farming, poultry, piggery, floriculture, food processing, or door to door delivery of the produce. Because this is how a farmer can make out the best from agriculture.

One such a progressive farmer from the land of Jaats- Haryana – Shamsher Singh Sandhu, has excelled his way up in the field of agriculture by following his ideas and dreams. Unlike other farmers, Mr. Sandhu is mainly into seeds preparation which is giving him good returns as compared to conventional farming practices.

Inspired by his father’s achievements in the field of agriculture, Shamsher Singh also decided to adopt farming after completing his studies (Bachelor of Arts) in 1979 and in the next year he got married too. But following the same footsteps as his father of cultivating wheat, paddy, and other conventional crops was not that fortunate, and he was still confused about his profession.

However, the agriculture sector is such a wide sector with so many fields and opportunities, so, in 1985 he came to know about Young Farmer Training Programme of Punjab Agriculture University, it was a 3 months training programme under which there were 12 subjects like dairy, horticulture, poultry and many other subjects. He got himself enrolled in it. After finishing the training he started preparing seeds and without visiting the vegetable market or having any shop, he earned well from the seed preparation business just by sitting at home.

Apart from agricultural activities, Shamsher Singh Sandhu is also involved in a social initiative through which he helps the needy by donating clothes to them. He has made a group of farmers specially, to collect unwanted clothes and use it for a better purpose.

For seed preparation, first Shamsher Singh Sandhu himself buys seed from the university (PAU or HAU), cultivate them, harvest it when it has reached its full maturity stage and after that treat it with semi-organic methods before selling it the other farmers. In this way, he is making a good profit out of nursery preparation business. His venture is so successful, that he has been awarded two times for his outstanding efforts from IARI with Innovative Farmer Award and Fellow Farmer Award in 2015 and 2018.

Presently Shamsher Singh Sandhu is farming Guar, Wheat, Barley, Cotton and seasonal vegetables along with seeds preparation and is reaping good profit out of it. In future, he is planning to expand his Sandhu Seed Farm work, so that he can supply the seeds not only in Punjab but in other neighbouring states as well.

Message
Farmers should try seeds of other seed suppliers as well because in this way they can know the difference between the good supplier and the bad one and take the better yield of the crops by choosing the best.

Prateek Bajaj is a bright example for the agriculture society by contributing his efforts in nurturing the Mother Nature and making the country’s soil more fertile. With his beautiful field of vision and inventiveness, today he is solving the country’s waste management problems with great efforts and is helping farmer too to adopt the vermicomposting technology and make their farming an economical venture rather than a loss deal.

Hailing from one of the famous cities of India – Bareilly and coming from a business class family background, Prateek Bajaj always thought of becoming a CA so that later he can join his father’s real estate business. But at the tender age of 19, this boy changed his mind overnight and decided to start the vermicomposting business.

The idea of vermicomposting came in the mind of Prateek Bajaj in 2015, when one day he attended dairy farming training at Krishi Vigyan Kendra, IVRI, Izatnagar, with his elder brother who had recently started dairy farming. At that time, Prateek Bajaj had already cleared his CPT exam and was studying for CA and with his ambitious spirit he could have cleared CA also, but once he attended the training, he came to know about the basics of vermicomposting and bio-waste. He found the idea of vermicomposting so interesting that he decided to drop his career goals and adopt bio-waste management as his future plan.

“I wondered that why we gave away all the cow dung and urine obtained from his brother’s dairy farm if we can use it in such a better way. – Said Prateek Bajaj”

He finished his training with IVRI and learned the advance method of composting with the researchers and scientists present there and fetched all the necessary knowledge required for successful vermicomposting.

Almost, after six months, Prateek shared his plans with his family, it was understandable at that time that his father would disapprove over his decision of quitting CA. But when for the first time Prateek prepared Vermicompost and sold it in the market, his father accepted his son’s decision open heartedly and applauded his work.

“For me becoming a CA was not a big deal, I could have studied for hours and cleared all the exams, but doing what I love whether it takes 24 hours at the composting plant makes me feel happy. Moreover, I don’t need any break, as I know my passion is my career and it makes my work more fun. – Said Prateek Bajaj”

When Prateek’s family agreed with his future plan, then Prateek invested in seven bighas agricultural land in Pardholi village nearby and started vermicomposting in the same year – 2015, and then there was no turning back.

While opening the new unit of vermicomposting Prateek had decided that through this he going to deal with the waste management problems and will also help the farmer to manage their agriculture activities in an Eco-friendly and economical way.

To make his compost richer he experimented with various techniques of using the society waste in a different way. He used flowers from the temple, vegetable waste, residual waste of sugar and he also added neem leaves to the Vermicompost, which ultimately boosted up the antibiotic qualities.

Well, making this venture turn into a complete profitable project, Prateek also started organic farming after buying some more land in the village. And from his vermicomposting and organic farming practices, he concluded that soil requires less compost if a definite amount of cow urine and neem leaves are used, on the other hand, it also doesn’t affect the crop yield. By adding neem leaves in the compost, less pest and insects affected the crop making the crop yield better and soil more fertile.

In his vermicomposting plant, Prateek uses two types of worms – Jai Gopal and Eisenia Foetida, out of which Jai Gopal is provided by the IVRI and is very good in making the composting method efficient than before.

 

Prateek with his constructive spirit believes in disseminating the knowledge and that is why he gives free vermicomposting training to the farmer in which he uses a small earthen pot to make compost from a small level. In the beginning, six farmers approached him and adopted his technique but today there are around 42 farmers who are profited from it. And all the farmers have adopted the technique of Prateek on their own by seeing the progress.

Prateek affirms the farmers that by investing in vermicomposting and organic farming a farmer can more economically make his land fertile and can also take better yield as compared to the poisonous way of farming. And when it comes to the marketing then organic produce always hold better price in the market.

He himself shared his experience of selling organic wheat in the market at the double price as compared to the chemically grown wheat. So ultimately adopting organic farming and vermicomposting is a profitable deal for the farmers.

Prateek also shared a chunk of knowledge with us while sharing his experience- There are two main things before using the cow dung in vermicomposting – Cow dung should be 20-15 days old and completely dry.

 

Presently, Prateek Bajaj, 22, is successfully running his Sehyogi Biotech Plant and is selling compost under the brand name YELO Khaad to different nurseries in Noida, Ghaziabad, Bareilly, and many more other cities of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Also follows other modes of marketing to sell his compost.

With the determination to clean the soil and make it more fertile, Prateek always continues with experimenting with various bacteria and input components in the compost. Prateek feel privileged and blissful of being the part of this nourishing job through which he is not only helping the farmers but is also making the earth a better place.

Prateek is doing his bit, are you? To read more inspiring stories of progressive farmers like Prateek Bajaj, download Apni Kheti app from Google Play Store.

Inder Singh, 67, hailing from Jalandhar city of Punjab, is a farmer who has kick-started his agriculture business by adopting Potato and Mentha cultivation.

In a tender age of 19, Inder Singh stepped in the soil and since then he has been following agriculture passionately. After dropping his study after 8th, he decided to grow potatoes, wheat, and paddy. But after putting continuous efforts for years in wheat and paddy, it doesn’t provide much profit and financial conditions were still hand to mouth. So, with the time to increase the profit inflow, he moved towards lucrative crops rather than sticking to the conventional crops. On the recommendation of an American Company – Indomit, he started growing Mentha for oil extraction alongside potato cultivation.

“In 1980, few of the workers of Indomit Company (American) visited our village and advised me to grow Mentha for oil extraction purpose.”

In 1986, when the head of Indomit Company visited India, he was very happy by seeing the mentha production by Inder Singh. Inder Singh grabbed the second position in mentha oil extraction of about 71 Lt from the harvest of one acre and was honoured certificate and a cash prize. Appreciation boosted Mr. Inder Singh’s effort and he expanded mentha cultivation into 13 acres.

Along with mentha, he was still cultivating potatoes. On the recommendation of two wise persons – Dr. Paramjeet Singh and Dr. Minhas, he started preparing potato seeds with different ways. Seeds prepared by him were so good in quality that now it is sold across Gujarat, Bengal, Indore and many other cities of India.

“Dr. Paramjeet Singh suggested me to prepare the potato seed when it is completely ripe and mature, and this technique helped me a lot.”

In 2016, Inder Singh got the license from Punjab Government for potato seed preparation.

Currently, Inder Singh is cultivating Mentha (Peppermint & Kosi Variety), Potatoes (Govt. Variety: Jyoti, Pukhraj; Private Variety:  1533), Maize, Watermelon, and Paddy. The profit he earned in his successive years was invested in machinery and best agriculture practices. Today, Inder Singh has all the modern agriculture equipment at his farm and for this, he gives all the credit to adopting mentha and potato cultivation.

Inder Singh is getting nice price for all his harvest as there is no problem in marketing because watermelon is sold from the farm, mentha is used for oil extraction which gives him an average return of 500/Lt, his prepared potatoes seeds are sold across many different cities in India.

For his tremendous efforts in the field of agriculture, he has been honoured by Punjab Agriculture University on 1st February 2018.

Future
In future, Inder Singh is planning to open his own potato chips processing plant.

Message
“Agriculture is becoming expensive day by day because of the increased rates of fertilizer, pesticides, and other agri-inputs, so farmer should focus on sustainable agricultural practices and methods to take out the best harvest.”

Gurpreet Singh Atwal, 35, is a progressive organic farmer who comes from a small humble and hardworking family of district Jalandhar (Punjab). But before reaching to this level of success and serving inspiration to other farmers in his community, Mr. Atwal was also a practitioner of chemical farming like his father and other farmers nearby.

After 12th, Mr. Gurpreet Singh Atwal decided to pursue college studies, he got himself enrolled in the course of B.A. in Khalsa College of Jalandhar, but soon, due to some thought processing and change in mind, he dropped college in the first year and joined his uncle and father in farming. Along with farming, he also stood in the election for the Pradhan of Youth Akali Dal in 2006 and also won it. As the time accelerated, Mr. Atwal got promoted in his political career from Pradhan to Senior Pradhan in 2015 of the same organization at the district level.

But maybe in farming, luck was not on his side as he was facing continuous loss and difficulties. Wheat and Sugarcane cultivation was reaping no benefit to him, so in 2014, he decided to cultivate Turmeric, but that too proved a lost deal from him, as he was not able to properly sell his harvest in the market. In the end, he processed all the turmeric into turmeric powder and distributed in Gurudwaras and Temples for free. After facing this kind of situation, Gurpreet Singh Atwal decided that he is going to market all the harvest himself and will not depend on the middleman.

In the same year, Gurpreet Singh Atwal came to knew about Bhangu farm in his neighbouring village. The visit to the Bhangu Farm was so inspiring for Mr. Atwal that he decided to switch to organic farming. Although Bhangu Farm was all about the cultivation and processing of Sugarcane, he gained enough knowledge about organic farming practices from there and on the basis of that, he started organic farming of vegetables on 2.5 acres land for his family.

Now, Gurpreet Singh Atwal has started organic farming on almost all of his farm and the yield is also better than earlier. He is growing crops like Maize, Wheat, Paddy, Sugarcane and seasonal veggies and in future, he is planning to process wheat flour and maize flour. In the meanwhile, Mr. Atwal has started home delivery of fresh farm produce vegetables in nearby 2 km of the area which includes the Bhogpur town.

Other than organic farming, Gurpreet Singh Atwal is also actively involved in dairy farming. He rears indigenous breeds of cows and buffaloes for home purpose and sells the extra milk in the village. Whatever Gurpreet Singh Atwal has achieved today in his life, he gives a huge credit to Krishi Vigyaan Kendra. KVK’s organized training camps, assistance and support has helped Gurpreet Singh Atwal learn a lot about organic farming.

Future Plan:
Gurpreet Singh Atwal is planning to open an organic store on Punjab level and then on India level.

Message
Every farmer must do organic farming, if not possible to a larger extent then at least try it in a smaller area for home purpose. In this way, they can create a difference in their own lives and make it better.

Gurpreet Singh Atwal is a progressive farmer who is not only practicing organic farming at his farm but is also inspiring other farmers of his village to adopt it. He prepares natural pesticides and fertilizer with the help of decomposer and also distributes it among the farmers who need it. With his actions, Gurpreet Singh Atwal has proved that he is a visionary and has the courage to go against the current and achieve success in it.

Proliferated common mentality among the Indians is to go abroad and get settled there, no matter what they got to do there, whether it’s a cleaning job or any other type of labour job, but if the same work is offered in their own country then they feel ashamed. Yeah, the fact is true that there is more money in working abroad, but what if we bring the foreign technology to our homeland and make our profession a profitable venture. This is the story of a Malwa Region based farmer, Davinder Singh, 46, who very well utilized the opportunity of visiting abroad and brought back the foreign agriculture model back to Punjab.

In 1992, Davinder Singh planned to go abroad, but he was failed with his efforts and at last, decided to start farming. At that time he was unaware from the fact that living in abroad was not that easy because it demands hard work, but making a good profit from agriculture was also not that easy anymore, as agriculture demands sweat and blood both. Though he started farming, when it came to marketing, then from the fear of getting cheated from the middlemen he decided to hold beam balance in his own hands.

“I cannot forget my first experience of visiting the sabzi mandi (vegetable market) of Sector 42, Chandigarh, with mother’s given white dhurrie (carpet), beam balance and a sack of green chillies. I sat there the whole day, I was so confused and ashamed, whether to take money from the customer or not. I was mum. After observing me like this, few of my farmer brothers told me that this is not going to work like this, you have to call out your customers and shout out loud your crop’s selling price; this is how I learned to sell vegetables.”

Moving forward with the staggering steps that season, Davinder Singh earned 45 thousand rupees from his first crop and he was very happy with it. Well, till that time, Davinder Singh already came to know that the path of agriculture is going to demand lots of strength and determination. Without turning back, Davinder Singh started working hard and passionately. Slowly with the time he expanded his farming area and to upgrade his skills he visited Spain in 2007 for a training camp with one of his friends.

In Spain, he observed the agriculture model and he was very amazed by it. Without missing any piece of information, Davinder Singh jotted everything in his notes.

“I observed that the agriculture model which is being practices in Italy is very different from India. Farmers work in groups, and there are no middlemen in the agriculture model of Italy. I also observed that the climatic condition in Italy was not that favourable for agriculture as compared to India, still, they were taking high productivity from their fields. People were using POLY-HOUSE to give an ideal atmosphere to the crops for their growth and development. Seeing all this was very surprising to me.”

After exploring the remarkable agriculture techniques, Davinder Singh decided that he will go the POLY-HOUSE way. In the beginning, he got no assistance for poly-house creation, so he decided to make it himself. With the help of bamboos, he established his own poly-house at 500 square metres and started planting vegetables in it. When the nearby people came to know about it many experts also visited his farm but they returned with negative feedback and said that this POLY-HOUSE is not going to be successful. But still, Davinder Singh with his hard work and passionate spirit made it successful and took good yield from it.

Happy from his work, the national horticulture mission decided to assist him for poly-house and help him in its creation. When the agriculture department was in the favour of Davinder Singh at that time his father – Sukhdev Singh was not in his favour. His father doesn’t want to give their land, as the poly-house technology was new and he was not sure that it will yield profit or not; and in any case, if the loan is not repaid then the bank will snatch away their land.

Without depending on his family, Davinder Singh decided to start his venture in partnership with his friend by taking a loan of 30 lakhs on one acre of land to establish the polyhouse. That year he grew coloured capsicum in his poly-house (Red Bell Pepper & Yellow Bell pepper), the production and quality were so good that within one year he cleared his loan debt with his earning.

The next stage on which Davinder Singh stepped on was group formation in 2010, he slowly expanded the work in the people and groups whoever deserved to learn the poly-house technology under Agro Help Aid Society Mushkabad Group. This step of Davinder Singh was a very wise step, as his group started getting seeds, fertilizers and other necessary agricultural input at 25 to 30% subsidized rate. Moreover, all the farmers who are the member of the group now don’t have to knock on different doors to gather the agricultural inputs, they get everything under one roof. Group formation provided more benefits to the farmers on transportation charges, marketing, packaging, and as a result, one farmer doesn’t get overburdened with the expenses. Farmers Agri Mart is the brand name under which all the crops harvested by the group is sold in the vegetable markets of Chandigarh and Delhi, people trust their brand and they don’t have to make extra efforts.

When I was alone at that time marketing level was different but today we have a group and marketing is easy in the group, but in group quality matters. GROUP is a very powerful thing because everything gets shared in the group except profit. – Said by Davinder Singh Mushkabad

In the span of 20 years, Davinder Singh’s efforts have made him reach from the level of an ordinary vegetable seller to the head of Agro Help Aid Society Mushkabad Group under which currently there are 230 farmers. Starting from a small area, presently he has expanded his farming zone into a larger extent out of which poly-house farming is done at 5 ½ acres and other than this he has mechanized some modern agriculture technologies like drip irrigation, sprinklers to properly manage the water distribution. For his success, he gives a huge credit to PAU, Ludhiana, and their organized events and fairs which supported him with good knowledge bank.

Today, Davinder Singh’s group has become a model of diversification in agriculture sector, with their innovative technologies and sustainable agriculture methods. For his tremendous efforts in the field of horticulture, Davinder Singh has been honoured with many prestigious awards and has attended many delegation meetings in abroad.

• Awarded with Ujagar Singh Dhaliwal Award in 2008

• Received Chief Minister Award by Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi at Pusa Krishi Vigyan Mela in 2009

• Received Praman Patra by Govt. of Punjab in 2014

• Received Dr. Mohinder Singh Randhawa Memorial Award in 2014

• Nominated for Punjab Agricultural University Scientific Advisory Committee

• Member of Research Council, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana

• Member of Delegation sponsored by Department of Agriculture, Govt. of India, Agro-based Industry Malaysia and the ASEAN Secretariat for the Exchange Visit Programme for Young Farmers. (April 2013)

• Also visited Baki, Azerbaijan as a progressive Farmer member of the Delegation led by Ministry of Agriculture, Govt. of Punjab, in October 2016.

When it comes to water management then water plays the major role in farming. Farmer has to get his water checked and after that get his own tank established from the canal water and use it in poly-house, it results in increase in income up to 25-30%.

Future Plan
Planning to provide home delivery to the consumers so that they can eat fresh vegetables rich in nutrients with fewer chemicals.

Without feeling ashamed, the efforts that Davinder Singh has put in his fields, its results are in front of everyone, currently, he is guiding 230 farmers under his Agro Help Aid Society Mushkabad Group and is making good changes in the agricultural practices. Davinder Singh is a great example and inspiration for the struggling farmers. If by reading his story you feel motivated and want to join him in his venture, then you can contact him by clicking Contact Us button given below.

When it comes to fruits then there would be hardly any person who doesn’t like mangoes. So this is the story of a Rajasthan based farmer – Kishan Suman, 52, who discovered a new variety of mango – Sadabahar, which is available in all the seasons. Well, this is a good news for all those fruit lovers who crave for the mangoes even in the off-season.

After completing his education, in 1995, Kishan Suman followed the footsteps of his father and started farming at his ancestral farm. In the beginning, he ventured in the agriculture field with cereals and grains, but for him, it was loss-making crops due to price exploitation from the merchants and impulsive weather. Therefore, Kishan Suman shifted to Jasmine cultivation. Besides this, having a crave to learn something different, made Kishan Suman learn about the grafting method in the rose plant from which he cultivated different coloured roses from the same plant. Well experimenting with the rose plant just boosted up the confidence of Kishan Suman and the next plant was mango on which grafting was performed.

The reason behind Kishan Suman choosing mango for grafting procedure was that usually mango fruit is only available in 2-3 months and he wanted it to be available in all the season so that the mango lovers can relish it when they want.

In 2000, Kishan Suman observed a mango tree with good growth trend and dark green coloured leaves in his orchard, so with consistent efforts of 15 years in Mango grafting, Kishan Suman finally created a new variety of dwarf mango and named it Sadabahar, which starts yielding fruit in just two years. Because of dwarf characteristics, Sadabahar mango variety is ideal for high-density farming and ultra-high density farming technique.

“I have put my full determination and efforts to develop this mango variety – Sadabahar. Although the plant starts giving fruit in the second year, it is recommended to let the plant grow till four years properly to enable it to gain proper strength. Moreover, Sadabahar is a disease resistant variety and is also unaffected by the climatic changes. After four years fruit can be harvested but till then let the plant grow well.” – Said, Kishan Suman

• Higher Yield (5-6 t/ha)

• Fruiting throughout the year

• Mango peel is deep orange with a sweeter taste

• Pulp has very less fibre

Presently, Kishan Suman has 22 mother plants and 300 grafted mango plants in his orchards. With the assistance of National Innovation Foundation, Mr. Kishan is selling the grafts and plants of Sadabahar Variety. Many farmers have visited his farm from Chhattisgarh, Delhi and Haryana region to buy his developed variety and have also appreciated him after seeing the results. Even the saplings of Sadabahar are also planted in the Mughal Gardens of Rashtrapati Bhavan.

For all his efforts and innovation in developing a mango variety that can yield fruit throughout the year, he has been awarded in 9th National Grassroots Innovation and Outstanding Traditional Knowledge award function.

Although Sadabahar is resistant to all the major diseases still Kishan Suman believes that prevention is better than cure and that’s why he prepares natural pesticides from neem fruit, crown flower, and cow urine, it provides excellent protection to the plant from any kind of diseases and pest.

In future Kishan Suman is planning to experiment on Jack-fruit, as it takes longer to yield fruit so Kishan Suman is planning to reduce that time.

Message
“Horticulture is a very interesting field and farmers have various opportunities to experiment with their creativity on different plants and earn good profit.”

How many of you have ever thought about contributing to the agriculture society along with your busy job schedule? The answer is very few…

For a person who is professionally devoted to the agriculture field for him taking out time for the agriculture society is not a big deal, but for those who are in the service sector, for them yes it is a big deal.

Well, this is the story of three friends who realized their dreams while still attached to their respective job profiles and worked upon it mutually to make it true as Binsar Farm.

Pankaj Navani, 40, the idealist behind Binsar Farm, comes from a background where his grandfather used to work for the betterment of their village Gawani in Pokhara Block, Uttaranchal. His grandfather established three primary schools, one Kanya vidyalas, one intermediate and one degree college for the village children. The upbringing of Pankaj Navani in such environment where his grandfather’s unconditional voluntary work for the society, has built up a positive attitude of responsibility for the community and it has stayed with Pankaj till now.

Carrying his dreams with him, Pankaj was still looking for an opportunity, and while working in the Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, he finally met his future partners, Deepak and Sukhvinder (who were interning under him). The idea of Binsar farm came into reality when three of them went on a trek in the hills of Binsar and lost their way while coming back. But luckily they met a kind shepherd and he invited them to his shed and they spent that night comfortably in his hut. Next morning the shepherd showed them the right trail back to the city and this is how their trek to Binsar which seems like a fairy-tale came to an end. Thinking about the kindness and humbleness of the shepherd they decided to do something for the people of Uttaranchal. Basically, first, they thought of picking up the fruits, vegetables, and lentils grown in mountains and sell them in the plains by gathering more village farmers. The trio working along with their respective jobs also started acting on this project and they started gathering support.

It’s the matter of 2011 when the trio almost began to discover the process to proceed with their dream project. As being the election year, wherever they went everybody supported their plan, and in the same year Pankaj flew to New Zealand while working on an official assignment. But it didn’t created much difference in their efforts on their dream project. In New Zealand, Pankaj met Earl Rattray, Founding Director of Fonterra Dairy Group. After having a warm and genuine talk with Earl Rattray, Pankaj shared his idea of dream project with him and after hearing the tale of Uttaranchal, Earl showed interest in joining the trio team and turning it into a quadruple dream. Earl Rattray came aboard as Partner-cum-Investor to turn the Binsar Farm project into reality.

As the election polling took place and the ruling party lost the polls, all the commitments and words vanished overnight and they were again at the zero level of the staircase to their dream project- Binsar Farm. But Pankaj, Deepak, and Sukhvinder never lose their hope and decided to adopt alternative option to help the agriculture society, and this is when Earl Rattray came up with his extensive experience of dairy farming to back up the Binsar Farm project.

Both Deepak and Sukhvinder come from the families where their culture and traditions are still the same as in the old times and their sense of living is very deep rooted in the communities. Knowing about the project, Deepak’s father offered his 10 acres of land near Sonipat, Haryana on lease to this project. By 2012 they started the dairy farming business with the inputs of dairy management and advanced techniques of Earl.

That’s not all, working responsibly towards community development, they (Pankaj, Deepak, Sukhvinder & Earl) have leased 40 acres land to five local farmers in the area to grow fodder, they supply seeds, fertilizer, and other resources. This group of five farmers is assured of their regular income and they don’t have to worry about the market price of the crop, which has enabled them to think futuristically about their family and invest in their children’s education and other things.

When it comes to the cattle health, then fodder is the most important thing to work upon and that’s why they have instructed the farmers already to use any kind of pesticide almost 21 days before the harvesting of the fodder. Pankaj and team have spent a lot of time and energy on the better dairy management practices and that’s why they have no water logging or puddle kind of situation in the cattle’s stable. Moreover, paying much attention to the shed they have kept a soil flooring rather than concreting the whole floor, as hard floor affects the milk yielding capacity of the cattle and most of the dairy farmers are still not aware of this.

Pankaj also shared a very interesting information about dairy farming: He told that in his dairy farm the cow lameness point is only 1%, while in comparison to other dairies cow lameness is up to 12-13%.

This is a very unique fact that Pankaj shared because it is sad to know when the cow is lame then she doesn’t turn towards its feed regularly which ultimately affects the milk production.

Well, currently they have more than 1000 cows at Binsar Farm, from which they are supplying farm-to-table milk to more than 600 families in Delhi and NCR region.

Later they planned to start donating the cows to the local farming families, share their expert dairy management knowledge with them and eventually buy back the milk from them. This will help the farmer to earn a stable income and make a positive change in their lifestyle with the time.

Currently, Binsar Farm is working with 12 other dairy farm owners in Haryana and Punjab region, and collaboratively they are producing products like yogurt, cottage cheese, clarified butter etc.

The trio with their united efforts tried to create a governing framework through which they can not only help in the development of the society but can also share their advance agriculture practices with the farmer society. The idea of Binsar Farm project came during the hilly trek in the mind of Pankaj, Deepak, and Sukhvinder and after that, it completely changed the life of many farming families.

Pankaj and team believe that in the coming time money will no longer is going to be the driving force for the next generation; passion to accomplish their dreams is what will motivate the younger generation to realize their virtue and make it come true.

A farmer whose whole life cycle depends on the crop yield, for them facing crop failure even once can be a devastating situation. Coping up with this situation every farmer takes preventive measures that he is capable of, to avoid the losses… and this is how our agriculture sector in the race of producing high yield, had moved towards modernization by adopting Green Revolution. But there is one farm based in Punjab which is completely left untouched from the impact of Green Revolution.

This is the story of a man – Inder Singh Sidhu, 89, and his family run farm – Bangla Natural Food Farm. A part of the story began when Green Revolution came to India. It’s a matter of time when in the name of pesticides and fertilizers harmful chemicals were put in the hands of farmers. Inder Singh Sidhu was also one of those farmers who encountered some striking incidences which made him hate the use of pesticides.

“A spray was used to kill the pest in the sugarcane field and at that time farmers were warned not to collect fodder for their livestock. Similar type of process was also practiced in the Sorghum field and the spray was so toxic that it even killed the rats and other small insects.”

After observing both of these incidences, Inder Singh Sidhu thought that if these sprays can be harmful to the livestock and pests, then it will harm us as well. Mr. Sidhu decided at that very moment, whatever happens, he will not let such poisonous things enter his farm boundaries. And this is how traditional farming practices of using farm-made manure and eco-friendly methods saved the Bangla Natural Food Farm from death-dealing sprays.

Well, Inder Singh Sidhu is not alone, his son and daughter-in-law- Madhumeet Kaur, both support him. From kitchen to kitchen garden to farm, Madhumeet Kaur takes interest in all the activities and walks beside her husband and father-in-law.

Earlier, when Britishers used to rule India, at that time people called Fazilka, Bungalow (Bangla in Punjabi), so that is why my father-in-law named the farm Bangla Natural Foods. – Said Madhumeet Kaur with a little chuckle

Inder Singh Sidhu believes in traditional farming practices but he never hesitates from adopting modernized eco-friendly farming techniques. He uses all the modern machinery at his farm by taking it on rent, and for the preparation of manure, he also uses “Waste Decomposer” on his daughter-in-law’s recommendation. In place of pesticides, he uses Sour Buttermilk spray, Neem spray, and other alternatives to keep the harmful pest away from the crops.

The main crop for which Bangla Natural Food farm is recognized is the cultivation of the oldest variety of wheat- Bansi. Bansi wheat is a 2500-year-old indigenous variety of India which is rich in vitamins and has great food value.

“When we knead the dough of naturally grown and processed Bansi Wheat flour then it always looks white and fresh even the next day, but kneaded dough of wheat flour which we buy from the market turns black after few hours. – Said Madhumeet Kaur”

Other than wheat Mr. Sidhu cultivates Sugarcane, Garlic, Onion, Turmeric, pulses, seasonal vegetables and they have also maintained mixed fruit orchard in 7 acres. In the age of 89, Mr. Sidhu is perfectly fit and fine, he never takes any day off from the farm and supervises all the farm work with the help of few workers. Many people of the village criticize the efforts of Inder Singh Sidhu and say “What is this old man doing…”, but now many criticizers have turned into customers and like to buy the vegetables and processed products from Bangla Natural Food Farm.

Besides farming Inder Singh Sidhu’s daughter in law also processes some products from the farm produce like – Vermicelli, Bulgur, Rice Vermicelli, Rice Namkeen, Guava Juice and Garlic Powder. Most of the processed products and crops are for home purpose or distributed among friends and relatives.

Property of 50 acres land divided into 3 plots, is under the possession of Inder Singh Sidhu, out of which 1 plot is cultivated naturally from the last 30 years and 36 acres land is given on lease to other farmers. For his natural farming approach, Kheti Virasat Mission has also given him certification.

The family believes in preserving the heritage and traditional way of living, they use clay utensils (kuja’s, hara etc.) for cooking. Organic durries, sandhook and manjhi’s are used in day to day living.

A lot of people visit their farm every year, which includes agriculture students, foreign researchers and some who want a touch of heritage and farm culture for a few days.

Future Plan: Planning to open a small at the farm to sell the harvest and processed products from their farm along with other local natural and organic farmers and convert their farm into a tourist place.

“As we know, if the chemicals are brutal for the pests then it will be harmful to nature as well, so keeping this in mind we should avoid using such things which can ultimately hit us back in the future. Moreover, most of the insects found, are friendly and killing them with the use of pesticides is bad for the crop as well as the environment. The farmer should be aware of the friendly pests and enemy pests. And one of the most important things that matter is that if you are satisfied with your work then you can do anything.”

 

Well, good health and liveliness show that hard work and devotion towards natural farming has paid well to Inder Singh Sidhu in return, and his personality and farming practices have already made him popular in the nearby places.

Farmers not getting influenced by others criticism and doing what is good for nature and humans is what we need today. Salute to Inder Singh Sidhu and other progressive farmers like him.

Well, farming is a profession by thinking of which everyone imagines a tough life where the farmer has to work for hours under the scorching sun or pouring rain. But you will be quite surprised to know that Gurmail Singh finds his peace and satisfaction of life in Organic Farming.

Gurmail Singh, 68, started farming in 2000 and has been going steady ever since. But before organic farming, he opted his hand on multiple professions of Motor Mechanic, Electrician, and he also learned the work of fabrication and welding, but none of the jobs suited him well and provided him a sense of fulfilment and happiness.

In 2000, when his ancestral land was getting distributed among him and his other two brothers, at that time, he also received one-third part of the property i.e. 6 acres land. Thinking of getting settled with the farming he left his job again as an electrician and began with conventional farming practices of wheat and paddy. Gurmail Singh did everything in his field of whatever he was capable of, with full dedication, but the yield was never satisfying. Fulfilling the input cost of conventional farming (chemical) practices till 2007, he was so badly submerged in the loan debts that it was almost impossible for him to come out of it. At last, he was disappointed with the farming.

But after going under the spiritual enlightenment – a Sikh ritual process of Amrit Sanchar (Amrit Chhakna) in 2007, his perception of the farming was totally changed. He decided to start organic farming on 1 acres of land and slowly its expansion in throughout the acreage. Finding of Gurmail Singh’s intention of organic farming his whole family boycotted him and he started living alone.

Adopting the path of organic farming on a land where chemical farming has been practiced ever since is a very difficult task. As a result, the yield reduced, but Gurmail Singh’s intentions for organic farming were as strong as a mighty mountain.

Watching Subhash Palekar’s video helped him a lot in the beginning, and after that in 2009, he joined multiple organizations like Kheti Virasat Mission, Nabha Foundation, and NITTTR, which educated him with the best suitable results and marketing approach to go organic. Gurmail Singh attended many events and programmes on the national level which made him aware that organic farming practices globally. Gradually with the time yield also got better and he also got the opportunity of selling his produce at a good platform. With the help of NITTTR, in 2014, Gurmail Singh got his own stall in the Chandigarh vegetable market where he can sell his produce on every Saturday. In 2015, with the co-operation of Markfed, he got another opportunity to sell his produce.

“With the time, I won my family support back and they were happy with my way of farming. In 2010, my son also joined me in my farming venture and from that day onward he is with me at every step of my farming life.”

He sells more than 20 harvested crops of his farm which includes Peas, Sugarcane, Bajra, Sorghum, Mustard, Potatoes, Green Grams, Pigeon Pea, Maize, Garlic, Onion, Coriander and much more. Other than cultivation, Gurmail Singh also started processing food processing after taking Bakery Training for 1 month from Punjab Agriculture University.

Gurmail Singh not only processes his own produce but also help other group members of Nabha Foundation by processing their produce. Flour, Multigrain Flour, Pinniyaan (Indian sweet dish), Sarson Saag and Makki Roti are some of his processed food items which he sells along with the vegetables.

When it comes to marketing, it had always been a smooth thing for Gurmail Singh, because of his determination, hard work, and well-known personality among the officials and organization members. Currently, he is living with his family in a village of Nabha, where with the help of 4-5 workers he manages all the labour work at the farm, and for processing, he employees 1-2 workers according to the need.

Future Plan:
In future, Gurmail Singh is planning to form a new group where all the members will do organic farming, processing, and marketing.

“Farmers has to understand that quality matters, not quantity, the day when they will understand this thing, at that day all the problems of yield, marketing, and other issues will get resolved. And today farmer should focus on demand and supply rather than growing conventional crops aimlessly.”

 

In the beginning, there were many problems that Gurmail Singh faced, moreover, his family also abandoned him, people used to call him mad for adopting organic, but the desire to do something different has made him achieve the present success in his life. He is one of the modest people for whom award or appreciation never mattered, for him his yield is the only award for his work.

Gurmail Singh is happy that he is playing his part very dedicatedly and he wants others to do it as well.

Today, India has over 65.1 million Diabetics and with this fact, it is very clear that Diabetes is spreading like a plague which is an alarming situation for us. The main thing responsible for the increase in the number of diabetic patients is not only unhealthy lifestyle and unhealthy food, but the main reason is that the consumer is unaware about the basic product he is consuming at his home. Understanding this perplexing situation and with the motive to bring a healthy change in the society, Amarjeet Singh Dhami came up with the initiative to beat this widespread disease with his low GI Herbal Products.

Glycemic Index or GI
GI measures that how carbohydrate-containing food increases your blood glucose level. Food with high GI increases blood glucose more than the food with the medium or low GI.

After Graduating in B. Tech Agriculture in 2007 and then pursuing career as an Irrigation Designer for 3 years in a US-based company, Amarjeet Singh Dhami decided to start up his own business through which he can address the major health issues of the society. According to his research, he found Diabetes the prime prevailing health issue and that’s when he decided to launch his own line of herbal products for Diabetic Patients.

Agrineer Food was the brand name with which he came up in 2011 and later on changed it into Overra Herbals. Getting trained under food processing training from Department of Food Processing, Punjab Agriculture University, he launched his first product with the name Diaflour which is Diabetic Friendly Flour for Diabetic Patients and other people can also use it for a healthy lifestyle.

Amarjeet Singh Dhami was well aware of the fact that establishment of a new brand product demands a lot of input and efforts. He systematically approached the market by the establishment of processing plant in Ludhiana, then the establishment of market retail chain and its expansion. He builds up a proficient team by including Ayurveda Doctors, Marketing Specialist and PhD. experts in his venture. Moreover, to ensure the purity of the material, he formed a group of farmers practicing organic farming and started selling their organic pulses under his brand.

Well, the main thing with which a diabetic patient has to fight is the sweetness and keeping this thing in mind, Amarjeet Singh Dhami started his research work almost 4-5 years back before launching his main product for the diabetic patients. After the research work, Mr. Dhami came up with Diabeat Sugar.

Normally sugar has 70 Glycemic Index but Diabeat Sugar has 43 Glycemic Index. This is the first time in the world that sugar is produced on the basis of Glycemic Index.

The main active ingredients of Diabeat Sugar which make it special than the common sugar available in the market are: Jamun, Fenugreek, Ginger, Garlic, Black Pepper, Bitter Gourd and Neem; and this is a patent technology of Overra Foods.

“Haldiram, Lovely Sweets, Gopal Sweets are some of the brands with which presently Overra Food is dealing and supplying their Diabeat Sugar and Diaflour for the making Diabetic Friendly sweets.”

The only problem that Amarjeet Singh Dhami faced, in the beginning, was marketing and shelf life of products, but soon it was recovered too by producing according to the marketing demands. Presently main production units of Overra Food is located in Mysore and Ludhiana and its product range covers a large area with juices, chocolates, squashes, cookies made from Diabeat Sugar with low GI and these products are easily available across India.

Along with addressing the health issue, Mr. Dhami has also played a positive role towards corporate social responsibility by collaborating with Dr. Ramandeep; he has started an activity through which he helps the entrepreneurs with potential by chiselling their career under his training and guidance.

Future Plan:
Amarjeet Singh Dhami is planning to export his products to USA, Canada, Philippines and other Gulf Countries.

Message:
“This is the time when educated youth has a lot of opportunities to start up their own business rather than looking for a job which not even satisfies their basic demands, but patience is necessary to succeed.”

If you eat food like medicine then you will live a healthy life…
Amarjeet Singh Dhami

“For the establishment of climatically controlled poly-houses, I invested around 1.10 crores out of which 75 lakhs were financed by RBL Bank Ltd and this was a great help for me.”

“Excluding expenditure of labour charges, bank instalments and other input costs, this floriculture business is giving me profit around 14 lakhs per year.”

Vinod Kumar who was a mechanical engineer by profession often used to take out time from his busy job life to explore his interest in farming to discover new trending agri-technologies. One day while surfing the Internet, Vinod Kumar came to know about Pearl Farming, allured toward this profession he dug more information about it and came to know that pearl farming can be carried out in less water and less area as well.

When he came to know that the only pioneer institute which trains in design pearl farming is situated in Bhubaneshwar – Central Institute of Fresh Water Aquaculture (CIFA), Vinod Kumar lost no time and listened to his heart, left his job and went to Bhuvneshwar in May 2016 for one-week training.

Started pearl farming in 20 x 10 foot area with 1000 mussels and today he has expanded the pearl farming business from which he is earning more than 5 lakhs from 2000 mussels. Well, this was the determination and passion of Vinod Kumar towards agriculture which showed his this path to success.

Vinod Kumar shared with us some of the pearl farming information for the newbies –

 

• Minimum investment – 40,000 to 60,000.

• Water temperature necessary for pearl farming- less than 35°C.

• A water tank is necessary for pearl farming.

• Mussels can be purchased from Meerut and Aligarh in Rs 5-15 from fishermen.

• These mussels are kept in the water tank for 10-12 months and when the shell starts changing its color to silver then pearl is ready.

• Well, it takes 2 – 2.5 years to form a good round shape pearl.

• Shell is recognized by its inner shine

• Generally, the size of the shell is in between 8 – 11 cm.

• The ideal market for pearls is in Rajkot, Delhi, Nearby Delhi and Surat

The main work is mussel surgery and for this work, special training is provided by the institute. Other than pearl different shapes and designs can also be formed inside the mussel.

Vinod is not only practicing pearl farming but he is also providing training to other farmers. He is certified by ICAR- Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture in training of freshwater pearl farming for entrepreneurship development. Till now more than 30,000 people have visited his farm and he has never anyone let down.

“Today farmers have to think different if they want to move ahead in their life, but this spirit also demands patience, because many of my students came to me for training and immediately after the training they tried to set up their business, but they were not successful. People have to understand that success comes with patience and frequent practice.”

 

Mr. Vinod Kumar hailing from a small village Jamalpur of Farrukhnagar tehsil, Gurugram, has proved with his experience and determination that freshwater mussel culture has a vast potential.

“After completing my graduation from Punjab University, I went to Canada to pursue higher studies and later on I got settled there. But after 5-6 years I felt a strong urge from the bottom of my heart that I need to go back to where I belong.”

“Wheat and paddy are the conventional crops of Punjab which needs only 4-5 months of labour in the field. Instead of getting stuck in the cycle of wheat and paddy, farmers should focus on horticulture crops and other agri-allied activities which can be done around the year.”

“Machine designed by me can grades around 1-1 ½ tons of Kinnow in an hour and the running cost of this machine is 10-litre diesel per day.”

Subsidy and agriculture schemes:
Farmer assumes that Government is helping us by giving subsidy and making different agricultural schemes, but this is not true; this is a way of making farmers handicapped and grabbing their land. Farmers have to understand their good and bad themselves because agriculture is such a wide field that if it is done properly with determination then it can make anyone rich.

Mind Set of Young Generation:
Nowadays, the young generation is all set to go abroad or get settled in the city, they don’t care what kind of work they have to do in there; for them farming is a dirty job. What’s the sake of investing in the education and employment, if ultimately it will result in brain drain! Youth is unaware of the fact that agriculture is such a prosperous and diverse field that it can provide more advantages, profit, and happiness than the life in abroad.

Marketing in agriculture field:
Today, the farmer also has to become the seller by eliminating the middlemen and this is the only way by which farmer can clinch their forgotten position from the society. Farmer has to adopt modern eco-friendly practices which will lead them towards sustainable agriculture results.

Everyone should remember that-

Dhada Goat Farm – a farm run by four futuristic men (Birbal Ram Sharma, Jugraj Singh, Amarjeet Singh, and Manjeet Kumar), who saw the fledgling future market of goat meat and milk in Punjab at the right time and established a goat farmhouse where you cannot only buy milk and meat but you can also buy different breeds of goat for further goat rearing purpose.

Initially, the idea of establishing goat farm was of Birbal and his uncle Manjeet Kumar. Earlier working as a college supervisor Birbal was bored and had a desire to set up his own business. So before investing in anything, Birbal wanted to do a complete market research. He visited many farms in Punjab and also went to Delhi to analyse the market and gain some market knowledge.

After the analysis, Birbal found out that there are very few goat farms in Punjab and the demand of goat meat and milk is high. Manjeet Kumar, Birbal’s uncle was always a partner in the venture from the beginning. And this is how the idea of Dhada Goat farm came into reality. The other two main partners joined the venture when Birbal was looking for an empty plot where he can establish his goat farm and then he met Subedar Jugraj Singh and Amarjeet Singh. Both are military retired people. Coming to know about the idea of Goat Farm, Jugraj Singh, and Amarjeet Singh showed interest in the venture. Jugraj Singh gave his 4 acres land on lease for 10 years to Birbal. Finally, in July 2015 Dhada Goat Farm was established with the investment of 23 lakhs.

The farm began with 70 animals (40 female goats, 5 male goats, and 25 kids), later on with the time they bought 60 more. To give their business better management and protection, all the four members took 5 days goat farming training from GADVASU.

Well, the journey of Dhada goat farm was not that smooth, they faced many problems too. While buying goats in bulk they bought some goats from the local goat farmers without any proper vaccination. Which gave rise to PPR disease resulting in the death of many goats in some time. From this instance, they learned about their mistake and then they started proper vaccination of their farm goats from Veterinary Dr. Sarbjeet.

Dr. Sarbjeet helped them a lot in the establishment of a disease free healthy goat farm, he used to visit Dhada Goat farm every week and guide them. Currently, the count of the goats has exceeded 400. Beetal, Sirohi, Barbari, Totapari, and Jakhrana are the goat breed which can be found at Dhada Goat Farm. They sell breed, milk, and manure prepared from goat dung in the market. During Bakrid they also sell Bucks (male goats) to earn good profit.

Feed is the most important thing of which they take proper care. In summer they prefer to give green grass and leaves, grinded mixture of Green Chickpea and Green Gram plants, and in winter they give Berseem, grass of Mustard, Guar, and Peanut. There are two permanent workers which help in managing the goat farm. All the fodder is grown in-house for better feed preparation. Taking proper care of the goat’s needs, they have also left 4 Kanal area clear for the goats to roam there freely. Deworming gun, machine to grind the fodder, medical kit and medicines are some necessary things that Birbal and his other members use to make their goat rearing process easier and smooth.

Average profit of around Rs 750000 is made annually which is divided in between all the four members of the Dhada Goat Farm. Even after running such a good goat farm business, no member of Dhada Goat Farm brags about their success and whenever any farmer calls or visit their farm for guidance they help them with their whole heart.

For their success in goat farming, Mr. Jugraj Singh was also received Mukhyamantri Award on 23rd March 2018 on the behalf of Dhada Goat Farm.

Future Plans:

In future, the futuristic men of Dhada Goat Farm are planning to expand their goat numbers up to 1000.

Today the main thing that the agriculture society has to understand is that there is an advantage in staying together. These four men understood this thing very well, which helped them in running a successful business. For any goat farming related queries you can contact Dhada Goat Farm and take guidance from them. Read more interesting stories by downloading Apni Kheti mobile app from Google Play Store.

Young farmers are the future and this 19-year-old boy has proven it right by showing his passion towards farming. Narayan Lal Dhakad is a young boy from Rajasthan- the land of Kings, Legacy, Tourism, Heritage and Rich Culture, and his personality is also very distinctive like his homeland.

Nowadays, we are seeing many examples where educated people of India are choosing agriculture as their working place and are coming up as an independent agri-entrepreneur, same is the case with Narayan Lal Dhakad. Despite, lacking the basic facilities and enough resources, this boy chose the medium of YouTube and Facebook to disseminate knowledge to help the farming community. Currently, he has 60,000 YouTube subscribers and 30,000 Facebook followers. You will be shocked to know that this boy doesn’t have any laptop, personal computer system or any kind of video editing equipment for editing the videos. With the help of his smartphone, he is making informative farming videos.

“My father died some days before my birth and it was a very dreadful situation for my family. My family was facing a severe financial crisis, but even then my mother raised us well by doing farming and labour work. Perceiving the family conditions, I started farming at a very young age and also learned it well very soon.” – Narayan

Living a hand-to-mouth life, Narayan realized that utilizing the resources well and innovating new ideas with simple hacks to deal with daily common pest and farm issues, is the best thing. Narayan also recognized that the big part of the farming expense is just because of the use of fertilizers and pesticides, and this is the only reason which builds a big mountain of debt over the farmers.

“When it comes to adopting organic farming, then every farmer cannot successfully do it, because its productivity is low; and in distant locations, organic spray and products are not easily available.” – Narayan

Understanding the problem of his area, Narayan invented many easy techniques to control termite, Nilgai, pest and crop disease. All the techniques developed by Narayan were successful and were very cheap that any farmer can easily follow. And to make his techniques available to every farmer he makes videos with his phone, explain everything in it and share it on YouTube and Facebook.

Despite facing difficulties in making videos through his phone, he never dropped his idea of helping the farmers. Narayan has reached out to many farmers in his area and has solved their problem by reaching out to Krishi Vigyan Kendra’s and Agriculture Scientists.

“Farmers should adopt organic farming because using chemicals and pesticides on their farm not only harm the environment but also their own people. Moreover, by following organic farming farmer can take healthy yield without doing expenses on the pesticides and insecticides.”

 

Narayan Lal Dhakad has written a success story at just the age of 19. By seeing his passion and determination to work harmoniously towards sustainable agriculture practices, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare has nominated him for Krishi Award in 2018.

Today, Narayan Lal Dhakad has become an emerging voice in India which has the capability to change worsening circumstances of farmers.

Do check his YouTube channel & Facebook page, for more inspiring stories of farmers download  Apni Kheti app from Google Play store.

Hope is the only positive feeling which gives a person the strength to think about the future even not being sure about it. And when we know that we are thinking about the better future then our actions are accelerated automatically despite knowing some negative consequences. Same was the case with Kulwinder Singh Nagra, a progressive farmer from Nagra village of district Sangrur, for whom hope acted as the driving force to turn towards natural farming.

“Before venturing into natural farming I knew that I will face loss for consecutively two years, even after sensing this situation I decided to adopt natural practices. Because for me my family and surrounding are more important than earning money. Moreover, I am earning for my family and myself, what if, even after earning so much money I am not able to keep my family healthy… then everything is in vain.”

Coming from a farming background, Kulwinder Singh Nagra also decided to follow the same footsteps like his father. In 1997, after completing his matriculation, he started following the family old traditions of paddy and wheat cultivation. Till 2000, he continued wheat and paddy in 10 acres of his land and some vegetables like Peas, Onion, Garlic, and Bottle gourd in one acre. But somewhere in his heart, he was not satisfied with the mass production of wheat and paddy. So, gradually he started increasing the vegetable cultivation area from one acre to 7 acres and Kinnow and Guava in 1 ½ acres.

“Kinnow was less successful but Guava gave good returns and I continued it in the future also.”

Experiencing the success in horticulture, raised Kulwinder Singh Nagra’s confidence, and steadily he expanded his agriculture activities to generate more profit. From vegetable cultivation to nursery preparation he started doing everything. In 2008-2009 he started selling prepared nursery of Chilli, Onion, Pumpkin, Bitter Gourd, Bottle Gourd, Tomato, and Bel, outside Punjab in Shahabad Markanda, Sirsa, and in different Kisan Melas also.

In 2009, he thought of changing his farming practices into natural, so he took training of Kudrati Kheti from Pingalwara, where the basics of Zero Budget Natural Farming are taught to the farmers who want to make earth a better place. Keeping in mind a safe and stable start Kulwinder Singh Nagra started natural farming from 5 acres.

He was well-aware from the fact that converting pesticide and chemical treated land to organic will take a long time and he will earn no profit in the beginning. But he never stepped back from what he started. In between, he decided to upgrade his farming skill and he took training in different fields for food processing, hybrid seed production of chili and cucumber, net house cultivation of vegetables, and greenhouse management. Almost after two years, he started earning the minimal profit.

“Marketing was the main hurdle which I faced the most to sell my organic produce. As I was a newbie so it took me some time to understand the marketing strategies. In 2012, I adopted right marketing strategies and then it became easy for me to sell the vegetables.”

Another step that Kulwinder Singh Nagra took to avoid any harm to nature was that he stopped burning stubble. Today stubble burning is one of the major problems, which Punjab is encountering and on Global level also it is a big issue. Just to save the time, labour and money farmers in Punjab and Haryana are burning stubble, but Kulwinder Singh Nagra instead of burning the stubble, used it for the mulching method and the rest of the stubble for composting.

Kulwinder Singh Nagra always prefers modern environment-friendly technologies like happy seeder, cultivator, bed planter, plough, ripper, and rotavator, to move ahead in the field of agriculture flourishingly.

Currently, he is cultivating wheat on 3 acres, fodder crop on 2 acres, vegetables (Chilli, Capsicum, Cucumber, Ash Gourd, Watermelon, Bottle Gourd, Brinjal, Onion, and Garlic) on 6 acres and fruits like Peach, Amla (Gooseberry), and Kinnow in 1 acre. He uses drip irrigation to properly utilize the water at his farm.

To support his agricultural activities he is also doing dairy farming. He has 12 animals in his barn which include Murrah buffalo, Neeli Ravi, and Sahiwal. 90 to 100 kg is milk production per day, out of which he sold 70-75 kg milk in the market and uses the rest for home consumption. Now, marketing is not a big deal, he sells all the organic vegetables in the market of Sangrur, Sunam, and Samana. Merchants come to his farm themselves to buy the fruits. And in this way, he is earning the right price of his crop produce.

For all his accomplishments he gives credit to Punjab Agriculture University and his family. Today, he has become a person who inspires others with his natural vegetable farming skills; and he is proud of it. For his work in the field of natural farming of vegetables, he has received many awards and appreciation and some of them are…

• Received “Krishi Karman Award of Progressive Farmer” given by Hon. Prime Minister of India – Narendra Modi at Sooratgarh (Rajasthan) – 19th February 2015.

• Received Block Level Award under ATMA, given by Shri Kumar Rahul IAS Deputy Commissioner Sangrur.

• Received award from Punjab Agriculture University Ludhiana.

• Received award from Director of Agriculture, Punjab

• Achieved 1st and 2nd position many times in cultivating best vegetable variety

Well, these awards are just a few to mention, he is mainly recognized for his work for the farmer society. Farmer interactions, PAU and KVK Scientists visit at his farmhouse is organized often to provide a broad insight to the farmers to work successfully in the field of agriculture. He has also established Vermi compost plant, follows inter-cropping pattern, low tunnel technique, practice beekeeping, bed planting in wheat (in some areas) zero tillage of wheat by using No-till drill Happy Seeder, Laser Levelling before transplanting of paddy, mechanical transplanting, Integrated Pest Management and Integrated Nematode Management.

After the adaptation of different agriculture technologies, his wheat production increased creating the record of highest wheat production across the country which was 6456 kg per hectare in 2014 by following natural farming practices. And for this achievement he was awarded Krishi Karman award as mentioned above. Farmers living nearby him idolize him and consult him to adopt more environment-friendly technologies.

Future Plan:
In future Kulwinder Singh Nagra is planning to export vegetables to abroad.

Message
“Farmers who chose the path of suicide to get relieved from the burden of loans and responsibilities, should stop doing this. God has given us numerous opportunities and abilities to achieve our life goals and we should never let these chance skip.”

 

Today, farmers are the only person who can inspire other farmers towards organic practices of agriculture; and Balwinder Singh is one of those farmers who has adopted organic farming in the recent years to bring a positive change in the environment, by getting inspired by a fellow progressive farmer.

Well, turning towards organic is not that easy for those farmers who are used to conventional farming practices and high yield. But Balwinder Singh Sandhu overcame this hurdle with his strong determination and persistence hard work.

Earlier, in 1982 to 1983, he used to cultivate Cotton, Mustard and Guar crop, but from 1997 he started encountering pest attack of boll-worm on cotton crop, due to which he faced a major loss repeatedly. So, after that, he decided to start with paddy but still did not achieved the level of satisfaction with which he was farming earlier. His journey towards organic farming started in 2011 when he visited the organic vegetable farm of Manmohan Singh.

Visit to the organic farm, opened multiple insights of Balwinder Singh and then he decided to start vegetable farming; he initiated with chilli. To improve his earlier farming mistakes he even visited Gujarat to buy the good variety of cotton seeds and there he discovered information about the farming of seedless cucumber, strawberry, and melon. For continuously 3 years he keeps on reducing the use of pesticides on his land.

That year, Chilli crop yield was very good and it made him a profit of Rs 500000 just from 2 acres. Balwinder Singh also took advantage of his farm location. His farm location was on the road, so he put up a small shop at the roadside where he started selling vegetables. He also started processing chilli into chilli powder.

“When I started processing chilli powder then many people used to complain about it that your chilli powder is not red in color. Then I explained to them that chilli powder is never blood red in color. The powder which people generally purchase from the market has impurities and color adulteration.”

In 2013, Balwinder Singh started cultivating more veggies like Cucumber, Tomato, Pumpkin, and Capsicum.

“More crops needed more area, so to increase the farming area I took 40 acres land on lease from cousins and brothers. In the beginning, marketing was an issue for vegetables, but by the time this problem was also resolved.”

Currently, Balwinder Singh is cultivating vegetables on 8-9 acres, strawberry on 1 acre and paddy and wheat on the rest of the land. Moreover, to increase the productivity he has adopted all the modern farming implements, technology and environment-friendly practices like tractor, bed planter, rotavator, cultivator, leveller, seeder, drip irrigation, mulching, home-prepared organic compost and buttermilk spray in place of insecticides.

From the last four years, he is practicing complete organic methods on 2 acres of land and has reduced the use of pesticides and insecticides on rest of the land mass. Balwinder Singh’s hard work has impressed many people, even the DC of his area visited his farm; many articles have been published about his work in different print media and with the speed with which he is progressing, he will be recognized in the future also…

By remembering the first bee sting, generally, most of the people just hate being around the bees, unaware from the fact that these little busy bees can help you make an unbelievable sum of money, not only from honey but from many other by-products of honeybees.

But it was never money for which Bhupinder Singh Sandha started beekeeping; it was the buzz, the art of bees, and the boons of beekeeping which fascinated Bhupinder Singh Sandha more towards it.

It was 1993 when Bhupinder Singh Sandha came to know about the process of apiculture during a visit to honeybee farm in Rajpura organized by Agriculture Department. Watching the bees at work inspired Bhupinder Singh so much that he decided to start beekeeping with mere 5 subsidize honeybee boxes.

To say, Bhupinder Singh Sandha had a diploma degree in pharmacy and he was a pharmacist, but his life was surrounded by the buzzing bees and sweetness of honey.

In 1994, Bhupinder Singh Sandha also opened a Pharma store and also use to sell processed honey at that store and steadily his beekeeping business was also expanding. His purpose of coming in the pharmacy line was to really help the people, but later he realized that he was just selling the prescribed medicines, which was not what he actually thought. He did market research in 1997 and analyzed that beekeeping is the line on which he needs to focus. So, after 5 years of running the pharma store, he finally dropped the medical line and decided to completely focus on the bees.

And it is said that – You feel the real happiness in life when you choose a job you love.

Same was with Bhupinder Singh Sandha, he found beekeeping the real pursuit of happiness. In 1999, he expanded his bee farm to 500 boxes and came up with 6 types of honey varieties like Himalayan, Ajwain, Tulsi, Jamun, Kashmiri, Eucalyptus, Litchi and many more. Other than honey, he also sells bee pollen, bee wax, and roasted flax-seeds powder. The brand name which he chose to represent his honeybee products is Amolak and currently, it has a very good market in Punjab. With the group of 10 workers, he manages his whole bee farm and his wife also supports him in his business.

For Bhupinder Singh Sandha beekeeping is a major part of his life, not only because it is the source of income, but also because he loves to see bees at work and it is one of the great ways to experience this nature’s wonder. Through beekeeping, he wants to rise along with other farmers in the different field. He also guides the farmers who visit his farm regarding practical training for honey harvesting, Queen Bee rearing and packaging the products. Through Radio programmes and print media, he tries his best to contribute to the society and propagate apiculture and its diversification.

Bhupinder Singh Sandha’s farm is situated in his village Tiwana, Patiala, where he has taken 10 acres on lease. He generally keeps 900-1000 honey boxes and sells the rest. His wife is his second business partner and supports him at every step. To make his work more successful, he has attended many training to improvise his skills and has also displayed his work in many national and international platforms across the globe. He is also the recipient of many appreciation letters by various departments of Punjab Agriculture University in the field of beekeeping. He has his own ATMA Kissan Hut by the name Amolak under ATMA scheme where he sells his processed products.

In future, he is planning to come up with one more by-product of honey bees and that it propolis. Other than beekeeping he wants to introduce chemical free organic jaggery powder under the Amolak brand. He has many other great ideas on which he is still working and will disclose it later with the time.

Message

“For beekeepers marketing honey themselves is the best thing because in this way they can reduce the adulteration and the role of mediators who seize most of the profit.”

 

Bhupinder Singh Sandha has kick started his profession with his own passion for beekeeping and in the future also he will try to explore the potential hidden in apiculture field for the welfare of the society. If the story of Bhupinder Singh Sandha has kindled you to know more about beekeeping then you can contact him to know more.

For Karamjit Singh, becoming a farmer was a distant dream, but the circumstantial conditions changed everything. In the last seven years, Karamjit Singh’s perception changed completely towards farming and now he has turned towards organic farming completely.

Like other young boys, Karamjit Singh was also a free soul who loved to play cricket all day long, he used to participate in the local cricket tournaments. His life was confined between school and playground. He never thought at that time that his life would take a whole new turn about which he had never thought about. During his academic years (school) in 2003, his father passed away and soon after some time, in 2005, his mother also passed away. After that only his grandparents were left in his family. At that time, situations were not under his control, so he decided to drop his studies after 12th and support his family.

At a very young age he got married and he also had the opportunity to go abroad and start his life from a new beginning again, but he chose to stay back with his grandparents. 2011 was the year when he decided to step in the field of farming. He started cultivating cereals, pulses, grains, and everything organically for home purpose in a small acreage. He got inspired by other farmers in his area and slowly expanded his farming expanse. Time and experience built confidence and then Karamjit Singh took his land back from lease.

He added more vegetable varieties like Squash Melon, Cauliflower, Okra, Peas, Chilli, Sweet Corn, Bottle Gourd, and Brinjal in his farmland and also started preparing nursery of chili, tomato, capsicum, and other vegetables.

The exposure that Karamjit got from farming, boosted up his confidence and in 2016 he decided to take 14 acres land on lease; and this is how Karamjit started making a happy life out of his living.

Today, in the life of Karamjit, he is still a newbie in the field of farming who has the curiosity to explore more and do more. With the same spirit, he entered in the field of floriculture, in 2017 and started cultivating Marigold by inter-cropping it with Gladiolus.

There also came a man- Ashok Kumar in the life of Karamjit Singh, who enlightened him with the knowledge of friendly pest and enemy pest, and this is how Karamjit Singh boycotted the use of insecticides in his field completely. Karamjit Singh took every chance as an opportunity to learn something new about farming and this is how he stepped towards his successes.

Currently, the whole farm of Karamjit Singh is equipped with drip irrigation system and pack-house for vegetables. He gives every nutrient to the vegetables in the most natural way possible. For marketing, he is following farm to the home concept in which he is doing home delivery of fresh insecticides free vegetables and he has also established an on-farm-market through which he is earning well.

For his initiative of cultivating fresh insecticides free vegetables he has been awarded by PAU, Kisan Club on 1st February, and he was also awarded second prize for best quality peas by Patiala Horticulture Department in 2014.

Karamjit Singh’s wife – Premdeep Kaur is his supporting pillar, she helps him in labour and harvesting process, and he manages the marketing part. In the beginning, there were some problems in marketing, but slowly he overcame all the hurdles with his hard work and enthusiasm. In place of chemicals and fertilizer, they prepare organic compost and spray at home. Recently, Karamjit Singh has planted 200 fruit trees of Kinnow, Pomegranate, Guava, Apple, Loquat, Lemon, Java Plum, Pear and Mango in his farm and in future he wants to focus on guava orchards.

“Committing suicide is not the solution. Farmers have to come out of the conventional cycle of farming, only then they can achieve success in long run. Moreover, farmers have to understand the importance of our Mother Nature and they should work towards saving water and soil.”

Currently, at the age of 28, Karamjit Singh has established his own organic business in his village Kansuha Kalan in Nabha Tehsil of Patiala District, and the spirit with which he is succeeding towards organic farming indicates a better future for his family and his surroundings. Karamjit Singh is a progressive farmer who has the capability to set an example for those aimless youth who are confused with their career choices… we need more farmers like him.

It’s been years, since our soil is getting exploited and abused with the use of chemicals, fertilizers, and dumping of poisonous waste in the earth, and by understanding this situation, Uma Saini, a Ludhiana based female entrepreneur and Managing Director of Agricare Organic Farms, decided to take an initiative of preparing soil food which can help in regaining all the nutrients and richness which has been lost in the past decades. Other than contributing to the Mother Nature, she is also playing the role of a powerful protagonist in the field of women empowerment. With her dynamism, she is making earth a better place and will continue to do so in the future also…

Have you ever imagined…what will be the life on earth if anything that died or is waste is not getting decomposed but it is just lying on the ground!

Thinking about this view can send chills down the spine, and by making you think about this situation, is an indication towards the soil health. The soil is considered as an important element because directly or indirectly, people are dependent on it. Green Revolution and Urbanization are the major factors that have led to the deterioration of the soil, and still, farmers, big pesticide companies and other MNC’s are unable to understand this.

The endless use of chemicals kindled Uma Saini to turn towards organic practices. It all started in 2005 when Uma Saini decided to start organic farming. Well, organic farming sounds very easy but when it comes to its implementation then some of the experts even don’t know where to start and how to make it fruitful.

“Although, I decided to start organic farming on large scale, but from where to get good quality manure in large quantity was the major hurdle. So, I decided to establish my own Vermicompost plant.”

Establishing organic farm and Vermicompost plant in the middle of the city was almost impossible, so Uma Saini started investing in small land masses in the villages and slowly Agricare brand came into reality. Today, there are multiple units of vermicomposting plant and organic farms of Agricare in different parts of North India.

“Purchasing land in the village area was also a very difficult thing that we finally overcame. Villagers use to ask us multiple questions like… what is your purpose of buying land here, will your production unit pollute our area… etc.”

One of the production units of Agricare is established in the small village- Sidhwan Kalan of Ludhiana (Punjab), where Uma Saini has employed most of the women at the farm.

“I believe, a woman plays an important part in our society, so with the motive of women empowerment, I have employed most of the women of Sidhwan Kalan village and other nearby villages at my farm.”

Moreover, other than advocating women empowerment, Uma Saini is also a great mentor. She invites college students, especially female student to make them aware of this blooming field of Organic farming, vermicomposting and agri-business. For young aspiring women, Uma Saini also conducts free training sessions.

“Student who pursue B.Sc. in agriculture have larger scope in the field of agriculture and especially to make them aware, my husband and I provide free training, deliver guest lectures in various colleges.”

Uma Saini has also prepared a vermi hatchery in his Ludhiana vermicomposting plant where she prepares worm seeds. Vermi-hatchery is a term, about which very few people are aware of. We all know that worms are the real worker in making the soil mineral and nutrient rich, so, in this unit, Eisenia fetida also known as red worm (species of earthworm) adapted to decaying of organic material are prepared for further selling purpose.

Most of the vermicomposting units of Agricare are fully automized giving a boost in the production leading to good sales. Other than this, Uma Saini has contracted more than 700 farmers from different parts of India under organic farming.

“By contract organic farming and vermicomposting, our work is getting done, but along with that the society is also getting the benefits of employment and healthy nature.”

Today, Agricare has become the largest seller of Vermicompost in North India after knocking down major brand of organic compost like TATA. Himachal and Kashmir are the leading markets of SOIL FOOD currently. The major input that Agricare is utilizing in the production of Vermicompost- Soil Food is food waste of big companies like Nestle, Hindustan Lever, Cadbury, etc. Agricare is playing a major role in keeping the environment healthy by consuming food waste of big MNC’s.

Very soon Uma Saini and her husband- Mr. V.K. Saini is planning to launch a new organic label brand in Ludhiana for fresh organic vegetables and fruits where they will deliver their products door to door to the customers.

“Going organic is the need of the hour, people have to learn from their grassroots, then only they can do well in the field of farming by keeping harmony with nature.”

Undying spirit of Uma Saini to work for nature and by nature, signifies that there is no periphery to work in harmony with nature. Moreover, children of Uma Saini- daughter and son, both are very interested in following their parent’s footsteps and to invade this field magnificently in the future they are pursuing their studies in the field of agriculture.

Passion is an amazing emotion or we can say an oomph factor which can lead a person in any direction he wants. And by coming in account with this 64 year-old-man, Mohan Singh, every positive though about passion seems true. From the last 2 years this retired man, Mohan Singh, is spending his every single moment to fulfil his childhood passion of farming.

After serving BCAM for more than three decades, Mohan Singh finally got retired in 2015 as a GM (General Manager) from the organization, and then he decided to step in the soil to accomplish those dreams that was left undone and buried somewhere in the back of his heart.

Coming from an educated background where his father was in military, Mohan Singh was never confined to career choices, he had the freedom to follow his dreams. In his childhood years, Mohan Singh got so much influenced towards farming that he himself was not aware of.

While growing up, Mohan Singh, often use to visit his small 5 acres family farm where his family use to grow wheat, paddy and some seasonal veggies for home consumption. But as he grew up, his life got more complex, confined between limited space of education system, job responsibility and later on family responsibilities.

After getting retired, in 2015, Mohan Singh joined a part time job as a consultant in Prakash Iron Foundry, Agra; he use to visit there once or twice a month. In the same year, 2015, he took his first step towards his childhood desire and he started preparing nursery of black onion and chilli.

He began with 100 soil beds, and slowly expanded the area up to 200 soil beds and then he expanded it in 1 acre with 1000 soil beds. He started marketing his products through on-road stalls. He got good response in return which inspired him to start preparing vegetable nursery also. To take his venture up to the next level he started contract farming with a person in which he started growing late variety of chilli through which he earned more profit.

Black onion is the main crop which fetched him great profit than the older variety of onions because it decays at slower rate due to which its storage life is increased. With the help of few worker he manages his whole farm and also work as a consultant with Prakash Iron Foundry. He has all the modern implements like tractor, harrow, tiller, and leveller at his farm.

Though, Mohan Singh’s journey in farming started a while ago, but his selection for quality seeds and standardise schedule for compost lead him to great success and satisfaction.

Currently Mohan Singh is living a happy farmer life in his village Devinagar Abrawan of Mohali and expanding his reach in the agriculture sector to purse sustainable agriculture in the future.

For Mohan Singh, living with his wife, two well settled sons (one is veterinary doctor and another is working successfully in the electronics field), their wives and children, farming was never a burden, he enjoys farming. He also rears 3 Murrah Buffaloes for house hold purpose and his son who is a veterinary doctor helps him taking care of them.

This aged retired man is an icon for millions of youth, who are running behind the glittering life of city.

Today is an era where if farmers don’t have fertile land or even land, then also they can exist; and for this, Indian farmers have to realign their priorities and agriculture practices to overcome the stereotypical conventional methods.

Technology has taken the agricultural practices up to an advanced level so that no constraints like pests or disease can affect the crop yield, and this is a positive growth in the agriculture sector. The only thing that keeps the farmer away from their own progress is their fear – “The fear of losing the investment in technology and maybe the thinking that what if, it does not work out well and lead to a huge loss.”

But this 20-year-old farmer understood the prerequisite demands to progress in agriculture field and is now doing something beyond traditional farming.

Hydroponics is a good way of farming because no disease can affect the plants as the farming is done soil less. Moreover, we prepare the plants in poly-house, so no environmental disease can affect the plants at all. I am happy with this method of farming and I want other farmers also to adopt hydroponics –Vipin Yadav.

Unsatisfied from the job salary package after completing his engineering degree in Computer Science, Vipin decided to start farming, but definitely not like his father, who was practicing conventional farming methods.

Like a responsible and aware youth, he chose to go for an online training through Agriculture Skill Council of India, Gurugram. After passing the initial online eligibility test he went to the main training centre in Gurugram. Out of 20 candidates, only 16 were passed for face to face training of hydroponics, and Vipin Yadav was one of them. He also took protective cultivation training from KVK Shikohpur to improve his skills.

“In 2015, I introduced the new technique of soil-less farming to my father for whom soil was the only base to grow the plant. –Vipin Yadav”

To implement what he learned during training, he started with just mere 50 trays containing small plants of two main varieties, with the investment of Rs. 5000 to 7000.

“I allocated 800 sq ft area for the hardening unit and 1000 sq ft for preparing plants by taking space on rent in Gurugram and also built poly-house in it. –Vipin Yadav”

His experimentation with 50 trays in hydroponics leads him to great success which motivated him to start it on a huge scale. The next big investment with which he started hydroponics was Rs. 250000 with the help of friends and relatives.

“Currently, I can prepare 250000 plants or more on order.”

Hydroponics is not practiced from April to mid-July due to warm climatic conditions, but still, profit is good enough to recover this gap. Vipin Yadav is growing almost all types of crops – grains, oil-seeds, vegetables, and flowers in his hydroponic farm. Machinery like sprinkler and fogger are some of the implement which he is using to make his farming easier. His flower produce is very healthy and has good yield, due to which it was even sent to President’s Secretariat.

For soil-less farming, he uses three components: Coco peat, Perlite, and Vermiculite in the ratio of 3:1:1. In 35-40 days the plants are ready and then they are kept in hardening unit for 1 week. Nutrition like NPK, zinc, magnesium, and calcium are given to the plants through the water. In Hydroponics there is no use of pesticides as no soil is used for farming, moreover, Vermicompost is used which can be easily prepared at home.

Future Plan: My future plan is to cultivate other species of cactus plants, medicinal plants and ornamental plants in my hydroponic farm for better income.

Vipin Yadav is an example of how the youth of India is saving the future of agriculture by using the proven advanced technology.

“Before starting anything new in the field of agriculture, farmers must take training from KVK to enhance their skills and make themselves trained.”

 The nation needs more young and creative mind to venture in the agriculture field for better economic development and if we continue to meet such young people like Vipin Yadav, then this is a positive indication towards the future.

Apiculture is rising industry which is not only attracting the people of agrarian society but also people from other different communities because of the future gain. One such a person who is creating a medicinal powerhouse in his village by expanding apiculture is Ravi Sharma.

Starting from 1978, till 1992, Ravi Sharma used to tailor the clothes and also guide 10 other men under him, in the same profession in his small village Gudana of district Mohali. His tailoring business was going well in a small village shop until he visited Rajpura, Patiala and met Dr. Walia (Agri Inspector).

For Ravi Sharma, Dr. Walia acted as a pathfinder towards beekeeping; he was the one who inspired Ravi Sharma towards beekeeping and helped him in adopting it smoothly.

In the beginning, Mr. Sharma got 50% subsidy and himself he invested Rs. 5700 on 5 honeybee boxes, from which he obtained 1 ½ quintal honey and earned good profit. First earning encouraged Ravi Sharma to expand his work to 100 honeybee boxes and this is how he switched to beekeeping and dropped the profession of tailoring completely in 1994.

Visit to Rewari, Haryana in 1997 in an agricultural event, boosted up Mr. Sharma’s fascination towards beekeeping and then he decided to increase the number of honeybee boxes. Now, the bee boxes number varies from 350-400 in his farm.

In 2000, Mr. Ravi also gave a try to dairy farming with 15 cows, but it was not as successful as beekeeping. Due to labour problem, he has to end it. Now he has only 4 HF breed cows and one Murrah buffalo for home purpose and sometimes he also sells their milk in the market. In the meanwhile, beekeeping work was going smooth.

But the journey towards successful beekeeping was not that velvety. In 2007-08, a mite attacked was encountered in his beehives colonies due to which only 35 honeybee boxes were left unaffected and the rest were destroyed. This incident completely shattered the beekeeping business of Ravi Sharma.

But this fall made Mr. Ravi stronger and he rose more powerfully and established his honeybee farm successfully within a short span of time. After seeing his success many other people consulted him to start their own beekeeping business. He started distributing 20-30 honeybee boxes to his relatives and friends also and in this way he created a medicinal powerhouse.

“Once there also came a time when honeybee boxes count reached up-to 4000, and all those people who owned it, started beekeeping after seeing my success in beekeeping venture.”

Today, Ravi Madhu Makhi Farm has two workers for managing the bee farm work. Marketing is also smooth, as Ravi Sharma has a tie-up with a person who buys all the honey from him, and sometimes Ravi Sharma also sells 4-5 quintal of honey on the roadside shop near Anandpur Sahib from where he earns well.

Beekeeping is the only source of income for Ravi Sharma through which he is supporting his family of 6 members, which includes wife, mother, two daughters, and a son.

“My wife- Mrs. Gyan Devi, was the main supporting pillar in my beginning beekeeping years. Without her, I would not have reached this level in my life.”

Currently, honey and bee wax are the two main product of Ravi Madhumakhi Farm.

Future Plan:
Till now I have expanded the beekeeping work in my village and few relatives only, but in future, I want to expand beekeeping to a much larger area.

Message:
“A person should do his work with complete dedication and include these three words in his efforts “Imaandaari (Honesty), Gyan (Knowledge), Dhyan (Care)” then only he can achieve what he wants.”

Because of Mr. Ravi’s effort today Gudana village has become a powerhouse for honey production and he will keep his work in progress to make beekeeping more impactful business in the future also.

Today, if we take a dive in the fact pool of progressive farming and farmers, then there is a clear indication towards technology. Technology has its own supreme role in sculpting the farmer’s success and his farm too. This is the story of a Gujarat based farmer- Deepakbhai Bhavanbhai Patel, he chose to pair modern farming techniques with his optimistic behaviour to obtain better farming productivity. And with his efforts, he overcame all the hurdles that his father and forefathers used to face while practicing agriculture.

Mango is the fruit which made Deepakbhai king of orchards in his village Kachiyawadi of Navsari district in Gujarat. With 20 acres land that Deepakbhai inherited in 1991, from his father, he started mango revolution by planting different varieties of mango like Jumbo Kesar, Langra, Rajapuri, Alphonso, Dasheri, and Totapuri. Slowly with the time, he expanded the farming area and today his mango orchard sit on 125 acres with 3000 to 3200 mango trees, out of which 65 acres land is his own and 70 acres is on the lease.

Well, the beginning path was a bit stony for Deepakbhai. He started his farming venture by inter-cropping vegetables and mangoes; but due to labour shortage and decreasing revenue, he decided to give his full attention to mango farming only.

“Deepakbhai Says – I improved my farming practices, wherever I felt that I was wrong. Due to lack of knowledge and experience, I used to over water the mango trees, give fertilizer and pesticide in large amount, and didn’t used insecticides in the orchards. But once I came in contact with the research and agricultural centre, I was enlightened with the knowledge and right farming practices. ”

After receiving the results of following the right farming practices, Deepakbhai honed himself to become the mango farming expert, and that was the time when he decided to make mango farming his main source of income. He started reading books, following instructions and advice that were given by agricultural institutions.

“I took part in various events to increase my knowledge base, some of them were organized by Sugarcane Research Centre of Aurangabad, Delhi Agriculture Research Centre, Jaipur Agriculture University…etc., from these events I captured huge knowledge about the farming practices of different fruits, vegetables and other crops like Banana, Pomegranate, Mango, Chikoo, Guava, Amla, Cereals, Wheat and vegetables.”

Deepak did not only became more organized and informed about his agriculture practices but also with his money management, which is the most important part every farmer has to track. He started keeping the record of his income and expenses and became more economical. Whatever Deepakbhai used to save as an income, was later used for buying new land.

Marketing was a bit difficult in the beginning because Deepakbhai had no market for mango business. Middleman and traders use to give very less price for the mango production which was not acceptable to him. But after some time, Deepak came in contact with Sahakari Mandali and then he decided to tie up with the co-operative federation for packing mango juices. They offered right value of the produce to Deepakbhai which gave a great boost to his income.

Along with mango, Deepakbhai also planted banana, 250 kalipatti chikoo, and coconut trees along the border of the farm, and this gave a good rise in his income.

“Mango tree need great care which includes the right amount of water, fertilizer, and insecticides. Moreover, this time I have planted good quality mango trees, recommended by the university to achieve good production. In order to control the diseases, I follow all the medications instructed by the universities. Timely I also prune the fruit branches to give proper structure to the trees. I also get the water tested and all the defects are reformed.”

After seeing the success of Deepakbhai Patel, many farmers visit his farm to know which modern technology and methods he implements in his farm. Many farmers take guidance from Deepakbhai.

Deepakbhai gives a major credit to Navsari Agriculture Department and Atma Project for their support and guidance. With their help, Deepakbhai has implemented modern and scientific methods of farming on his farm. He has left not even a single source of information to gather farming knowledge.

“Drip irrigation in one of the water-saving farming method that I have established in my farm and it helps in saving water to a greater extent. Now unnecessary expenses are reduced and land has become more fertile and moist.”

During all this time, there also came a down moment in the life of Deepakbhai Patel. In 2013, Deepakbhai came to know that he was suffering from tongue cancer. He underwent an operation to recover from it and during the surgery, his main vocal part, his tongue was removed…he lost his ability to speak.

“But he never let his disability turn into his life’s inability.”

In 2017, he went under second operation in which the cancer was completely removed from his body and today he is a fine healthy man with strong determinations to achieve his dreams.

 Award & Achievements:
In the year 20014- 15, Deepakbhai was awarded as “ATMA Best Farmer of Gujarat”.
Well, this is just one award to mention, his success in the field of horticulture has made him win around 19 awards, certificates, cash prize, and trophies on the state level.

Everyone knows the history of the year 1984 in India, it was a gloomy era over Punjab when Sikhs were the major target of the massacre. This is a story, of an ordinary man- Swarna Singh, struggling and recovering from the same circumstances (1984) with just 2.5 acres of land in the name of assets for future survival. Swarna Singh also had some dreams that he wanted to fulfill, and for that, he was determined to pursue higher studies (Masters) after 12th and BA (Bachelor of arts). But maybe something else was decided in his destiny. In the year of 1983, when the youngsters of Punjab were at the peak of revolution mood against the democracy, at that time, things were not that simple for ordinary people, and Swarna Singh decided to left his masters in the middle and start something at home.

When the uproar was calming down, at that time, Swarna Singh ran behind every job opportunity to give a stable professional career to his life but nothing came in his hand. Finally, he decided to start poultry farming by getting inspired by other poultry farmers in his neighbourhood and in 1990, almost 2 decades ago, Sahota Poultry Breeding Farm was established. He initiated his venture with 1000 birds and a four storied shed with length 50 foot and width 35 foot. He invested 70,000 rupees on 1000 birds at that time by taking a loan, on which he got 25% subsidy form the government. Ever since then he never took any loan or subsidy from the government.

In 1991, he got married, and his poultry venture started well. He also invested in the hatchery. Slowly with the time when his son- Manjinder Singh grew up, he also decided to be a helping hand in his father’s business. He dropped his studies (12th standard) in the mid and took over his father business. The entrance of Manjinder in the poultry business doesn’t mean that Swarna Singh took retirement. Swarna Singh always stood beside his son to guide him in every step of poultry farming.

Swarna Singh – “Without the support of family, I would never have reached this stage in my life. Poultry is a good experience and I am earning a good profit of fifty to sixty thousand from poultry monthly. A farmer can easily opt poultry farming and earn good profit from it.”

Presently, Manjinder Singh (27-year-old) is managing the whole farm with his father and 2 workers. They grew vegetables, wheat, maize, paddy and fodder himself at their land. From the fodder crop, they prepare feed for the chicks and sometimes also buy “SAMPURNA” brand chick feed from the market. They also have 2 buffaloes for household purpose.

Manjinder- “To avoid loss and natural calamities, we take care of the chick and the shed properly. We get our new birds vaccinated time to time to avoid any kind of disease in the shed. We also take care of bio-security, because that is the main principle on which poultry farming is based.”

Currently, Sahota Poultry Farm has 3 chicks incubator, a customized feed machinery that Swarna Singh got self-designed from Shahkot. They prepare 2.5 quintals of feed daily for the chicks. They also have 2 generators, feeders, and drinkers.

Marketing is not that difficult for them, they sell 4000 birds every after four days. One bird gives 200 eggs annually and they replace every egg-laying bird after one year. The selling price is Rs. 25/chick, which give enough profit to them.

Future Plan:
He is planning to start dairy farming in the future.

What life do you imagine after doing MBA in Agribusiness from a prestigious university of India, maybe an Agricultural Analyst, Farm Appraiser, Market Analyst, Quality Controller, or Agribusiness Marketing Coordinator?

Well, all these are dream job profiles for MBA Agriculture graduates and it will become cherry on the top if you have done your MBA from an esteemed university like Symbiosis, Pune. But there are very few people who instead of being part of a multinational organization, prefer to emerge as a start-up which gives true meaning to their skills and adequacy.

Urban Dairy- An initiative taken by a power couple- Ankur and Ankita with the mission to redefine the concept of dairy farming with their distinctive idea of selling milk in raw form. This farm is located in district Unnao, 55 kilometres from Kanpur city.

Before starting this milk venture, Ankur was working as a Bio-technologist and Agriculturist in different companies (total work experience 2 years). In 2014, Ankur tied love knot with his friend Ankita, who also did MBA from Symbiosis, Pune with him.

Well, this idea of selling raw milk came into accomplishment after Ankur’s nephew came from abroad to visit him. As this was the first experience of Ankur’s nephew in India, so he decided to make it special.

Ankur especially bought an indigenous breed of cow- Shahiwal and started rearing her for milk purpose. Although the purpose of raw cow milk was only for Ankur’s nephew as he had realised that unpasteurized cow milk is more healthy and tastier than packed milk. Slowly, the whole family started drinking the cow milk and everyone liked it.

Ankur was fond of animals since childhood, but after this instance, he thought why to compromise with the health, and in 2015 both husband and wife (Ankur & Ankita) decided to start their own dairy farm. Ankur attended a short training at NDRI Karnal before starting dairy farming and in the meanwhile, his wife Ankita looked after all the construction work of the farm. They began with 6 Holstein cross breed cows, and now it has been 3 years and they have 34 Holstein/ Jersey cross breed cows and 7 indigenous cows (Sahiwal, Red Sindhi, Tharparker) at their farm.

Urban Dairy is what they thought of naming their brand, blending the rural theme with the city, a fusion of two regions, which are completely opposite to each other. From managing dairy farm to product marketing & development, they did not leave even a single step to reach where they are today. The whole farm is build-out in 4 acres of land and there are 7 workers for its maintenance. Bathing, feeding, maintaining hygiene of cows and other farm-related work are done manually by the worker and milking is done by the milking machine as well as manually by hands as per the comfort of cow. Both Ankur and Ankita make it a point to visit the farm once daily without fail. They not only like to spend most of their time at the farm but also it helps them supervise the workers in a better way. The entire milling and bottling and transport is under strict supervision of the founders.

“Ankur: We also prepare the cow feed ourselves, because milk yield & cow’s health totally depends on the feed and we never compromise on this. The cow feed formula that we follow is- 33% protein, 33% industrial waste (choker), 33% grains (maize, chickpea) and extra minerals.”

Other than dairy farming they are also actively involved in organic farming of vegetables. They have leased an extra 4 acres land. Earlier Ankita used that land as a kitchen garden. She never used any fertilizer/pesticide on that land other than cow dung. Now the land has totally turned into an organic piece of fertile acreage which they are using for farming wheat, chickpea, carrot, garlic, chillies, coriander, and seasonal veggies. They use farm crops for the cow’s feed and home purpose.

“In the beginning, my HF crossbreed cow was giving 12-litre milk, after second pregnancy she started giving 18-litre milk and now she is pregnant the third time and we are expecting 24-litre milk. There is a possibility of increase in milk production imminently.”

Instead of carrying milk in large milk containers to the customers and using primitive milk measuring ladle, they have come up with an innovative concept to enhance their product image. They pack the raw milk directly into glass bottles after filtration process and then deliver it to the door of the customers.

People have accepted their product with open arms. Till today, i.e. 3 years and they haven’t used a single marketing strategy or advertising to allure the customer to use their product. The entire market they are catering to, has been formed through word-of-mouth publicity by their existing customers. The response has motivated them to a level that they have started with the production of paneer, ghee and other milk based dairy products. The positive response from customers has increased their sale.

They have their own distribution network in the city for milk sale and by seeing their advancement slowly with the time it will increase to manifolds.

Indigenous cow breeds milk production capacity is not that high, and he wants to develop a new cow breed by cross-breeding indigenous cows which have good milk production capacity as the milk of our Indigenous breeds is considered better in quality and proven to have multiple health benefits for humans.

According to him, milk can be kept at 2 degree centigrade for one week in healthy condition, and for that purpose, he wants to invest in chiller storage in the coming time, to store the milk for long time and use it for multiple purposes.

Message:
“Dairy farmers should never neglect the hygiene and care of their cows, they should care about them as they care for their own health. And before starting dairy farming every farmer must acquire knowledge and keep themselves updated with the current dairy farming trends for better future. Dairy farming can only be profitable if the animals in your farm are happy. The selling price of your product wouldn’t get you to earn profits, but a happy animal can definitely help you earn good profits.”

Growing pomegranate on the dry sandy land of Rajasthan, sound like a funny, fruitless, idea but with strong determination, perseverance, and high-density farming technology, Captain Lalit has made it possible.

After mastering many fields and pursuing many careers in his life, at last, Captain Lalit chose horticulture as his retirement plan and came back to his native place- 11 Eea in Ganganagar district of Rajasthan. Well, for many city-living-people, farming is not a good retirement plan, but Mr Lalit realized his true calling and thought of giving a chance to the very noble and basic profession of farming.

Mr Lalit was an active and enthusiastic man from the beginning, He started his professional career since he was studying in the college. After completing his graduation, he also obtained the license of a commercial pilot and pursued the profession of a pilot. Well, this is not all that he did. There was an era when computer education was just introduced in India everywhere, so by not missing the opportunity, he started a new venture and opened a computer education centre in Jaipur city. Soon after some time he also qualified the Oracle test and became an Oracle certified computer trainer. His computer education centre business went well for some years, but as the computer craze came down he had to wrap up his business because it wasn’t generating enough profit.

From his career choices, it was clear that from the beginning he was interested in choosing a unique profession which includes something new, whether it’s about the trend, technology or thing. And the next thing that he started was farming English vegetables and flowers for commercial purpose by taking a small piece of land on rent in Jaipur city, and many big five star hotels purchased his produce from him.

“When I was growing English vegetables like thyme, baby corn, broccoli, lettuce etc., at that time the localities use to make fun of me because for them these English vegetables were new. And they were amazed to see the smaller version of corn and greener version of cauliflower. But today they are eating those vegetables in pizza, burger, and salad.”

When he was farming English vegetables, during that time he realized that farming is the best investment and he should start it on a large scale. As he already had an ancestral property (12 bighas land) in his native place, so he decided to start Kinnow Farming on it. He came to his village with the idea of starting kinnow farming, but after discussing with many farmers he realized that everyone is doing the same and he should do something different.

And this was the time when his research on different fruit started and he visited many different farms in different cities. From his research, he made out a conclusion of growing an elite fruit and a common fruit. He consulted CISH (Central Institute of Subtropical Horticulture, Lucknow) and decided to start pomegranate and guava farming in 2015. He grew pomegranate (sindoori variety) on 6 Bigha and Guava on the other 6 Bigha. Made mobile and the internet his book and teacher for research and help.

“In the beginning, I also consulted Rajasthan Agriculture University but they said that pomegranate farming is not possible in Rajasthan and they made fun of me.”

He followed high-density farming technology for pomegranate to generate high quality and good quantity produce. In this farming technology, he followed canopy management and planted 7 pomegranate plants in 20 m x 20 m area. By doing this, 1 plant is gives 20 kg fruit in a season and 7 plants gives 140 kg. In this way, he has planted more trees in less area and will generate good profit from it in the future. Moreover, due to high-density farming, trees height and width are less, due to which fewer labours are needed to maintain the whole farm.

Captain Lalit is much mechanized with his farming methods. For better yield and effective results, he has customized a tank-cum-machine with an attached mud pump, inside which he has installed a shaft to rotate and spread the slurry and jivamrit in the farm easily. To move the tank around the farm he uses a small tractor. When it comes to being economical then he prepares all the manure, fish amino acid fertilizer, bacteria and fungus for his whole farm himself, by buying just a bottle of NPK Bio-fertilizer from the market. He multiplies the bio-cultures by preparing the spray.

He has also adopted two cows of Rathi breed, which were roaming free on the road and now he is utilizing those cows for making jivamrit and manure. One of the important thing that he uses in the manure is “Agnihotr bhabhooti”- ashes obtained by offering prayers to God in front of the fire.

“The reason I am using Agnihotr Bhabhooti is that it helps in purifying the environment and it is a way of Adhyatmik Kheti. Adhyatmik means spiritual, a way of farming which is related to God.”

He has also built up a water reservoir in 50 m x 50 m area to save rain water and irrigate his farm with it. Earlier his farm was totally Eco-friendly because he was using solar electricity to manage everything. But now he is getting electricity from the government.

His whole project of Pomegranate and Guava farming has been approved by the National Horticulture Board, and he gets the subsidy from them.

His farming effort is appreciated by many people. The university which made fun of him now invite him as the guest in their events and also consults him for high-density farming and pruning techniques.

Today he has 5000 plants in 12 Bigha of area and the age of the plants is 2 year and 4 months. By following high-density farming, pomegranate trees has already started bearing the fruit, but he is expecting the real commercial yield next year.

“During my research, I also visited some south Indian States and High Density Farming is already being done there. Farmers in North India should also follow this technique because it is very beneficial, in all the aspects.”

Before starting all this, he had the theoretical knowledge about high-density farming but he lacked the practical experience, but slowly with the time, he is gaining that too. He has 2 workers and with the help of them, he manages his farm.

When a farmer starts farming he should start investing like an industry, then only he can gain profit. Moreover, today every farmer needs to be mechanized if they want to be efficient in farming.

“
Until farmers don’t stop practicing conventional farming they cannot become empowered and independent. Especially those farmers who have less land, have to take initiative themselves and they should invest in horticulture. They should just follow the right direction.
”

This is not just a story related to chickens and eggs. This is a story of brothers’ strong determination which turned their small family venture into a multimillionaire project, even after facing many hurdles.

Well, who knew that poultry farming started as a side business two decades ago by a small ordinary farmer – Mukhtiar Singh Sandhu, will turn up into a great success by their coming generation.

This is a matter of 1984 when Mukhtiar Singh Sandhu decided of investing in poultry business along with farming. Mr. Sandhu recognized poultry business as a good source of alternative income, and for the growing needs of the family, he felt it was a best option to pursue along with agriculture. He started with 5000 broiler chicks and slowly with the time and money flow he expanded it.

As the time passed by, Mukhtiar Singh did his best and gave the best education to his children. And in 1993, his nephew Ravinder Singh Sandhu (Laddi) decided to enter his uncle’s business and decided to expand broiler business to new heights.

In the year of 2003 – 2004, bird flu outbreak caused a major loss to the poultry industry. Poultry farmers threw their chickens in the river and they were left with nothing. No one dared to start with the poultry venture again. Sandhu Poultry also faced major hit back. But Ravinder Singh Sandhu was very resolute and he wanted to make his business stand again at any cost. He was a little scared also that this industry may get shut down, but nothing stood in between his determination and goal. He took a loan from the bank and started his poultry farm again.

“The reason behind starting the poultry business again was that my uncle (Mukhtiar Singh Sandhu) was much attached to this business, as he was the first person who laid the first brick of this business.Moreover, in our family, every education expense (primary to higher education) and family expense of every single member is taken care through this business only. Today, one of my sisters is working as a government officer in California; another sister is a government lecturer in a government high school in Karnal; a few years back Shahtaj Singh (cousin brother of Ravinder Singh) completed his Masters in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Florida; Marriage expense of both daughter and son… everything was done from the income of this poultry farm.”

Very few people started their poultry business again and Ravinder Singh Sandhu was one of them. After the revival period, Sandhu Poultry Farms came back with a great holler and made a good profit in the poultry business.

Expansion of the business….
Till 2010, Ravinder along with his uncle expanded the farm productivity to 2.5 lakh chickens. In the same year, they also established a hatchery with the capacity of 40,000 birds, from which they started getting 15000 birds on an average daily.

When the Shahtaj joined the business…
In 2012, after completing his studies, Shahtaj Singh Sandhu joined his cousin brother (Ravinder aka Laadi) and father (Mukhtiar Singh) in poultry business. Earlier they used to buy the feed from other companies but after some time, both the brothers took Sandhu Poultry Farm to new heights and established Sandhu Feeds. Both – Sandhu Poultry Farm and Sandhu Feed are registered under the authorized organization.

Currently, they have 7-8 units of poultry farms spread in 22 acres, hatchery in 4 acres, feed plant in 4 acres and crop farm in 30 acres, situated at Jind Road, Assandh (Haryana). To give their farm surrounding a green landscape and fresh environment, they have planted more than 5000 trees. 2 people are assigned to properly manage the feed plant and other than that there are 100 workers employed for the functioning of the poultry farm, out of which 40 are official workers.

When it comes to the hygiene and farm conditions, then it is always maintained under the strict supervision of Sandhu Brothers. After the clearance of every batch of birds, the whole poultry farm is washed and cleaned properly and then a thick layer (3 – 3.5 inch) of rice husk is spread over the ground to provide a fresh and dry atmosphere to the chicks. Temperature maintenance is another factor which plays important role in running the poultry farm, so they have installed coolers for proper air ventilation in summer season and furnace for maintaining warmness inside the poultry during winter seasons.

“A little negligence can lead to huge loss, so we always prefer to maintain the hygiene and healthy condition of the chicks. We refer government veterinary hospital and sometimes special poultry hospitals. Charges are very nominal.”

Marketing
Ravinder Sandhu with 24 years of experience and Shahtaj Sandhu with 5 years of experience in poultry industry have fabricated a strong marketing network in their own state as well as in the neighbouring states like Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. They sell birds and chicks feed in Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan through different dealers and sometimes directly to farmers.

“If anyone is interested in starting a poultry farm then the ideal way to do it, is with minimum 10,000 birds. Initially, it costs Rs. 200 per bird and Rs. 130 to raise a bird. Approximately you can say that expenses will be in between 30 – 35 Lakh and if the farm is rented then it is 13 -1400000 for a batch of 10000 birds.” – Says the ambitious Sandhu Brothers.”

“Expanding farm and raising more birds was already on the checklist but the new thing which we are planning to do in the future is – investment in the business of retailing poultry products.”

Both the brothers with their unmatchable strong bond of brotherhood have taken their family business to new heights and they will continue it in the future also.

Message
“
Poultry business is a good alternate source of income in which farmers must invest if they want to earn good profit along with farming. There are few things that every poultry farmer must take care if they want to continue successful poultry business, like hygiene condition, temperature maintenance, and good quality chicks and feed.
”

Burning straw and using pesticides in an age-old practice, whose severe affects we can see today in our environment. Due to stubble burning in Haryana & Punjab, the northern parts of India is facing a drastic rise in air pollution. Air quality has worsened in the past few years and this is giving rise to many serious breathing and skin problems.

Although the government has taken many major steps to curb the problem of stubble burning, still they are not able to stop farmers from doing it. Stubble burning is becoming a huge issue in Punjab, because of lack of knowledge and awareness among the farmers. But one such a farmer who not only stopped farmers from burning their field in his region, but he also encouraged them towards organic farming is Jagdeep Singh.

Jagdeep Singh is an emerging farmer from Sangrur district of Punjab. His fondness towards his motherland and the soil, enhanced when he was just a kid. His journey as a soil lover started from his childhood. Just after his birth, his uncle adopted him, and farming was his occupation. His uncle used to take him to his farm, and this is how jagdeep’s interest increased towards farming.

With his growing age, his mind was also developing and the first priority in his mind was to pursue farming after completing his studies. After completing his 10th standard he decided to quit his studies and start helping his father Mukhtiar Singh in farming. His curiosity towards farming was escalating day-by-day, so to satisfy his needs, he started visiting Punjab Agriculture University in between 1989 to 1990. After visiting PAU, Jagdeep Singh came to know that the basic level of his farm soil is very high which is giving rise to many soil and crop issues; And to make the soil more fertile there were only two solutions either to use farmyard manure or use green manure in the fields.

To deal with this problem Jagdeep came up with a better solution, as investing in farmyard manure was costly for him. In between 1990 to 1991, he started using happy seeder with the support of PAU. By using happy seeder he was able to implant the seed in the soil, without removing the paddy straw from the field. He started using paddy straw in the form of manure in his field to increase the soil fertility. Slowly Jagdeep gathered 37 farmers under his initiative and encouraged them to use happy seeder and avoid stubble burning. He is running this drive throughout the Sangrur, under which they cover more than 350 acres of land.

“In 2014, I received an award by IARI (Indian Agricultural Research Institute) and after that, I formed a group in my village by the name ‘Shaheed Baba Sidh Sweh Shaita Group’. Under this group, we encourage farmers to stop stubble burning to deal with the deteriorating air quality problems.”

These days, he is doing farming on 40 acres of land, out of which 32 acres land is on rent. On 4 acres he is doing organic farming and on the rest of the land, he is using pesticides in very minimum quantity. His main motive is to go organic. Currently, he is living with his father, mother, wife and two sons in his village – Kanoi.

The most tempting thing about Jagdeep Singh’s personality is that he is so down to earth person, and he is always curious to learn new thing about farming. He is also very interested in rearing livestock and he has 8 buffaloes for home purpose. He uses the buffalo milk only for the home purpose and sometimes he sells them to the neighbours or villagers. With his farming and milk sale he is managing his family expenses very well and in the future, he wants to start marketing his produce himself for better profit.

Message:
“Jagdeep Singh’s message for other farmers is that they should teach their kids about farming and don’t add negative thoughts about farming in their mind, otherwise they will forget about their roots.”

Investment in floriculture is one of the flourishing career choices in which farmers are taking great interest. There are many successful established floriculturist, who are scattering the sweet fragrance of gladiolus, roses, marigold and many other flowers and are creating a new potential floriculture hub in Punjab. One of the floriculturists, who is reaping great profit out of flower and vegetable business is Mani Kaler.

Like other landlords, Kaler family also use to give their land to other framers on lease, and on a small landholding, they use to grow wheat and paddy for home purpose. But when Mani Kaler completed his education (Bachelor of Arts) he decided of stepping in the business of horticulture. Mani took back half of the land (20 acres) that was given on rent and started farming on it.

After some time, with the help of one of his relative, Mani came to know about the RTS Flower business, which is successfully run by Gurwinder Singh Sohi. So, after getting inspired by the owner of RTS Flower, Mani finally started his flower venture and started growing five to six types of flowers like petunia, barbina, and mistasium etc.

In the beginning, he also gave a try to contract farming but after facing a bitter experience with the contracted company, he decided to apart his way with them.

In the second year of flower farming, he bought seeds worth rupees 1 lakh from Gurwinder Singh Sohi. He started gladiolus farming from 2 canals and today it’s been 2 years and he has expanded the farm in 5 acres.

Currently, he is farming on 20 acres of land, out which they are using 4 acres for low tunnel farming of vegetables, where they grow bitter gourd, pumpkin, eggplant, cucumber, muskmelon, garlic (1/2 acre), and onion (1/2 acre). For the home purpose, they grow paddy and wheat. From some time they have also started preparing onion seeds.

His hard work and diversified farming technique has resulted in increased income. Till now he has taken no subsidy from the government. He manages the whole marketing on his own and sells the flowers in the market of Delhi and Kurukshetra. Although, he makes good profit from vegetable and flower farming business, still he faces some problems in flower cultivation, but he never loses his hope and always continues his work with strong determination.

Mani’s family always supports him and never stops him from whatever he wants to do in the agriculture field. Presently, he is living with his father – Madan Singh and elder brother – Raju Kaler in his village Rai Dhariana of Sangrur district. For milk purpose, he rears 7 cattle out of which 2 are Murrah buffaloes. He never compromises with the care and feed of the cattle. He himself prepares the fodder with organically grown paddy, wheat, and fodder crops. In the free time, he also processes sugarcane juice into jaggery and sells it to the villagers.

Future plans:

In the future, he is planning to expand his flower farming business.

Message
“
Nowadays, farmers are stuck in the conventional cycle of paddy and wheat. They should start thinking and doing out if this cycle if they want to earn well.
“

Meet Lovepreet Singh, a young lad with B.Tech. Degree in his hand, who instead of having a choice of doing a desk job and living a comfortable city life, choose to stay in his village to reap prosperity out of agriculture.

About 20 km towards east from district headquarters Sangrur, Kapial village is situated in Bhawani Garh tehsil, where Lovepreet Singh is living with his father, grandfather, mother and sister.

In 2008-2009, Lovepreet started organic farming of wheat on just 1 acre of land because of his growing interest in the agriculture field. Rest of the land was given on lease to other farmers, as farming was never a primary source of income for Lovpreet’s family. Moreover, Lovpreet’s father- Mr. Sant Pal Singh was settled in Dubai and had a stable income to support the family needs.

As the time passed, Lovepreet’s interest grew more and his motherland called him back. Soon after completing his degree, he thought of taking his big step towards farming. He got his land soil sample tested by Punjab Agro and took rest of his land back from the farmers.

The next crop that Lovepreet organically cultivated on his land was turmeric and along with that he also started processing it by himself. Turmeric on 1 acre and wheat-paddy on 4 acres. But adopting organic farming completely was not acceptable by Lovepreet’s family. In 2010, when his father returned from Dubai, he was against Organic Farming, because in his views organic yields less productivity. But no criticism and no bad words had the power to stir the strong determination of Lovepreet.

To increase his income, Lovepreet decided of cultivating turmeric on large basis instead of wheat. In the beginning, he faced many problems in turmeric processing, as he had no knowledge of it, but with his efforts and expert advice, he was able to achieve all the difficulties. He started using cow and buffalo dung as manure in his field to increase the productivity and quality of the crop.

After seeing the results, his father also started helping him in farming. He even contacted Punjab Agro to get his turmeric powder get organic certification and by the end of this year, he will get that. Currently, he is actively involved in turmeric farming and processing. Whenever he gets time, he visits Punjab Agriculture University and read books suggested by the experts of the university to bring positive outcome in his farming. Punjab Agro also helps him with necessary information and make him interact with other progressive farmers who are actively involved in organic farming. Other than turmeric he is also cultivating Wheat, Paddy, Maize, Bajra, but on small scale.

Future Plan:
His future plan is to expand turmeric farming and processing work, and form a group of farmers doing organic farming. Purchase common machines for the use of the group and support farmers doing organic farming. 

“
The one message that I want to convey to the farmers is that organic farming is very important to conserve the environment. Everyone should do organic and eat organic, in this way pollution can also be reduced.
”

This is the story of a man who continued his interest in dairy farming and turned it into a successful dairy business- Lakshmi Dairy Farm.

Unlike many other farmers, Sher Baz Singh Sandhu had shifted away his mind in teenage from seeking employment in private and public sectors. His interest was developed in dairy farming and the reason behind Mr. Sandhu’s affinity toward dairy farming was his mother- Harpal Kaur Sandhu.

This love towards dairy farming was a thing which was carried from the maternal side of Sher Baz Singh Sandhu by her mother. In earlier times maternal grandfather of Mr. Sandhu, had a fascination of rearing best breeds of cattle. And this fascination was later on followed by her daughter after marriage, and by seeing his mother’s interest in cattle rearing, Mr. Sandhu was also influenced by it.

In 2002, Mrs. Harpal Kaur passed away. Yes, it was a sad moment for Mr. Sandhu, but after her mother’s death he got an inspiration to pursue his interest of cattle rearing in a better way and that was when he decided of entering the dairy farming venture. Mr. Sandhu sold the old cattle and bought a new buffalo of breed Murrah from a region in Haryana in Rs. 52,000. At that time, that Buffalo used to give 15-16 kg of milk per day.

In 2003, he bought again a new buffalo of the same breed in Rs. 80,000 and this buffalo was giving 25 kg milk at that time.

Then in 2004, he bought a male calf of buffalo in Rs. 75,000, by doing a complete family background check (her mother used to give 20 kg milk and also won an award for it).

And this is how he improved the breed of his farm buffaloes and increased the number of quality buffaloes in his farm.

Once, Lakshmi his buffalo won best breed championship in the Muktsar Mela and just after that, he named his farm – “LAKSHMI DAIRY FARM”.

Not only Lakshmi but many other buffaloes and bull are there like- Dhanno, Rani, Sikander…, who made Mr. Sher Baz Singh Sandhu proud and broke records again and again by winning prizes in Kissan Melas and for milk production and breed championship.

• Lakshmi Dairy Farm holds national record for buffalo milk.
• Sherbaj Singh has been awarded by “State Award for excellent services in Dairy Farming” by CM S. Parkash Singh Badal
• His buffalo came first in 8th National Livestock Championship
• Awarded by Sardar Gulzar Singh in Maghi Mela
• His buffalo won 1st award in milk production competition in Muktsar (2008)
• PDFA Mela in 2008, his buffalo got 1st award
• Buffalo (Dhanno) gave 25 kg milk and broke all records (2015)
• In January his Murrah buffalo won all the prizes in Muktsar Mela (2016)
• His bull (Sikander) won 2nd prize in the Muktsar Mela.
• Lakshmi Buffalo won best breed championship
• Rani Buffalo gave 26 kg and 357 gram of milk and created a new record and won first prize.
• Dhanno Buffalo gave 26 kg milk and came second in the same competition.
• Many articles have been published in the newspaper in advisory magazine

Today, he has total 50 Buffaloes in his farms spread over 1 acres and he sells all the milk in the city to multiple stores. Mr. Sandhu prefers to grow fodder by himself, he has total 40 acres of land in which he grows wheat, paddy, and fodder.

Mr. Sandhu’s son- Barinder Singh Sandhu who is an advocate by profession and his wife- Kulwinder Kaur Sandhu, is also very supportive in managing Lakshmi Dairy Farm. His son has created an FB page by the farm name which has around 3.5 lakhs of followers and he wants to increase the number of followers to 10 lakhs till 2022-23. Because of the farm’s popularity, many people even from foreign, buy buffaloes from them.

Mr. Sandhu always tries to help the farmers with dairy farming and motivate them to progress in it. He also provides good quality semen and milk to farmers.

FUTURE PLAN: His future plan is to increase the farm area and keep only quality buffaloes and provide good quality semen and milk to farmers.

Message:
“
Nowadays farmers are more interested towards rearing foreign breeds rather than local. They think foreign breeds can make them more profit. But this is not true. Because foreign breeds need a different climate and conditions, which is not possible in India. Moreover, rearing foreign breed need more expenses than local breed, which ordinary farmers are not able to manage. Due to which, after some time farmers shift to rearing local breeds or they stop rearing cattle completely.

Farmers should understand that now good breeds are also available in India which can produce 20-25 kg of milk per day. Farmers should opt dairy farming business along with farming because it helps in increasing the income. In this way, farmers can deal with the problem of unemployment and India can progress in dairy farming.
”

This story is all about, how a son (Bhupinder Singh Bargari) prosperously carried out his father’s (Sukhdev Singh Bargari) occupational work and came up with the famous Jaggery Brand- BARGARI in Punjab.

There was a time when the ox was used to extract the sugarcane juice to make Jaggery out of it. But as the time evolved machines came into function for the sugarcane juice extraction. Moreover, due to indiscriminate use of chemical and color in making gudd, this coarse sweetener lost all its charm and slowly people got attracted towards the crystal of white sugar.

Still, many families prefer jaggery over sugar and they use the traditional method to make Jaggery from sugarcane juice. This is the story of Sukhdev Singh Bargari and his son- Bhupinder Singh Bargari. In 1972, Sukhdev Singh used to sharpen the tools and equipment of the farmers and in return he uses to take grains, vegetables or whatever the farmers offer, as his daily wage. After some time, he purchased an engine and started making jaggery from it. His pure traditional method of Jaggery extraction and no use of chemicals made his Gudd famous and many villagers started giving him sugarcane crop to make Gudd for it. Sukhdev used to do this work mainly from mid of November to March.

There came a time when Sukhdev’s hard work came with the real zest and the demand of jaggery made by him increased to multiple times. This is a matter of 2011 when his daughter was getting married. At that time he distributed a sweet made up of jaggery, desi ghee (clarified butter) and dry fruits with the wedding invitation cards to all his relatives and friends. Everyone relished that sweet very much and demanded him to make more for them, and at that stage, his son- Bhupinder Singh Bargari decided to take hold of his father’s work and expand it to a grander level. After this instance, the father-son duo started making two types of jaggery- one with dry fruits and another without.

Bargari family’s traditional method of cleaning the sugarcane juice with the slimy substance of okra made their product superior than the artificial jaggery made by using chemical and color. Their pure and clean method of making jaggery made Sukhdev Singh and Bhupinder Singh popular and people start recognizing them for their work.

Just following father’s footstep is not what Bhupinder Singh Bargari is up to. Mr. Bhupinder holds the degree of B.Ed. and MA and after that, he has also cleared ETT Teacher Exam and he is working as a school teacher. After getting free from his teaching profession he daily makes out time for the jaggery business.

In order to make this traditional sweetener more popular, Bhupinder started farming sugarcane of C085 variety in 2 acres area and also formed a Self-Help-Group through which he motivated farmer-members of the group to grow sugarcane. This step of Bhupinder resulted in farming sugarcane as much as needed, which reaped great profit to farmers as well as to Bargari family.

From last 5 years, Jaggery produced by Bargari family has won 4 times first prize and one-time second prize in the competition organized by PAU. In 2014, they also won Udami Kisan State Award for good quality jaggery. Bhupinder Singh also went to Indian Institute of Sugarcane Research, Lucknow and discussed his marketing techniques with them in National Jaggery Sammelan. This is not the only approach that he took to spread the awareness for Jaggery marketing. He also participated in PAU event held in March, to enlighten the farmers with the marketing knowledge for their betterment.

Currently, he has his own Jaggery Processing Plant at Kot Kapura-Bathinda road, where he processes pure Gudd (Jaggery) by following their own traditional method. The demand of Gudd and Shakkar (Jaggery Powder) increases in winter because the tea made up of pure jaggery (made from traditional method) don’t have any harmful effect on human body. Even, the specialist of Gastroenterologist (Stomach Doctors) of that particular area also started recommending their patients to eat gudd (Jaggery) made by the Bargari Family.

Other than this Bhupinder also have his own cereal processing plant at the same place, where he processes wheat, maize, barley, sorghum, and mustard grown by the members of his SHG. Along with the processing plant, he has also opened a store, through which he sells his processed products.

After knowing about the recommendations of the doctors about his Jaggery, he was very influenced by it and he decided “Bargari Jaggery” as his brand name.

Bhupinder also has an FB Page by the name “Bargari Jaggery” through which he communicates with the ideal customers. He has also discussed the whole procedure of Jaggery making through his FB Page.

He always maintains a continuous contact with the food technology and food processing and engineering departments of Agricultural University to bring positive changes in his business.

Today, Bhupinder Singh gives all the credit to his father- Mr. Sukhdev Singh Bargari for whatever he has achieved in his life. Apart from running a successful business, Bhupinder Singh Bargari is also a good teacher and is helping the people and kids of the village Kothe Kehar Singh village of Faridkot district. Many articles have been published in the local newspaper about his good deeds. He not only wants to help the farmers but also to inspire the youngsters and help them with his work and knowledge.

Well, this father-and-son duo worked successfully and has reached up to this level in their lives, just because of the understanding they had in between them. In future also Bhupinder Singh Bargari will continue his good work and will keep inspiring the young generation farmers with his knowledge.

Generally, in India, when daughters are married away and sent to their husband’s home then they get so busy in their life after marriage that they forget to think about their interest and hobbies, they just get bounded to the household chores. But one such woman who pursued her passion even after marriage and outliving it is Mrs Karamjeet Kaur Danewalia. Instead of just becoming house woman she chose to step outside the house and pursue her hobby of orchard farming.

Mrs Karamjeet Kaur Danewalia is a woman who was born raised in a typical Punjabi farmer’s family of a small village. As coming from a farming background, Mrs Karamjeet was always fascinated towards farming and had an interest in helping his father in the fields. But she never get a chance to be a helping hand to her father before marriage.

Soon she was married to Mr Jasbeer Singh, to a business class family. She never thought that after marriage she would get an opportunity to fulfil her dreams and pursue it as her profession. Just after few years of marriage, in 1975, with the support of her husband, she decided to start with the fruits orchards and give a chance to her interest. With the help of leveller machine and workers, she levelled 45 acres of land and prepared it for orchard farming. She planted kinnows in 20 acres, Plums, pear, peach, java plum, banana, naak pears on 10 acres and in the rest of the 5 acres she planted wheat in winter and cotton in summer.

Her hobby changed into passion and she decided to continue it. In 1990 she build up a pond and stored rain water in it so that, she can irrigate her orchards with it. But later on, she started fish farming in it and used it for both purpose fish farming as well as irrigation. To expand the business to one level ahead she also started preparing seedling herself.

In 2001 she created a record of Kinnow production in India. And to make the kinnow orchards business more successful, she especially went to California in 2003 to take kinnow packaging and processing training. After coming back she implanted that training and gained a huge profit from it. Since she has started kinnow farming from that year her kinnow quality is always no. 1 in district level and state level, every year. And because of her growing popularity in kinnow production, Prakash Singh Badal (Former CM of Punjab) entitled her as the Kinnow Queen in 2004

For the farming purpose, she has every type of modern technological farming equipment and machinery at her farm. Her popularity in the horticulture field has made her member of many prestigious communities and recipient of many awards. Some of them are listed below:

• Awarded First Prize in State Level Citrus Show by Agriculture Minister S. Gulzar  Ranika (2001-02)
• Awarded Desh Seva Rattan Award by Ravi Chopra by Shahee Memorial International Seva Society, Ludhiana. (2004)
• Entitled by Punjab’s Former CM- Prakash Singh Badal as Kinnow Queen in 2004
• Best Kinnow Grower Award by Agriculture Minister by S. Jagjit Singh Randhwa in 2005
• Awarded 2nd prize in state level citrus show kinnow crop (2012)
• 1st prize at district level citrus show kinnow crop (2012)
• 2nd prize district level citrus show kinnow crop (2010-11)
• 2nd Prize in state level citrus show kinnow crop (2010-11)
• Best women kinnow grower awarded by agriculture minister- S. Such Singh Langhah (2010)
• State awarded as innovative women farmer at kissan mela by PWD Minister S. Shranjit Singh Dhillon & V.C PAU, Ludhiana (2012)
• Champion Female Farmer Award for excellence in agriculture at 7th National conference on KVK at PAU, Ldh. Presented by Mr. Sharad Pawar Minister of Agriculture, Govt. Of India. (2012)
• Award of Honor in progressive women farmer on 64th Republic Day at Amritsar presented by Chief Minister, Punjab, S. Parkash Singh Badal. (2013)
• Award of appreciation in innovative contribution to Indian agriculture at global agri connect (NSFI) IARI, New Delhi presented by Dr. R.R Hanchinal, Chairperson PPUFRA, Govt. Of India, Ministry of Agriculture. (2013)
• National Awarded as Best Kinnow grower of Punjab at NRCC (National Research Centre of Citrus Nagpur) (2012)
• Bharat Jyoti Award for Meritorious Service, Outstanding Performance & Remarkable role in Agriculture presented by Dr. Bhisham Narain Singh(former governor of Tamilnadu & Assam) (2013)
• Bharat Gaurav Award as in Recognition of contribution and dedication to worthy cause and your achievement in keeping the flag of India high presented by Justice OP Verma former governor of Punjab at New Delhi. (2015)
• Zee Punjab/Haryana/Himachal Agri Award as best farmer horticulture of her outstanding contribution as a horticulturist in adoption & promotion of kinnow farming presented by Agriculture minister S. Tota Singh and Cabinet Minister S. Gulzar Singh Ranika and Mr. Dinesh Sharma editor, Zee Punjab Haryana Himachal.
• Member of PAU Kisan Club,
• Member of Punjab AGRO,
• Member of Punjab Horticulture Department,
• Member of Mandi Board,
• Member of Changi Kheti,
• Member of Kinnow Utpadak Sanstha,
• Member of Co-operative Society,
• Member of Kisan Salahkar Committee.
• Member of PAU, Ludhiana Board of Management

Despite being a recipient of so many awards and appreciation, she is always curious to learn something new and that’s why she never misses any district level agricultural events or meetings. She also regularly visits farms of the farmers who are associated with PAU and Hisar Agriculture University to learn something new from there and gain knowledge.

Today she is harvesting 130 ton of kinnows per hectare and generating revenue of 1 lakh and 65 thousand from it. From the rest of the fruit orchards and wheat and cotton crops, she is making revenue of 1 lakh each in every season.

Behind all her success, she gives credit to his husband who supported her dreams also helped her in farming all these years. Other than farming she is also contributing to a very good cause for the society; she helps in poor girls get marriage by providing financial help and other marriage material also. Her future plan is to make agriculture a more profitable commercial business.

“
Farmers have to start maintaining their expenses properly and stop showing off what they don’t have. Today, agriculture field needs more attention, so young kids even daughters should also be involved and taught about this field. And everyone should remember one thing that every human being in the field of agriculture is a farmer first and then a businessman.
”

Have you tasted the success sweeter than sugar? You may have not, but this income tax consultant from Banga has tasted the success 400 times sweeter than the most common sweetener, sugar, with zero calories. Yes, I’m talking about stevia farming!

Rajpal Singh Gandhi has led a movement in India and in the coming time, it is surely going to change the world’s taste.

After advising people on choosing their investment wisely for a tenure of 10 years, finally, Rajpal Gandhi thought of entering the agriculture field. Unlike the other average farmers of Punjab, Rajpal Gandhi not only had the money to start a new venture and grow natural sweetener in the sub-mountainous area in Shivalik foothills but also open a processing plant with hard research.

Well, the beginning of entering agriculture field was not that smooth for Gandhi. He started with Kinnow orchards in 2003 over 35 acres, but due to lack of marketing facilities, he was forced to reduce the crop production to half till 2008.

“I also tried planting Gladiolus, Potato, and other vegetables, but as there was no improvement in the marketing facilities, so I switched to stevia farming and that was the wisest decision that I took.”

He started stevia farming on 6 acres of land, but as there was no processing unit, so his 10 years of hard work was of no use. At last, he contacted Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai, to assemble a prototype for them. And after lakhs of investments, multiple shortcomings, research and meeting of many scientists, engineers, and innovators, they came up with a sweet result.

Today, Gandhi has the only stevia research laboratory in India and it is certified by the Indian Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR). By taking a soft loan from the department of biotechnology under the Ministry of Science and technology this processing plant and research centre has been established. It almost took three years to completely set up the processing unit. Dreaming and then making that dream come true was easy for Gandhi because ministry liked his innovative idea.

Today his 12-crore stevia processing plant process around 5 tonnes of stevia leaves in a shift of 8 hours, which is equivalent to the crop of 5 acres.

Starting stevia processing plant was a challenge and Gandhi turned it into an opportunity, not only for him but for many other people who are now employed just because of Gandhi’s initiative. After establishing the tissue culture laboratory and the processing unit, today Gandhi’s company is developing the more improved varieties of stevia and after its cultivation and processing, they are selling it in a powdered form in small sachets and container. Today, stevia green tea manufactured by him is booming in the market, but this is not the end.

“The expense of cultivating stevia on 1 acre is almost equal to cultivating any other normal crop on 1 acre. If anybody is interested in stevia farming then we also provide plants, and if anyone wants to do it in a large area then we also provide the technology to multiply the plants according to the area.”

Gandhi’s work has lured Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh State Government towards him. He was invited by the chief secretary of Gujarat and after that, he signed a deal to grow stevia over 2500 acres in the Aravali and Kaparganj districts with 100% buy-back clause. He also signed an agreement with Uttar Pradesh medicinal plant board Lucknow to grow this sweet plant over 4,000 acres. The increasing prosperity of Gandhi was not a small spark that would vanish in no time, but it was an explosion which attracted Punjab Ex. Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal towards his work. Currently, Gandhi is in stevia promotion bureau in the state with Suresh Kumar as additional chief secretary. Not missing the chance he has already started helping the farmers in Punjab also (he is helping farmers in stevia cultivation over 25 acres in Gurdaspur, Ludhiana and Ferozepur district and slowly he will make sure that stevia cultivation area expands in Punjab by this season).

Well, these were some in-nation effects of Gandhi’s work. Even before establishing the processing plant, Gandhi visited China and South American countries like Columbia and Paraguay to know more about this plant. His visit made him sign the contract with Canadian Company Pixels Health for as much as Stevia powder Gandhi could process. Even Germans also visited his farm- Green Valley Stevia, after knowing about it.

Gandhi is also the only member from Punjab of Indian Council of Food and Agriculture, of which MS Swaminathan – “The father of Indian Green Revolution” is also a part of. In last September Gandhi was awarded by him and he declared that stevia growing was the sweet revolution for health.

In the coming time, Stevia is going to be the future crop. Japan’s 70% population has already switched to stevia and Gandhi is looking forward to investing there. Even his stevia product has also been approved by the Food and Safety Standards Authority of India in November 2015. Even Multi-National Companies like Pepsi and Coca-Cola has also launched their new products called – Zero-Calorie Pepsi and Coke-life in which they are using stevia as sweetener and Gandhi is looking forward to investing in it.

Stevia is the future crop, as the plant life is up to 5 years once they are planted; and they can be harvested every after 4 months. For farmers as well as the citizens, stevia is a profitable venture as its market value is also good and it is healthy to consume.

“In India, there is at least one sugar patient in every family and this is an alarming situation. But if we start using stevia in place of sugar then we can reduce the increasing number of the diabetic patient.”

Gandhi is doing his part in flourishing the agriculture field with new opportunities. You can also be the part of this venture by investing in stevia farming.

Message:
“
Our main mission is wealthy farmer and healthy society. Today, the falling economic condition is the main reason that is forcing the poor farmers to commit suicide, and for these types of shameful circumstances only we are responsible. To cover the losses, crop diversification is important, farmers should grow crops like Stevia and other medicinal plants, and state government and central government should act accordingly to make their plans more effective.
”

Changing occupation is never easy, as it can negatively impact the lives of people who are dependent on it, especially the family members, and when this matter is concerned with a farmer’s life then the insecurity factor is just double. A new opportunity comes with both risks and benefits, the person just has to understand that what satisfies him and his needs better, because finding a meaningful work is very important. One such a farmer from Barnala District of Punjab, Mr. Avtar Singh Randhawa also changed multiple occupations and found pig farming as the right profession for himself.

Like other farmers, Avtar Singh also started wheat and paddy farming, just after completing his studies (10th) along with his father Basant Singh Randhawa. But soon he realized that his life is not meant to follow this tradition of conventional farming. So, he thought of investing in the grocery store business. He opened a shop in his village- Channa Gulab Singh, but after some time, he found out that he is not even satisfied with this profession. Someone suggested him about mushroom farming and he started that too, but he understood that it needs much investment and this venture also ended empty handed. At last, he heard from a person that pig farming is a profitable occupation and he thought that why not give it a try.

After discussing with the concerned person, Avtar joined the training conducted by PAU (Punjab Agriculture University) for Pig Farming and Pig Products Processing. In the beginning, he started with 3 pigs, and after three years of hard work, today, the count of pigs has increased to 50. When he started pig farming 3 years back, many villagers use to talk about him and his occupation. As Avtar Singh was the first one who started pig farming in his villages, so many villagers were confused and many were just analyzing that what will be the outcome of this. But after seeing the happy face and increasing profit of the Randhawa family, many villagers came up with their interest in pig farming.

“When I told my wife about the pig farming business, she was against me and she doesn’t want me to invest in it. Even my relatives also used to scold me about my work, because in their perception I was doing a low-grade work. But I was determined and this time I didn’t want to turn back and leave something in the middle.”

Today, Avtar is very happy and satisfied with his work and he also encourages other farmers of his village towards this profession. He manages the breeding work himself in his farm. Within 7-8 months he sells 80 pigs on an average and is earning good profit from it.

Currently, he is living with his son and wife, and even with this small family and little needs he used to grow paddy and wheat on his own, for home purpose. Now his wife also supports him in pig farming.

Like Avtar, there are many other farmers in Punjab who are into pig farming business and are making it a big project in the coming time. With the growing demand of pork and pig products, pig farming is going to be a booming venture in the future. Some futuristic farmers have already understood it and Avtar Singh Randhawa is one of them.

Avtar is planning to make use of his training and start processing pig products. He wants to expand the Randhawa Piggery Farm to a larger extent in the future.

Message:
“With modernization, many new farming techniques and trends are coming and the farmers should be aware of it. The farmers should follow a path in which they believe, not the path that others are following.”

In India, pigs might not be rampant pets in the households, but they are sure moneymaker when it comes to pig farming. And one of the best thing with this occupation is that you can start with little capital.

In Punjab, pig farming is booming as a popular occupation among the farmers and many people are showing interest in it. Although many people still view piggery as a low profile occupation, but now it doesn’t matter at all. Because piggery has totally changed the perspective and life of farmers in Punjab. One such a farmer who is successfully practicing piggery and generating good revenue from it is Nirmal Singh.

From the times of grandfather and great-grandfather, Nirmal Singh’s family was involved in agriculture, for them, there was no alternative occupation to earn money. But when Nirmal Singh grew up and took everything in his hand after completing his studies (12th standard), then he started dairy farming along with wheat and paddy farming. For about one and half year he did dairy farming for commercial purpose, but in December 2015, when he visited one of his friend’s marriage in Bathinda, then he came to know about pig farming. He was excited to know about it, so after the marriage, next day he visited the farm named as BT Piggery situated in Sanghera. After his visit to the pig farm, he was interested to adopt this occupation.

Before starting the piggery venture he thought of taking an expert advice and training from the experienced person, so he especially attended 5 days training given by GADVASU (Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University), Ludhiana. After taking training he started pig farming with 10 female pigs and 1 male pig. He established the piggery farm on 2 kanals area.

With increasing value of pig farming, his venture went well and today he has around 90 pigs at his farm, out of which 10 female pigs and 1 male pig that he bought in the beginning for reproduction are the same. In a month he sells around 10-12 pigs at the cost of 150 Rs/Kg for female pigs and 85 Rs/Kg for male pigs. His brother and son help him in his venture and he has kept no other worker for help. To maintain the healthy pigs, he prefers to make pig’s feed on his own; he buys the raw material from the market and processes it himself.

Today, Nirmal Singh is counted as one of the members of Progressive Pig Farmers Association, GADVASU. He also received first award, certificate and cash prize at district level in Pashudhan Championship which was held at Shri Muktsar Sahib.

Currently, he is living with his wife, a son and a daughter in his village Lubanian Wali village in Muktsar. His future plan is to expand his pig farm and start pig products processing. He also helps other farmers and recommends them this profession for better income.

Message:
“Before starting anything, training is very much important. Every farmer must take training to improve their skills, otherwise, there is a huge risk even in a simple task.”

The young scion of Pandher family – Harbir Singh Pandher not only took his father’s beekeeping business ahead but he also turns it into a profitable venture with his ideas and efforts.

Harbir Singh, a residence of Kuhli Khurd, Ludhiana is a young lad who even after holding an engineering degree in Civil, decided to continue his father’s occupation and give it a boost with his innovative ideas.

Gurmail Singh Pandher – Father of Harbir Singh, started beekeeping business almost 35 years ago without any training. In 80’s, when nobody ever thought that apiculture can also be a profitable source of income at that time the futuristic mind of Gurmail Singh ran in a different direction. At that time, he started his apiculture business with mere two honey-bee boxes, and today his son has turned his work into a flourishing endeavour of 700 honey-bee boxes.

Even though Harbir’s father beekeeping work was making a good profit but it was still lacking the marketing perspective, due to which they were not able to cover the ideal market. So, Harbir thought of giving his father local business a boost with his planning and thinking. Harbir just after completing his studies overtook his father’s business. Choosing father’s business was not a compulsion for Harbir, it was his passion to continue the work which he has seen his father doing all his childhood.

The first thing that Harbir did after he started managing his father’s work was to give a brand name to the business- “ROYAL HONEY”. Harbir was well aware that to promote a business on larger scale branding is very much important, so he got his business registered under this brand name. To give his work a more professional touch, Harbir especially visited PAU in 2011 for beekeeping training.

In the year 2013 he also gets his product registered under AGMARK and today from packaging to marketing, he does everything himself. He is mainly focusing on two products and that is honey and bee wax.

Harbir has mainly Italian Bees at his farm, and to maintain the higher quality of the honey yield they do season to season migration of honey-bee boxes from one place to another in nearby states of Punjab. He has employed 7 workers for this work. Mainly he leaves his boxes in Chittorgarh (Carrom Seeds fields), Quota (Mustard fields), Himachal Pradesh (Multi-flower), Malout (Sunflower fields) and another place in Rajasthan (Bajra & Tuar fields) by taking area on rent. By the method of manual processing, he extracts honey and then does the packaging and marketing of his products.

Other than beekeeping, Harbir and his family are also doing farming and dairy farming. They have 7 acres of land on which they grow rice and wheat for home purpose, and have 15 buffaloes, whose milk they sell in the village and also keep some of it for personal use.

Currently, Harbir is making a good profit from his family business and in the free time, he also helps other people by guiding them towards the beekeeping business. Harbir’s future plan is to expand his business to a larger extent and also become fully independent in terms of marketing.

“
Nowadays farmers shouldn’t be dependent on farming only, they should adopt other agribusinesses also along with farming, so that if one option fails then they at least have other option to survive. Beekeeping is a very profitable business and farmers must give it a try to know about its benefits.
”

One of the successful diversified farmer Davinder Singh from Nakodar (District Jalandhar) discussed with Apni Kheti Team that how he was motivated towards diversified farming and what other inventions he did in the field of farming to reap good profit from it.

Davinder Singh is a firm believer of the thought that – “The work done by self is important only” and today whatever he has achieved is by his hard work and hunger to do more in the field of farming. As coming from a farming background he started farming after completing his 10th and didn’t go for higher studies. He started farming with vegetables like an ordinary farmer. He already had 1.8 hectares land of his own but he also took 1 hectare on rent. The income he was generating from farming was enough to satisfy the present family needs but not that enough to think about the better future for his family.

In 1990-91 he came in contact with Punjab Agriculture University and learned about some new farming techniques which could help in generating good profit from farming without expanding the farming area. And the reason which motivated him to implement those new techniques on his farm was that it doesn’t include any hi-tech machinery or chemicals.

To expand his area of expertise he also took beekeeping training from KVK- Noor Mahal, Jalandhar and started beekeeping. This venture made him good profit and he continued it. By implementing new farming techniques like bed farming and tunnel farming, he started diversified farming.

Well, many people are doing diversified farming in Punjab, but they are limited to few crops only. Davinder Singh let his thought of wild horses run and he experimented by intercropping cabbage and onion together. This initiative of diversified farming gave him a very good yield and he harvested 375 quintals of cabbage and 125 quintals of onion in that season. Many agriculture experts got help from his farming ways in their research. He was also the first one who inter-cropped “onion, tomato, coriander” together and after that, he also inter-cropped “onion, cucumber, capsicum” and “cabbage, marigold” together.

All the crops pairing done by him for diversified farming was a great success and he made a great profit from all these inter-cropping patterns. He also received Jain Adviser State Award for his “Papaya-Eggplant & Cabbage-Onion” inter-cropping patterns.

Education never became a barrier between him and trending new farming techniques. His inquisitive mind always wanted to learn, and to satisfy the needs of his mind, he also fed his mind with appropriate knowledge. He always visited many progressive farmers of Maler Kotla to learn basics of vegetable farming and he also attended every type of meetings and camp organized by Punjab Agriculture University or Horticulture Department.

Davinder Singh’s farming ways were so better and productive that he was also awarded Surjit Singh Dhillon Award by PAU in 2010 for Tunnel Farming. He also became the member of PAU Kisan Club and Agriculture Technology Prabandh Agency- ATMA Governing Body (Jalandhar).

Well, the key to scale success in the field of farming while moving from a beginning stage is to keep your creative/innovative edge alive and Davinder Singh also did the same. He implemented drip irrigation and shower irrigation in his farm better water management. He also started using Tensiometer for paddy farming and Jantar to increase the yield of the soil.

Recently, he has started diversified farming of cucumber and water melon and is expecting great profit returns from it also. Many farmers visit his farm to see and learn from him and he also open-heartedly shares his learning with them. He wants to experiment more with diversified farming and spread his learning with other farmers so that they can also take benefit of it.

Future Plans:
For the future, he has great ideas aligned in his mind and very soon he will be implementing those also. 

Message to Farmers:
“Our land is gold and to cultivate gold out of it we have to do hard work and smart work both. We just need good farming techniques to harvest gold on our own. If we have skills then we should share it with others.”

The main reason behind people’s awakening is because they have finally stopped agreeing to the things that doesn’t satisfy them. It is said that when a person is evolving into something good, at that time the road may seem lonely but you are simply shedding the things and habits that no longer is required. One such person who went opposite of the society’s trend and gone through an awakening transition of conventional to organic farming is Mr Gurdeep Singh Brar.

Gurdeep Singh Brar is a resident of village Mehma Sawai , District Bathinda. 17 years back a huge transition phase came into Mr Gurdeep’s life which totally changed his views and methods of farming. Today, Mr Singh is a successful and well known organic farmer in Bathinda. And his earning is also very good as compared to the other farmers who are practicing conventional farming.

Before doing organic farming, Gurdeep Singh Brar was an ordinary farmer who used to do the same thing that he saw while growing up all his childhood. He had only 2 acres of land on which he was farming and his income was only hand to mouth.

In 1995 he came in contact with the experts of Farmer Salahkar Seva Kendra. There he discussed all his farming related doubts with them and found out all the solutions and answers of it. He also get associated with the experts of KVK Bathinda branch. After sometime the experts of Farmer Salahkar Kendra motivated him to make a small kitchen garden in 1 canal of area by providing him a vegetable seed kit. When the kitchen garden idea went successful then he expanded the 1 canal area to 2 canal and started generating good produce of vegetables out of it.

In 1999, just after 4 years he came in touch with Ambuja Cement Foundation, he co-operated with them and visited many different farms…

Some of them are:
• Nabha Organic Farm
• Bhagat Puran Singh farm in Ganga Nagar.
• Organic Farm

This whole series of visit to different farms inspired him towards organic farming. And after that he also started growing seasonal fruits along with vegetables. He uses organic method for seed treatment, traps for pest control and also prepare organic manure. For seed treatment he uses Neem Water, Cow Urine (Gau Mutr), mixture of Lime Stone Water and Asafetida water mixture. He also uses Jivamrit (made by him at home) to make vegetable yield more healthy and chemical free. For pest attack prevention he uses sour buttermilk (Lassi made by him) in his fields. He is also very conscious towards the water management so for irrigation he uses drip irrigation system.

Gurdeep Singh has also established a vermi-compost unit at his farm so that he can provide pure organic manure to the vegetables and fruits. He has made two holes of 1 canal each, where he decomposes cow dung, buffalo dung, and poultry manure.

Along with farming he also prepares seed of pumpkin, bitter gourd and ridge gourd himself at home, which completely end his need of buying vegetable seeds from the market. To increase the quantity and quality if the pumpkin, he especially uses rope mesh to give pumpkin vines proper support.

Today his vegetable are so popular that people from Bathinda, Goniana Mandi and other nearby villages visit his farm especially to buy vegetables. When it comes to marketing the vegetables, then he is never dependent on any third person. He himself sell his produce by making 500 grams of packets and in current date he is earning good profit out of it.

For his farming techniques and methods he is awarded with many local awards and he also has membership of many farming societies and organization. In 2015, he received Surjit Singh Dhillon Award from PAU. Reaching up to this level for a man who never went to school, is really considerable. Currently he is living with his mother, wife and son in his village. His future plans is to continue organic farming and provide health and chemical free food to the community.

Message Given To Farmers:
“
Today cancer like disease is spreading among the people is because of chemicals being used by the farmers. I’m not saying that farmers shouldn’t use fertilizer and pesticide, but they should reduce its use and switch to organic farming. In this way they can stop the soil and water pollution and can also prevent cancer like deadly diseases.
”

Angrez Singh Bhullar, this 53 old year farmer from Giddarbaha, after recognizing what mistakes he has made and how it is affecting his health, made the most enlightened decision of his life.

In the young age of 4, Angrez Singh Bhullar lost his father. His family conditions were deteriorating day by day, as there was no bread earner. They were surviving on the money they were getting from their land rented to the relatives. There were two elder sisters in his family and fulfilling the family needs was becoming very difficult for his mother day-by-day. Due to worsening financial conditions, Angrez Singh received academic qualification until 9th class only and his sisters never went to school.

After dropping off from the school, Angrez Singh used to spend time with his uncles on their farm and learn some farming techniques from them. Until 1989 the land was rented to relatives, but after that Angrez Singh was big enough to take the responsibility of the family, so, he decided of taking his land back, and start farming on it.

On the behalf of whatever he learned from his uncle and by seeing other farmers of his village, he also started chemical farming. He started earning well and financial conditions of his family were improved. Soon after some time he got married and was living a happy family life.

But in 2006, he got sick and suffered from major health issues. Earlier he used to take this problem lightly but later after getting diagnosed, he came to know that his intestine are swelled up which can lead to serious problem in the future. At that time, many people use to visit him to ask him about his well-being, and someone told him that using chemical in farming is the reason behind your health issues and you should start organic.

Although many people told him many things to do, to get cure, but the one thing that knocked his mind hardly was switching to organic. He took this matter very seriously and started organic farming in 2006 with 2.5 acres of land. He grew wheat, vegetables, fruits, lemon, guava, sugarcane and paddy and earned good profit from it. To multiply his profit, he thought of processing his produce on his own and then he started making jaggery out of sugarcane. He adopted manual jaggery processing method as he was starting this venture on his own. In the beginning, he was unsure that how it is going to benefit him, but slowly his village people started liking his jaggery. Slowly the jaggery demand rose up to a level that he started making jaggery on advance booking. After sometime he also established vermicomposting plant at his farm to reap good harvest from homemade manure.

He has received many awards, achievements and attended many training camps, and some of them are listed below:

• Participated in District Muktsar Science Fair held between 15 to 18 November in 1979.

• Participated in 90 days training of Artificial Insemination organized by Verka Plant Bathinda in 1985.

• Attended 3-days-training of Hybrid Seeds Preparation organized by PAU, Ludhiana in 1988.

• Received Yog Teacher’s Training Certificate for participating in Patanjali Yog Samiti from 9 July to 14 July of 2009.

• Appreciation from the Director of Kheti Baadi Vibhag, Punjab, 28 Sep, 2012.

• Participated in Vibrant Gujarat Global Agricultural Summit held at 9 & 10 Sep on 2013.

• Appreciation Letter for Natural Farming & Environmental Fair which was help on 26 July, 2013 by Kheti Virasat Mission.

• Received appreciation for attending Rabi Crops Farmer Training Camp at state Level- by Agricultural Technology Management Agency (ATMA) on 21st Sep, 2014, Organized by Kheti Baadi Vibhag, Dist. Shri Muktsar Sahib, Punjab.

• Appreciation Letter by Kheti Baadi Vibhag at shri Muktsar sahib on 21st Sep, 2014 for State Level Farmer Training Camp.

• Participated in Advance training course of Bee Breeding 7 Mass Bee Rearing Technique organized by PAU on 12-14 Oct, 2014.

• Attended Poultry Farming Training of 2 weeks organized by Department of Animal Husbandry, Punjab at Sarkari Murgi Sewa Kendra, Kotkapura.

• Registered as a Beekeeper by National Bee Board

• Received CRI Award.

• Attended Kharif Crop Farming 1-day-Training camp organized by KVK, Goniana.

• Attended 10 days beekeeping training organized by PAU Ludhiana.

• Attended 1-day-Training Pest Control in Grains stored in Storehouse organized by KVK, Goniana.

• Participated in Organic & Herbal Products Mela organized by department of Rural Development, NITTTR, Chandigarh.

• Participated in workshop training programme- “MARKET LED EXTENSION” conducted by PAMETI (Punjab Agriculture Management & Extension Training Institute), PAU.

Angrez Singh Bhullar is a futuristic farmer of Punjab who understands the importance of going organic. Today, we need more farmers like him to deal with the worsening environment conditions.

Message for Farmers:
“If we don’t start organic farming now then our future generation will be in a big problem.”

Floriculture is a profitable livelihood choice and it is booming lives of many farmers across the country. One such farmer- Mr. Prem Raj Saini from Peer Nagar village of Uttar Pradesh is an emerging floriculturist and he is an ideal example for the rest of the farmers in our society.

Prem Raj’s father was the biggest inspiration behind Prem Raj being a floriculturist. It’s a matter of the seventies when his father used to bring different varieties of flower seeds from Delhi to grow it in their farm. He used to observe his father very closely and from that time only he wanted to do something related to flower farming. Although, Prem Raj Saini is a B.Sc graduate and he could have chosen a different occupation other than farming, but he chose to follow his dreams.

On 20th May 2007, his father got expired and just after that Prem Raj decided of starting what his father left in the middle. At that time the family was financially stable and his brothers were also settled. He started farming and his elder brother opened a wholesale flower shop through which they will be selling their farming produce. The other two younger brothers were doing jobs but later on, they also joined Prem Raj and elder brother in their venture.

One initiative taken by Prem Raj united the whole family into one thread. The eldest brother is managing two flower shop in Kanjipur Phul Mandi, Prem Raj himself manage the whole farm work, and the two younger brothers are managing the shops in Sabzi Mandi of Noida. In this way, they have divided all their work, resulting in increased income. They have kept only one permanent labour and they hire more when they need in the harvesting season.

Prem Raj farms every type of flowers and vegetables according to the season. For better yield, he is following Net house farming and Bed farming method. Moreover, for good quality of yield, he avoids the use of chemical and use pesticide very rarely when required. In this way, his expenses are also reduced to half. He use all the latest farming equipment like tractor and rotavator at his farm.

Saini brothers are planning to establish more shops at the different location for better income. Their future plan is to expand their farming area and business.

Currently, he is living with his full-fledged complete family (Mother, Wife, two sons and one daughter) in his village. He is very open-minded and he never enforces his thinking on his children. With floriculture business and income, today, Prem Raj Saini and his brothers are supporting every need of their family.

Message
“Nowadays, there is job scarcity, because if there is one job vacancy then there are thousands of applicants to apply for it. So, if you have land, then it’s better to start farming and reap benefit from it. Take farming as your job rather than as a low profile occupation.”

India holds the second largest agricultural land in the world and its impact on Indian economy is huge. But still, today, if we ask the youngsters about their future plan, then very few, will be there who will say farming or agribusiness.

A 26-year-old boy from Harnampura, Ludhiana- Khushdeep Singh Bains, who after working for 2 years in two different companies decided to switch to farming, and today he is growing only vegetables in 28 acres of land.

Well, what made Khushdeep leave his good-earning comfortable job and start farming? It was Khushdeep’s interest towards agriculture.

Khushdeep Singh Bains comes from a family background where his father- Mr. Sukhwinder Singh, mainly used to do real estate work, and for home purpose wheat and paddy farming on a small scale. Khushdeep’s father always wanted his son to do a comfortable job where he will be given a chair and desk to work, he never thought of making his son work in the sun and soil. But when Khushdeep quit his job and started farming at that time his father was completely against his decision, because in his perception, farming is an occupation which needs huge labour and it is not a work that qualified and literate people should do.

But to change any negative opinion you just need a powerful positive result, and this is what Khushdeep came up with.

When Khushdeep was working in Eastman at that time he used to prepare seedlings and this is when he was more attracted towards farming. After working for 1 year and 8 months he switched his job and started working with UPL Pesticides, but there also he only survived for 2-3 months. He was not satisfied with his work and he wanted to do something more. So, after working for 2 years in Eastman and UPL- Pesticide Company, Khushdeep decided of starting vegetable farming.

He started with pumpkin, ridge gourd and okra by planting it in half acre each, he used pesticides and the harvest was more than his imagination. Slowly he started expanding the farming area and vegetable types. He started growing every type of vegetable, whether it is in-season or out-of-season. He also signed the contract with Pagro Foods Ltd. for pea and sweetcorn farming and gained huge profit from them. Later on, in 2016, he planted paddy, beans, potato, onion, garlic, peas, capsicum, cauliflower, mung beans, and basmati turn wise on the same land.

Along with farming, Khushdeep also started preparing seeds and seedlings of garlic and many other crops and this side work benefited him a lot. From last three years, he is displaying his seed preparation work in PAU Ludhiana Kisan Mela and is getting an overwhelming response every time.

Today Khushdeep’s father and mother, both are proud of their son’s achievements. Khushdeep himself is very happy with his work and is also encouraging other farmers toward it. Currently, he is making a good profit from vegetable farming and his future plan is to start his own nursery and food processing business.

When it comes to development, then there is no doubt that women are playing a major role in shaping and guiding the young minds of India. Even in agriculture field also women are not left behind, they are leading the way to sustainable and organic farming. Today, many Indian women from both rural and urban areas are aware of the issues related to chemicals used in farming and they are also working towards this cause. Satya Rani is also one of those women who is doing organic farming and is also actively involved in the food processing business.

With rising health issues and climatic change, food security has become a major challenge to deal with, and Satya Rani is one of the emerging agripreneur who is working towards this issue.

It was Satya’s childhood dream to contribute to the agriculture field and give back to nature. From the beginning, her parents always guided her and inspired her and finally the little girl’s dream was transformed into a woman’s vision.

There also came a bad time in Satya’s life, in which if there was any another girl, then she would have lost her confidence and hope easily, but Satya didn’t. Satya’s parents told her to stop her studies after 12th because of financial problems, but she was so determined towards her future that she told her parents that she will manage her higher studies on her own. She started part time job of making food roducts like pickles and chutneys and started selling it.

During this time she learned a lot of new things and her interest was increased towards food processing business. After completing her BA from Hindu Girls College, Jagadhri, she got the job of home science trainer in the same college. Soon after that she was married to Rajinder Kumar Kamboj in 2004, but after marriage also she didn’t give up her work. She continued her food processing work and developed many new products like mango laddoo, coconut laddoo, pickles, fruit jams, murraba and many other different types of laddoo. Her efficiency increased with the time resulting in good quality products and larger customer base.

Well, food processing is not the only field in which she excelled. From her school time, she was very active in sports and she was the captain of the Kabbadi Team. She was also very zealous towards her profession, and for her work, she even achieved Best Training Award by Hindu Girls College. Currently, she is doing organic farming on 1 acre of land and is also actively involved in dairy farming. She grows every type of seasonal vegetables with the help of her husband. Satya Organics is the brand name under which she is selling all her processed products (different types of laddoo, pickles, Jam, and Murabba)

In the coming time, she is planning to expand her work and make more revenue from it. She also wants to inspire other girls and women in the society towards food processing and organic farming, so that they can become self-dependent.

MESSAGE TO FARMERS-
“If God has given you everything – physically fit body and mentally fit mind, then you should work in a constructive direction and make use of strength in a positive way. Every person should recognize the hidden talent in themselves so that they can work towards it in benefiting the society.”

In India there are many women who have extraordinary personalities, not citing the looks but their skills and confidence are what makes them amazing from the others. Nothing can stop them from accomplishing what they aim at, and the reason behind their unique persona is that they are the inspiration of themselves.

One such a woman who realized the calling and chose agribusiness as her future plan is Kulwant Kaur. As being from a farming background, Kulwant Kaur and her husband Jaswinder Singh were doing paddy and wheat farming and were also actively involved in dairy farming. From the beginning, family’s main focus was on dairy business, because they owned 2.5 acres of land and used to take land on the lease when necessary. With 30 buffaloes in the dairy farm, their milk business was flourishing very well and was more profitable as compared to farming.

Kulwant Kaur was very interested in agriculture and the trades related to it, and one day when she read about KVK Fatehgarh Sahib then she decided of joining it. She took fruit and vegetable management training of 5 days from there in 2011. On the last day of the training, she participated in a competition and won first prize in making apple jam and turmeric pickle. The first prize that she won there was her first achievement in her life, and this achievement made her so determined and inspired that she decided to start this work on her own. Her products were so good that soon she gained a good customer base.

Gradually her work speed, efficiency, and product quality got better with the time and turmeric pickle became the most in demand product of her. Later on, to enhance her skills she joined KVK Samrala for Phenyl, Soap, Amla Juice, Chutney and Pickle training. To make her training in use, she especially visited Delhi to purchase Amla juice machine. Very soon she grasped the technique of making aloe-vera juice, shampoo, gel, and hand wash from the same machine and after seeing the processed products she was enthused and gained confidence.

It was her confidence and achievements which always motivated Kulwant Kaur in doing more. Finally, Kulwant Kaur started manufacturing products at home and also marketed them herself. Her interest towards agribusiness drifted her more towards this field. In 2012 she became the member of PAU Kisan Club. And after that, she took every training given by them. Her interest towards farming was increased and slowly they reduced their dairy farm work.

Besides Paddy and wheat, now, Kulwant Kaur and her husband started growing mung beans, sugarcane, fodder crop, turmeric, aloe-vera, tulsi and stevia also. From turmeric, she is producing turmeric powder, turmeric pickle, and Panjeeri (sweet dry powder mixture made up of Bengal Gram Chickpea powder, Flour, and Clarified butter). Panjeeri and turmeric pickle are her most in demand products.

Well her journey was not that easy, she faced many problems also. She planted 1000 stevia plants out of which only half survived. As she knew that stevia cost is very expensive (Rs 1500/Kg) due to which it out of reach for common people. So, she found out a different way of selling it, she bought green tea from the market and mixed stevia in it and started selling it at Rs. 150 per 100 grams. Because of the stevia’s health benefits for diabetic patients, the tea was purchased by many local homes and other customers also.

Currently, she is manufacturing around 40 products and is selling it in the nearby market and in PAU fairs. She also has a product called Satras (made up of Tulsi, apple vinegar, honey, ginger, garlic, aloe-vera, garlic, and amla) especially for heart patients and it is very effective also.

Along with the skills, Kulwant Kaur also likes to be updated with all the latest farming machinery and equipment. She has all the farming machinery and, she uses laser leveller to level the fields. Her whole family is helping her and is working with her especially her husband. Her daughter is doing government job and her son is helping her in the business. Currently, the main focus of the family is towards marketing and less on agriculture. Her efforts in the agribusiness field have made her won first prize in Kisan Mela (Patiala) for turmeric products. Besides this, she also received Sardarni Jagbir Kaur Grewal Memorial Award at Kisan Mela (organized by Punjab Agriculture University Ludhiana in 2013)

Today whatever Kulwant Kaur has achieved that is only because of her own belief. In future, she wants to market all her products herself. She also wants to impart training to other women in the society so that they can stand on their own and be independent.

Meet Baljit Singh Kang from – a teacher turned into an organic farmer. Organic farming was not the principal idea for which Mr. Kang get early retirement from his teaching profession. It was his kids for whom he took early retirement and along with that he also started farming.

Baljit Singh Kang always wanted to do something different and not be a part of monotony and old traditions, and he found that something different in organic farming. Farming was not the primary occupation of his family, as his father and brother were already settled in abroad. But Baljit wanted to do something great by staying in his own country.

Just after completing his M.A. in Punjabi, Baljit got a job in school as a teacher. After working for some times as a teacher he opened his own restaurant from 2003 to 2010. In 201o he decided to quit restaurant business and start organic farming. In 2011, he got married and after some time he was blessed with two beautiful children, a daughter and a son. Daughter is now 4 year old and son is 2 year old.

Earlier he was using chemicals on a low scale, but in later he turned towards organic. He sowed maize crop in 1-acre of land. But everyone in his village was making fun of him because he planted maize in winters. Baljit was so determined and confident that he never let the bad words and negativity affect him. When harvesting time came, at that time he harvested 37 quintals of maize and that was above his imagination. The harvested produce encouraged him to expand the framing work and he took 1.5-acre land more on the lease.

Shifting from chemical to organic farming was a huge step for Baljit, but he never looked back. He started growing vegetables on 6 acres of land. On his farm, he grew every type of fruit trees and he has also established vermi-compost plant which benefits him a lot. He hires no extra labour for his work and is earning well from organic farming.

Future Plans:
Currently, he is growing mustard, basmati, wheat, and vegetables at his farm in 6 acres of land. In future, he wants to partner with Kheti Virasat Mission to market his products on his own.

Message to farmers-
“Farmers should start working themselves and stop depending on the third person for marketing. The second thing that farmers should understand is for better future organic farming is the only solution. Farmers should stop using chemicals and start adopting organic farming.”

Nowadays, very few people justify the true meaning of philanthropist and Mahak Singh is one of them.

Mahak Singh is a normal agriculture expert from Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh. For making his own retirement a positive experience for others, this man chose to help farmers by updating them with better farming methods.

From the beginning, Mahak Singh was interested towards agriculture, because he was from a farming background. He always felt a pull towards the land, towards that land which gave him everything throughout his life, and because of this reason agriculture still, exists in his life and plays an important role.

Well, in many farmer’s families it is a trend to give your child higher education so that he doesn’t have to be dependent on farming occupation and he can choose any other job profile as his career. But in Mahak Singh’s family, the situation was just opposite, his parents always inspired him towards agriculture, and that is why he chose B. Sc. Agriculture during his college time. After completing his college he got a government job in District Agriculture Department of Muzaffarnagar as a Subject Matter Expert.

“There was one more reason for choosing B.Sc. Agriculture, I wanted to help the unprivileged farmers who were not aware of better farming techniques and methods and after joining the hob as an agriculture expert I got a chance to do that.”

As being a farmer’s son, he always understood the common problems of farmers. While working in Agriculture Department, he was always posted in backward areas (tribal areas) like Sonbhadra, Lakhimpur, Mirzapur and Faizabad in Uttar Pradesh. During that time he used to work for poor farmers and he also rented a quarter near their village, so that, he can closely observe them and help them in farming. He devoted 40 years to his profession and got retired in July 2016.

His passion towards farming was so much that after retirement, he decided to devote the rest of his life to agriculture so that he can contribute to the farmer’s society and help them. Even today also if any farmer needs help at any odd hour of time, he is always ready to help them.

“I’m very grateful to my life that I got the opportunity to help farmers.”

To help the farmers he has especially created a Whats App Group by the name ‘Hello Kisaan’ and he is also using Facebook as a medium to reach farmers and help them. Even after serving the state service and helping farmers at such a great level, he never accepted or showed any kind of interest in any kind of award.

Future Plans:
In the future also he wants to continue his work and help the farmers.

MESSAGE TO FARMERS-
“Every farmer must get their land tested from the experts and check that which minerals are present in it and in what amount. So that they can grow crops accordingly and also add required bio-fertilizers. ”

It is said that often needs and compulsions take people towards new inventions and likewise new discoveries are possible.

Today we are going to talk about one such person, who understood the basic necessity and needs and invented useful things by applying his new-new hacks and tricks- Amrik Singh Dhillon.

Amrik Singh Dhillon is a residence of village Giyana, Tehsil Talwandi (Bathinda). His father (Sardar Molan Singh) inherited the occupation of farming from his ancestors and after seeing him, Amrik Singh also started showing interest in farming. They have a total of 14 acres of land on which they do conventional farming.

As he was interested in farming from his childhood, so in 2000 he quit his studies after completing his 10th and decided to help his father in farming. Along with that he also started working on his friend’s mobile repair shop in his free time. But after some time he realized that education till 12th is necessary because it’s a primary education that everyone should must attend and it also helps the person to gain confidence. So, he completed the education till 12th from private school.

From childhood, he used to find a different, easy and efficient way to do all the work, because of this reason the villagers use to call him “JUGADU”. He used this same skill again after growing up as an adult with his friends and made a lot of beneficial tools for the farmers. (Jugadu- a person who finds low-cost solution to any problem in an intelligent way).

The process of making the tool started at that time when one day he was sitting in a mobile repair shop with his friend and suddenly an idea pop up in his mind of making a tool to protect motorcycle from being stolen. In a few days, he created a device by applying his gimmick that does not allow a motorcycle to move even after breaking the lock or using a fake key, and along with that it also gives a ring on the phone of the bikes owner. The success of this device inspired him more.

He continued his work even further. When he heard the news about theft of transformer, then an idea suddenly came into his mind and he thought that like motorcycle he can also make a device which will protect transformer from being stolen. And at last he succeeded in this initiative also, which gave a great relief to the farmers.

In his area, there are frequent power cuts and many times people are not even aware when power is back. After understanding this problem, he again used his smart brain and prepared a device, which calls on the phone when power is back.

Farmers are appreciating and liking the equipment very much and because of their affordable cost many farmers are also purchasing it for their own use.

According to him, he don’t make any plans before making any equipment, but equipment are needed according to the requirement, and he is working on it and in future also he will continue to make such tools to meet the need of the common people.

Where people in Punjab are still stuck in the cycle of conventional farming, there are some farmers who are breaking this cycle and are bringing innovative farming trends which are helping in saving the nature’s essential resource like water.

This is a story of a family’s effort! Randhawa Family is from the holy city of Punjab- Amritsar, which is known for its amazing cuisine, culture and serene Golden Temple surrounded by Amrit Sarovar (holy water pond). This family is not only bringing revolution in mushroom farming but also encouraging other farmers toward modern and profitable farming trends.

Harjinder Kaur Randhawa is the famous mushroom lady of Amritsar. She started mushroom cultivation just as a side work or we can say it was her hobby, but who knew that Mrs. Harjinder’s hobby will be transformed into a successful business by her sons in the coming future.

So how it get started…
As being the wife of Rajinder Singh Randhawa who was serving in Punjab Police in eighties-nineties, there was no shortage in the house that would have made Mrs. Harjinder Kaur insecure to look for an alternate money earning source.

How a housewife’s interest laid the foundation for the family’s future…
But in 1989, Harjinder Kaur thought of doing something different and utilize her free time in an efficient manner, so she started mushroom cultivation in the veranda of her house. She had no training before starting mushroom cultivation, but her dedication brings the true colors to her work. Slowly she expanded her mushroom cultivation work and started making processed food items of mushroom.

When the sons became the mother’s support….
When her sons grew up and were done with their studies, then three (Manjeet, Mandeep and Harpreet) out of four sons decided of helping their mother and become helping hand in the mushroom farming business. All the three sons especially went to Directorate of Mushroom Research, Solan for training. From there they learn about growing different varieties of mushroom like button, milky, and oyster. They also attended other vocational training given by Punjab Agriculture University on Mushroom Farming. While the third son (Jagdeep Singh) was more interested towards farming other crops and later on he went to Australia and started sugarcane and banana farming.

As time passed, Harjinder Kaur’s sons keep on expanding the mushroom farming work and they also started preparing processed mushroom products like Pickles, Papad, Powder, Vadiyaan, Namkeen and Biscuit for commercial purpose. On the other hand, Mr. Rajinder Singh Randhawa also joined the mushroom farming business along with other family members after retirement.

Today Randhawa family is a successful mushroom producer and mushroom products, manufacturers. From seed preparation to marketing, the family members do everything themselves. After Harjinder Kaur, the other member who took the business more seriously and worked towards expanding is Mandeep Singh (2nd son) he especially manages all the manufacturing and marketing part. Mainly he functions through their shop (Randhawa Mushroom Farm) which is situated at Batala-Jalandhar Road.

The other two son (Manjeet Singh & Harpreet Singh) also plays a very important role in running the Randhawa Mushroom Farm, they manage the mushroom farming, harvesting and other work related to the business.

Although the sons of the family are now managing all the work, still Harjinder Kaur participates very actively and personally visit the farming and manufacturing location and guide the other people working on it. She is the main person who takes cares of the hygiene and quality of the product manufactured by them.

How Harjinder Kaur wants to see her third generation in the coming future…

“I want my third generation (grandchildren) should also be the part of our business. Some of them who are  big enough to understand what is going on, has already started showing interest in the mushroom cultivation business. We are also planning to send our grandson (SO- Manjeet Singh, currently studying in 10th) to go for higher studies in mushroom research and do Ph.D. in it.”

Setting mark in the market…
Randhawa Mushroom Farm has already marked their presence on a large scale in the market with their quality produce. Currently, 70% of the produce (fresh mushrooms and processed mushroom food items) are sold through their shop and the rest of the 30% are sent to vegetable markets of nearby big cities like Jalandhar, Amritsar, Batala, and Gurdaspur.

As they are growing three varieties of mushroom Milky, Button and oyster so the revenue is pretty good. On all the three variety the investment is less and income is between Rs 70 to 80 per kg (raw mushrooms). Button mushroom crops take 20 to 50 days to get ready for harvesting, whereas Oyster (Nov-April) and Milky (May-Oct) takes 6 months to get ready for harvesting. Due to their crops readying and harvesting time their business is never out of season.

Randhawa Family…
The whole family including daughter-in-laws are very much involved in the business and they prepare all the products themselves at home. The second son – Mandeep Singh is serving one more profession other than handling the marketing department of their family business, he is working as a reporter in Jagbani Newspaper since 2007 and covers the Amritsar district. Sometimes in his absence, Mr Rajinder Singh Randhawa takes care of the shop.

Nowadays, the government and agriculture department is encouraging farmers towards farming crop that requires less water, and mushroom is one of those crops which doesn’t need water is the huge quantity for irrigation. So by seeing their effort in the mushroom cultivation, Randhawa family has been awarded district level award two times and tehsil level awards many times in events and fairs. Recently (10th September 2017) Randhawa family efforts have also been appreciated nationwide by Directorate of Mushroom Research, Solan, where they were awarded National Award.

MESSAGE FOR FARMERS

Randhawa family believes in being together and their message is the most unique and inspirational message for farmers.

 “The family which stays together achieves success very easily. Nowadays farmer should understand the power of unity and instead of dividing their land and property among the family members they should live and work in unity. One more thing that farmer should start is self-marketing because it is the easiest way to earn confidence and earn the right price of your harvest.

 

”

This young student of Gurdaspur is unlike other student, he is not the one who chose farming because his father use to do that and he had no other option left, but he chose farming as an alternate learning option along with his studies.

Meet Kaushal Singh an aspiring student who in the bright young age of 22 has setup his own agri-business. Yes, just 22, in this blooming age where most of the youngsters are still confused with their career option, Kaushal Singh has made up his own product of brand name “CANE FARMS” and he is also marketing the products in the market.

Kaushal, comes from a family of Zamindars (landlords), and they use to give their land on rent to other farmers. Earlier their ancestors use to do farming but as the time passed the next generation prefer to go away from farming, but who knew that the youngest generation of the family will start his journey with farming again.

Well the journey of Kaushal Singh up to “CANE FARMS” was not that clear and easy. Like other youngsters of Punjab, Kaushal Singh also had plans to go abroad to his elder brother after completing his school (12th). Even his Visa for Australia was also ready, but at the end moment the whole family was hit by a very sad news. Kaushal Singh’s mother was detected with cancer, due to which Kaushal cancelled his plan of going abroad.

Although Kaushal’s mother didn’t survived cancer but then he decided to do something productive by staying in India in his home town only. In all the hard times Kaushal never lost his hope and connectivity with studies. He enrolled himself in B.Sc. Agriculture and thought that

“I thought that we have enough money and 12 acres of land here in Punjab, so why not utilize it properly.”

So he took back his land from the renters and started farming sugarcane organically. In 2015 he produced Jaggery and Jaggery Powder out of Sugarcane. As he had no knowledge in the beginning about marketing so he started selling it openly without any packing and branding. But Kaushal faced a huge loss in this venture.

But as it said that nothing can stop the flying heart. So Kaushal decided of partnering with his friends- Harinder Singh Rear. Along with him Kaushal cultivated sugarcane in 10 acres of land and Harinder in 20 acres. This time Kaushal was very cautious and he took expert advice from Dr. Ramandeep Singh- Agribusiness Expert in Punjab Agriculture University.

Dr. Ramandeep Singh inspired Kaushal and he told Kaushal to start packing and branding his product before selling it in the market. Kaushal did the same, he started selling his product from his nearby village markets. He faced failure and success both, some shopkeepers happily accepted his product but some didn’t. But slowly Kaushal set his feet strongly in the market and he started getting good response.

Kaushal decided his brand name SWEET GOLD before getting it registered but later on he changed the name to CANE FARMS because of the unavailability of the name.

Today Kaushal and his friend is managing everything on their own- from farming to marketing and they are selling their product in the whole Punjab. They also have designed a logo for their brand. Earlier they were buying box and stickers from the market, but now Kaushal has started doing everything at his own level.

Future Plan

In future we are planning to take every organic farmer along with us in our venture to sell the products. So that other farmers who are unaware of our brand, can know about the modern agribusiness trends and take advantage of it.

For Kaushal this is just the beginning and in the future also he is going to come up with more bright ideas to take out more profit from agriculture.

Generally people know what faults there are in their work but they keep on doing it in the similar way, because others are also doing the same, and still they want to make a change in the society. But as said by Albert Einstein that-

“We can’t solve the problem by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them…”

So, if we want to make a change in the society we have to think different and do different. Iqbal Singh of Basarka Village (District Tarn Taran ) is a person who chose organic farming after completing his studies just to improve the food cycle and its bad effects on the people.

Iqbal Singh’s father used to do conventional farming earlier and after completing the studies (B.Com from PU) Iqbal also decided of starting farming along with his father. But when he noticed the deteriorating health of one of his relative then he realized that how badly our food system has been affected by the chemicals and pesticides use. At that time he understood that “our food cycle and water cycle has been poisoned and if we don’t take necessary steps towards our environment then our coming generation will get affected by it very badly.”

Iqbal decided of starting farming but in a different way. He stopped the use of chemicals and pesticides and slowly expanded the organic farming in his 16 acres of land. Today he is successfully earning good profit by farming all types of seasonal vegetables organically. He implements every type of tractor, trolley, plough device, disc, and rotavator. In the coming times he wants to start food processing and its marketing so that he can take better advantage of it and earn more profit.

In our Indian Society, a notion has been deep rooted in our minds that woman should be at home and men should earn. But still, there are many women who bear the tag of bread earner very confidently in a positive way and help their husbands in running and supporting the house needs. One such a woman who is helping his husband in fulfilling her house needs is Pooja Sharma.

Mrs. Pooja Sharma is a rising agripreneur from the land of Jats – Haryana, and currently, she is the president of Kshitiz Self-Help Group and leading women of her village (Chandu) under her. By using the innovative farming technique she is producing 11 varieties of ready to cook and ready to eat items made up of soybean, wheat, maize, pearl millet, and corn.

The decision of making a move in the field of farming was taken in 2012 when Pooja Sharma (mother of three children) realized that her house needs aren’t going to be fulfilled with just his husband (Government Contract Employee) earnings, and now it’s her responsibility to support her husband.

She joined KVK Shikoupur and told them to teach her things that will help her earn a livelihood. She took training from there and learned innovative farming techniques. There she learned how to process the soybeans and other cereals so that it can be directly used for eating. And after taking this training she encouraged other women of her neighbourhood and village to take the same training.

In 2013, she established her own small manufacturing unit of roasted soybeans at home and also involved other women of her village in her venture and slowly expanded her business. She also made a self-help group by the name Kshitiz SHG and involved and encouraged more women of her village to join it. By collecting all the savings of the group’s women, she purchased three more roasting machines. And after some time she collected more money and purchased two more machines.

Currently, their group has 7 units of manufacturing machines. The machines were expensive according to their budget but still, they managed and it cost them around Rs. 16,000 and Rs. 20,000 per piece. She has 1.25 acres of land and she is actively involved in farming also. She grows mostly those crops of pulses and cereals, so that, she can process it and use it later for selling purpose. She is teaching the same thing to other women of her village also to use their land effectively because it can benefit them in the future.

Along with the team of 11 women today she is processing and selling more than 11 varieties of products (millet khichadi, millet laddoo, roasted wheat grains, roasted sorghum, roasted soy beans, roasted Bengal grams) which are ready to eat and cook (wholesome packets of nutrients) across the states and country. With the willpower, Pooja Sharma has helped other women of her village to gain self-reliance and confidence.

For her, it has been a long journey to reach where she is today and she has faced many challenges also. Now they have setup the machines at their home, so that women can operate it at home when they are free; and in their village, as power cuts are very frequent, so they have divided their work according to that; some women dry up the beans, some clean them and the rest of the women roast and grind them.

Currently, the big problem that Pooja Sharma and group face sometimes is language barriers (English). Because when it comes to communicating with big companies then they realize that in which skill they are lacking the most and that is education. But they are not discouraged by it and are trying to work on it. Apart of manufacturing food items, she is also helping women acquire training in stitching, farming and other activities they are interested in.

Her future plans are to expand his business and inspire more women and make them independent so that they don’t have to be dependent on others for money. For her passionate work and effort, she has been awarded a cash prize of 50,000 and a citation certificate for innovative farming techniques with Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya Krishi Puraskar from Zone II comprising states of Rajasthan, Haryana, and Delhi. She is also a member of ATMA SCHEME and she has also received appreciation by the Governor- Kaptan Singh Solanki, for making protein-rich food items.

There are very few compassionate people who like to think for the welfare of the society and direct their future on the path of agriculture because making profit from the path related to agriculture it is not that easy. But there are many opportunities in our surrounding, that we just have to learn to seize it. One such woman who came with her innovative dreams and thinking to devote her life to the field of agriculture and agribusiness is Mrs. Shahnaz Qureshi.

Despite getting married at a very young age, Shahnaz Qureshi never stopped dreaming. After marriage, she continued her studies and completed her graduation and also did M. Sc. in fashion designing. She got many job offers from abroad but she chose to stay in her country and do something good for her society.

During all this time, one of the instance that changed her perception towards the food quality and her future plans was her parent’s health. Both, her mother and father were suffering from common health issues like arthritis, diabetes and kidney problem. She thought that if food is the reason behind problems, then food will be the only cure. She changed the food habits of her family and started eating only good and fresh things. This habit made a huge difference in the health of her father and mother. Just after seeing huge improvement she decided of entering the food processing business. Moreover, sitting idly was not what she was made for, so she chose to step in the field of agribusiness and help unprivileged farmers.

Her decision of stepping in the field of agribusiness was just the first step of success and rest the whole Bathinda knows about her. She and her family took training from KVK Bathinda in beekeeping and started beekeeping business with 200 honey bee boxes. She did the marketing and her husband did the processing part. To take more advantage of this business she also started making face wash, soap, and body scrub of honey. Customers start liking it and approached her for more. After some time she also took training in vegetable/fruit farming and food processing and started implementing it by making chutney, murraba, and pickles.

There was also a time when even her husband criticized her for the work she was doing, because he was unsure about the business profit, moreover he also thought that these products are already available in the market, then why people are going to buy these things from them. But she never got demotivated, because her children’s support was always with her. Some great personalities who always inspired her are APJ Abdul Kalam, Bill Gates, Akbar and Swami Vivekananda. In free time she loves to read books about them.

With the time she increased her collection of products and started gaining good profit from it. And soon she also started making fruit squashes, gram flour badiyaan and pakode and many other things. Sprouted fenugreek pickle is one of her popular products which is always in demand because of its amazing health benefits in most of the fairs and events organized by PAU in Faridkot, Ludhiana, and other places. She made a different place for her products in the market and gained a huge loyal customer base.

In 2014 she made a farmer self-help group in Mehma Sarja village near Bathinda and through this group she promoted other farmer’s products. Sometimes she even overlooked her profits just to help and support farmers who lacked confidence and resources. In 2015 she made a firm by the name FRESH HUB and there she started selling her products. Today, she has total 40-45 products in the collection, which she buys, process, pack and market herself. She is making all these efforts just to ensure the purity and healthiness of the products so that there will be no side-effects on the customer’s health. Even when she prepare pickles, she never uses cheap vinegar and always uses apple vinegar to ensure the best quality.

In 2016 she also took vinegar training and very soon she will be implementing that too. Currently, she is making 10 lakh profit annually. One thing that she understood very early and implemented was to deliver always the quality, not the quantity or just the taste. For marketing, she is using the latest technology like Whats App to connect with the farmers and other necessary details. Before purchasing, she always makes sure that she purchases chemical free vegetables and also encourages farmers to start organic farming. Her work not only includes processing and marketing the products, but she also provides free information about her technique to other women, because she wants other people to progress and do something good for the community.

From the beginning, Shahnaz Qureshi’s mindset was very clear towards her work. She wants everyone in the society to be independent and confident. She has given her children an upbringing that they don’t have to spread their hands in front of anyone, they should be self-sufficient to fulfil their basic needs themselves. Today her main focus is towards the youth especially the girls. To make her thinking and skills reach more people, she has also given training and information through TV, newspaper, and radio. She personally visits the farmer training events and meetings to especially impart her skills to them. In 2016 she also started tiffin service for college students. Today, her work has made her so popular that she has her own radio show that is aired every Friday from 1 PM to 2 PM, where she gives tips to people about water management, health food recipes and much more.

As being a Kashmiri by birth, Shahnaz always tries to bring an essence of her native place in her work and products. She has opened a restaurant in Bathinda by the name “Shah’s Kashmiri and Mughlai Chicken” and is also planning to give a rustic Kashmiri interior and use Kashmiri crockery set in her restaurant, even she also has a popular product known as Kashmiri Kahwa (Tea) which reflects the core of Kashmiri tradition and cuisine. She wants to share every healthy, beneficial and traditional recipe that she knows through her products, restaurants, and training. She also has orchards in Kashmir, which is under the care of her cousin in her absence. In orchards she follows organic ways to nurture it, to maintain the soil fertility and get a good yield from it.

These are just a few achievements of Shahnaz Qureshi, in the coming future, she will accomplish more to work in the interest of the society. Her efforts are admired by many organizations and she was awarded by the food processing department of Muktsar Sahib. Other than that in 2015 she was also awarded Jagbir Kaur Memorial award by PAU.

MESSAGE TO FARMERS
“
Don’t blame the government all the time. Because the problems which we are facing today, for that only we are responsible. Nowadays farmers are not aware how to take advantage of the opportunities. Because if farmers want to move ahead then they have to change their thinking. Moreover, it is not necessary to follow, you can be the inspiration for others. Farmers have to understand that food processing has more money than raw material.
”

Even today also Rajasthan is known for its conventional farming methods, and the main crops that are grown there are Bajara, Guar, and Sorghum. Many farmers are progressing but still, many farmers are there who just don’t want to come out of their stereotypical conventional farming trend. One such a person who is trying to do something out of the box and bring a changing tide in agriculture field is Raja Ram Jakhar.

Born and brought up on the land of Rajasthan, Raja Ram Jakhar is a B.Sc. Agriculture Graduate who left his government job just to pursue his passion towards farming. He learned to take advantage of the opportunity and gain profit from it. And today he is a successful aloe-vera farmer in Rajasthan, who is not dependent on anyone for marketing because his produce is sold to the consumers from his farm only.

Rajaram Jakhar’s family was associated with agriculture from the beginning. And all his childhood, he had seen all his family members doing farming only. But after completing his B.Sc. Agriculture degree from the DAV College of Sangaria, Rajasthan in 1980, he got a chance to pursue a different profession (Supervisor at Central State Farm, Suratgarh). However, he wasn’t able to work there more than 3-4 months, because it doesn’t interest him and he chose to come back and continue his ancestral occupation, farming.

He started farming in the same way his ancestors were doing and there was no major profit that he achieved. Slowly it was getting difficult for him to manage his family livelihood, they were just living from hand to mouth. But then he heard about Patanjali brand and its aloe vera products, and to manufacture those products Patanjali needs aloe-vera produce in bulk. So he took advantage of this opportunity and started aloe-vera farming by making minimum Rs. 15000 of investment in 1 bigha of variety “Babie Densis”.

During all this, once his family also went against his decision of aloe-vera farming, because they were unsure of what he was doing, and at that time he was the first one to start aloe-vera farming in his area (Ganganagar District). But he never changed his mind, because he was confident of himself. After one year, when finally aloe-vera plants were ready, few buyers contacted him for buying his produce, and since then he is selling his produce without making any extra effort from his farm only and is earning 1 Lakh from 1 Bigha in 1 Year.

As there are many factories in Rajasthan for Aloe-Vera processing, so every after 50 days two trucks are sent to his farm by the buyers to purchase his produce and he just has to load the produce in the truck with the help of the workers. Now he has started inter-cropping and has planted moringa tree in the aloe-vera field to take advantage in a better way.

Currently, he is living happily with his family (wife, three daughters and one son) and is managing the whole farm on his own. He has one tube well and tractor for framing. He strictly follows organic farming in his farm for aloe-vera, moringa, and cotton. Along with aloe-vera, moringa and cotton he has also planted vegetables like okra, ridge gourd, cucumber, bottle gourd, guar beans and other seasonal vegetables for home use.

Rajaram Jakhar chose Moringa for inter-cropping because of its medicinal properties and it is easy to grow with little care. Now he has also started selling plants and giving free training to farmers who want to start aloe-vera farming. Rajaram Jakhar with his futuristic views is trying to bring a new revolution in the agriculture field. Till now he has taken no help from government or any other source, he has done everything on his own. His upcoming plans are to expand his work and make more farmers aware to start aloe-vera farming.

MESSAGE TO FARMERS
“Before starting any new thing, a farmer should search the market first and then start farming. There are many opportunities from which farmers can take advantage and they should never miss that.”

It is generally seen in India that most of the farmers gave up very easily, instead of facing their home, financial, and other types of difficulties with confidence. Even some farmers also choose the path of committing suicide. But today we are going to discuss one such a farmer, who not even faced his personal and financial problem with boldness, but he also worked harder and achieved many high level of awards in the field of horticulture and that man is, Gurraj Singh Virk who is farming Kinnow from the last 30 years.

Gurraj Singh was born on 1st October 1954, in a normal farmer’s family and he is a residence of Surgapuri village (District Faridkot). Even though he has just passed 12th standard, but he never gave up on his courage, and not only with his self-confidence had he accomplished a great position in the field of horticulture, but he also invented the machine to make his work easier and efficient. But the position he has achieved today for that he had worked very hard.

Beginning Struggle in his life
In the beginning, he was farming cotton, but his crops faced many diseases due to which he had to stop the farming of cotton in 1990 because money debt on him was increasing day by day that he took from other local merchants and banks. Then he started sugarcane farming, but after some time, he had to stop that as well because of low profit as Faridkot Sugarcane Mill was on a stage of getting shut down. After that, he decided to start paddy farming, but in this venture also he didn’t gain much of a profit because the land was not capable enough for irrigation.

Turning Point in Life
At last, with the support of Horticulture Department, Faridkot and Punjab Agriculture University he got trained in 1983 and planted Kinnow Orchard. It was not even 2 years since he planted the kinnow trees in the orchards, his father (Sardar Swarn Singh) expired, and because of this, the whole family’s strength was shattered. Although it took a lot of time to recover from it, but from patience, hard-work, and faith he managed to direct their life on the right path. The family was not even recovered properly from their great loss, and his mother also got expired in 1999, the whole family was again in a great shock. But even facing all this he never gave up his confidence and he continued his hard-work and effort.

Fruit of Hard Work
It is said that fruit of patience is sweet, in the same way, his kinnow orchards started giving fruits and good days were returned. He never misused the profit he earned from kinnows, on the other hand, he used it well with his wise senses to expand his orchard area and got installed a deep tube well. Now he has enough water to irrigate his paddy field which resulted in increased revenue. He also planted grapes on 2.5 acres of land, which made him earn a profit of almost one lakh per acre.

But the path of success was not that easy, almost after 15-year termite attacked his grape vine fields due to which he had to uproot the whole grape orchard. Then also he never loses his hope and he expanded and continued his kinnow, paddy and wheat farming.

Modernized ways of farming
Sardar Virk always keeps himself updated with the latest technology and also implemented the necessary technology in his farm. Today he has total 41 acres of land, from which 21 acres is for kinnow farming and 20 acres is for wheat and paddy farming. Other than kinnow he also has trees of Lemon, Grape Fruit, Mousambi, Malta Red, Malta Jaffa, Nagpuri Orange, Orange, Plum, Pomegranate, Grapes, Guava, Amla, Jamun, Falsa and Chiku on his farm. For better water management he uses drip irrigation system and in summers to maintain the moisture level in the soil he implies mulching technique. He is well-skilled in taking care of natural resources. Most of the times to increase the fertility of the soil in which Kinnow plants are planted he always supports and recommend the use of green manure. Along with traditional ways, he also follows high-density farming technology for kinnow farming.

Inventions and Creations
To make his work easier he has invented many things. He has designed many types of machines, which are not of high level and costly, instead they are very normal and designed in a simple way. Machines designed by him save time and money both. He has also designed a spray pump and machine to cut and give proper shape to the trees in a very simple layman’s way. Other than this he has also created a machine for cleaning and grading the kinnows, which cleans 2 ton of kinnows in one hour. And the total expenditure in cleaning two tons of kinnow it only costs him Rs. 125, whereas if that work is done by hand then the expenditure is Rs. 1000. And there is more money is cleansing the kinnows by the mechanical way.

Other than above-mentioned inventions, Gurraj Singh Virk has also contributed to literature. He has written 7 famous articles for kinnow farming and a book also.

Achievements
The success and hard work of Gurraj Singh Virk have made him many achieve many awards in different events. Some of them are as follow:

• He has received many awards district and state level for kinnow farming. He was awarded Best Kinnow Farmer in 2010-11 and 2011-12 by National Horticulture Board.

• He was also honoured by the Advisor of Monthly Agriculture Magazines for organizing fair in March 2012.

• Gurraj Singh Virk was also an advisor to the high-level committees of PAU (Punjab Agriculture University) of fruits and vegetables, and he also made a special position for himself in Malwa Vegetable and Fruit Growing Committee.

• He is also known for helping many farmers on the behalf of many departments and organizations.

• Gurraj Singh Virk has helped farmers in around 150 acres for Kinnow farming.

He is very thankful to KVK Faridkot State Horticulture Department for the training of Kinnow Production.

Family Life
Even though Sardar Gurraj Singh Virk was not that educated enough and he also faced many great problems in his life, but then also he has great achievements. Today his kids are also reflecting the same and are well settled at higher job positions. His wife (Jagmeet Kaur) is more of a home lady. Of their 5 children, one son is a doctor in America, one son is an engineer in Canada, one daughter is doctor in Canada and other is in Punjab and one is nurse in Canada. All his children are happily living with their family. Gurraj Singh Virk often visits his children in Canada and America.

MESSAGE FOR FARMERS
“Farmers should never lose their hope and self-confidence because of small losses and other difficulties and they should never give up. Farmers should also think other than conventional framing ways. There are still many fields in farming in which farmer can reap higher profit. Horticulture is the same field like this in which farmer can make profits in lakhs very easily. But in the beginning, they should keep patience. I’m making a huge profit from horticulture and for the future also I want that farmers should adopt horticulture along with other traditional farming methods. “

It is said that success is not that easy to attain, you have to taste failures many times, only then you can enjoy the real flavor of success. Same was the case with Gurwinder Singh Sohi- a normal student who opted farming when he wasn’t able to crack the Punjab JET Exam.

He was determined from the beginning that he was not going to act like a sheep and start his family occupation of wheat-paddy cultivation. So, he started mushroom farming, but it was not that successful, soon after that he setup his own sweet shop in the nearby town- Khamano. But maybe he was not meant for that also, so he took up the profession of horse breeding and later on he shifted his profession to jeep customizing.

After leaving all these jobs, in 2008, he came to know about a news that, Punjab Horticulture Department is giving subsidy on Holland Gladiolas Seeds and then the real game started for Gurwinder Singh Sohi. He started growing Gladiolas in 2 Kanals and gradually started adding more acres under the same flower. He started getting a higher price than the local variety of flower and his revenue also got increased.

The area got increased from eight acres to 18, of which 9 were his own and nine were on lease. He used 12 acres out of the total for gladiolus, 3 acre for marigold and the rest for pulses, paddy (mainly basmati), wheat, maize, and cattle fodder. The sowing (September-October) to harvesting (January- March) time of gladiolus is 7-8 months, while paddy and wheat have just opposite sowing and harvesting pattern, so the same land gives him revenue round the year. Moreover, these gladiolus are sold as Rs 7 per stick in wedding season and Rs 3 on an average. In this way, he has secured his income around the year.

Gladiolus crop is just like reaping treasure because the seeds of Holland variety are a one-time investment of 1.6 lakh per acre- which is later sold at Rs 2 per bulb and from that crop next year plants can also be prepared. Although it’s a one-time investment, it requires large workforce while sowing and seed extraction from Feb-April and labour almost cost is up to Rs 40,000 an acre.

The marigold field is also rewarding and it generates profit around Rs. 1.25 lakh to Rs 1.3 lakh every season. And this revenue is far better than wheat and paddy. All-n-all after taking out the land lease, labour and another input cost, he is left with the half of the total profit, and that is good enough.

His startup is with the name of RTS Flowers and it is booming in many cities of Punjab like Chandigarh, Ludhiana, and Patiala. However, he didn’t pursued his higher studies but time-to-time he up-skills himself to become a pro in marketing and today he is selling his gladiolus produce across the country through his firm’s Facebook Page and other online websites like India-mart.

With the coming modern marketing skills and advancement, Gurwinder has also updated himself about the term agri-marketing, and his work is in progress on the concept of farm-to-fork. He and his 12 friends have installed drip irrigation, solar pumps and other agriculture equipment with the help of government departments, and has also setup a Friends Farmers Welfare Club which has a membership of Rs. 5000 each so that in future they can buy other machinery like rotavator, power spray, and seed drill. And to promote organic farming the members of the group has also started growing turmeric, pulses, maize and basmati organically. And to expand their market of the organic food industry, they have started marketing the produce directly to the customers through Whats App groups. And to ensure that the customer and farmer both get the fair deal, they directly market their produce to 30 homes in Mohali and soon they will be staring their service through website also.

Recently, they have also started a company named as Akal Farmers Producer Company Limited and all the crops produced by farmers are packed and sold under this company. They have total 20 types of products like moong bean, black gram, chickpea, honey, Kidney beans, mustard oil, turmeric, 4 types of flour, Squashes, Garam Masala, Lassi Masala etc. and to expand the business they have also opened a shop in their village for selling the products and farmers income has increased by this. Besides this Gurwinder Singh Sohi also organizes farming, Horticulture and KVK camps on his farm to motivate other farmers.

Gurwinder Singh Sohi’s young mind hasn’t stopped dreaming and soon he will be coming up with more bright ideas to chase.

MESSAGE TO FARMERS
“Farmers should work in unity by making small groups, because buying and using farming machinery in this way is easy. By using machines in a group the expenditure get reduced resulting into a profitable venture. I’m also doing the same, I have also made a group in which we buy machines by the group names and all the members of the group can use it.”

We all know that every successful business starts with a struggle to reach the pinnacle and nothing can be achieved easily. Behind every start-up business, there are sparkling ideas, late night discussions, arguments with close ones, thought processing, and much more. If we say that he is intelligent or he is financially sound, that’s why he is able to start a good business, then it is not true. We all have the same opportunities and we all are surrounded by great business ideas, we just have to open ourselves and let the possibilities come near us. Today, we are going to talk about three young men who discovered opportunities from their surrounding and are coming as a group of emerging entrepreneurs.

Three young students of PAU who came up with a belief of delivering the best food experience not as businessmen but as microbiologists are – Prabhjot Singh Khanna, Shaminderjeet Singh Brar, and Sourav Singla. And to give their idea a face and direction, they founded their company by the name MICRO FOODS in 2015 in Ludhiana, Punjab.

Well, yes it was a group effort by three of them, but the main inspiration behind their start-up were their professors – Dr. Sanjeev Kapoor and Dr. Ramandeep Singh. After completing their studies and research work in the field of fermented vinegar, all the three founders (Prabhjot, Shaminderjeet and Sourav) finally begin with their venture. They all three decided the company name and designed the logo.

While doing their research work, they already had a lot of work experience and knowledge of many leading fermentation and vinegar industries. So they started with the process of making organic vinegar by using natural fermentation techniques from natural fruits; that too without using synthetic acid or artificial ingredients. They set up their business manufacturing unit in 500 yards of area in Prabhjot’s home premises. And one thing that they are especially taking care of is the hygiene level of their manufacturing unit and aseptic conditions.

They started producing 4 types of vinegar made up of Apple, Java Plum (Jamun), Sugarcane, and White Grapes, under the brand name FRUIGAR. The idea behind choosing FRUIGAR as their vinegar name is that FRUI comes from Fruit and GAR come from Vinegar. They ordered raw material (fruits) from South India. The reason behind choosing these fruits for making vinegar is that all these have major health benefits and have very high demand in the market. Moreover, they are organic, so they are not going to hurt human body internally.

After making their product, they came up with the marketing plan. They started marketing their product on the basis of data that they used in their research. They also tried to cover all the doctors and introduce them with their organic fruit vinegar health benefits. Their main motive behind making fruit vinegar was to provide healthy produce to the community without any artificial ingredients.

These young entrepreneurs didn’t stop there, they also came up with two new products, known as Gluten Free Flour and Flour for the Diabetic Patient, which is very in demand nowadays. Coming from a farming background, Shaminderjeet Singh (one of the founders) cultivates wheat and paddy and also provides the raw material for their new product.

They are doing this work from past two years and slowly they are trying to establish their product in the market. Currently, they are making no profit, nor are they having loss, but in this short span of time, they have made a good number of loyal customers, which are aware of their product’s health benefits and want to invest in their product.

For them, this is just the beginning. They want to come up with more healthy and organic products for the community. Their future plan is to cover market and factories to a larger extent. Till now they are partially dependent on others for their packaging, processing, and marketing, but after 2017 they are planning to process, pack and market their product themselves. And they are also looking forward to tying up with MARKFED to sell their products.

Message by Prabhjot, Shaminderjeet, & Sourav
“Today youngsters who are in the field of Microbiology should think towards making their education a boon for the society. There are many different fields in Microbiology, in which student can do wonders. And before starting, they should discuss with the people, learned men, professionals, and their professors, as much as they can.”

Mother Nature is one of our greatest teachers and she never stopped from the earliest times in teaching us what we need to know. Today we are living on Earth in a way as if we had another one to go to. We are not aware that how we are disturbing the nature’s balance and how it can affect us in reverse. Nowadays, we are seeing many cases of diseases, abnormalities, and deficiencies, in humans and animals, but still, most of the people are not able to identify the slips, they are just sitting with the blindfolds as if nothing is going on. But there are still few people, who have learned from their mistakes and are trying to bring a change in the society.

It is said that mistakes have the power to turn you into something better than you were before. And one such person who turned his path towards something better is Rajinder Pal Singh and today he is a successful personality in the field of organic farming. His products are not only praised and have high demand in Punjab, but also in America, Canada and even the royal family of London is also aware of it.

Well, there is always a story behind a successful journey. Rajinder Pal Singh a resident of Kalalwala Village of District- Bathinda, was once a farmer who used to do conventional farming, but after facing the adverse effects of chemicals and pesticides himself, he realized that, with which intensity he is affecting his environment and his health by using the chemicals. He used to spray pesticides on his crops, but one day, that spray affected his nervous system and same was the case with one of his relatives. From that day he decided to quit the use of chemicals and adopt natural ways for farming.

In the beginning, he and his uncle started organic farming on 4 acres of land and slowly expanded the area. In 2001, he bought rose saplings from Uttar Pradesh and since then he is doing rose farming also along with cultivating other crops. He has taken no training for organic farming. His uncle helped him in organic farming by gathering all information from the books. Currently, he is living in a joint family, with his wife, children, uncles, aunts, and cousins, and he gives all the credit of his success to his family for their endless support.

He was the first farmer in Malwa region of Bathinda who chose organic farming over conventional farming. When he started organic farming, at that time, he faced many difficulties and many people discouraged him also by saying that he is just wasting money, but today his products are sold in advance booking. And he is also the first farmer of Punjab who gifted Rose Oil made by him on his farm to Prince Charles and his wife in 2010 in an event in Fatehgarh Sahib.

The title of “King of Flowers” is also given to him for the work he is doing. He has the best variety of rose called Damascus and you can smell the fragrance of roses by standing at a far distance from his rose fields which is spread over 6 acres of land. He has also set up an oil extraction project on his own farm where he makes rose oil by using his farm roses. Other than rose farming he is also growing Green Grams, Lentil, Maize, Soy Bean, Peanut, Bengal Gram, Wheat, Basmati, Chick Pea, Guar and other seasonal vegetables. In 12 acres he grows basmati and in the rest of the land, he grows other above-mentioned crops.

The roses which Rajinder Pal Singh is farming blooms once in a year in December and its harvesting is completed till the month of March and April. From one acre of land he is growing 12 to 18 quintals of roses and today his annual profit from one acre of rose farming land is 1.25 Lakhs. His products demand come from America, Canada, and other countries. Even the rose oil made by him is purchased at a good price in advance by the exporters, just because he makes it from pure organic roses. In the off-season, he grows other varieties of roses and make Gulkand from it and sell it in the nearby grocery stores. Other than rose oil, rose water, and gulkand, he also sells organic lentils, wheat, maize, rice and other crops that he grows. All the products made by him are sold under his brand name Bhakar Organic Farm.

Today, Rajinder Pal Singh is very much satisfied with organic farming. Yes, he is getting low yield but the price of his products is just two times than the price of other crops grown using conventional farming. He only uses cow dung manure and river water in his fields and does not buy any type of manure or compost from the market. By doing organic farming he is also able to maintain the nutrient and fertility level of the soil. In the beginning, he faced a little problem in marketing his products but as soon the people recognized the quality level of his products, he started gaining momentum in his work. And he is also facing very fewer diseases in his crops by doing organic farming.

Now coming to his awards and achievements- He is appreciated by the Central Government under the ATMA SCHEME and is presented as a role model to inspire other farmers in the country. He is also a member of Bhumi Vardaan Foundation which is led by the Royal Prince of Wales, Britain, and all his products are organically certified by this foundation. He has also received Appreciation letter from Punjab Agriculture Department, Patiala and even Ex-Agriculture Minister of Punjab – Mr. Tota Singh also awarded him as a Progressive Farmer.

Future Plans:

His future plan is to continue his work in the field of organic farming and make aware more and more farmers about organic farming and inspire them to do it.

Message Given by Rajinder Pal Singh
“Today our earth need us and we as a farmer are the most responsible person in saving the earth from pollution. Yes, by doing organic farming there is less yield, but in the coming times, there will be high demand for organic products, not just because it is healthy, but also because it will become the need of the hour. Moreover, organic farming is sustainable and requires less finance, it only requires labour, and if a farmer is interested in switching to organic farming then he can do it very easily.”

 

 

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Farming has never been and never will be an easy life, but for many people who don’t have any option for them farming is the only choice. That’s why today most of the farmers send their kids to school and college so that they can choose whatever they want and become whatever they want. But one such person who even had a good job opportunity, but then also he chose to farm is Hind Pal Singh Aulakh.

Hind Pal Singh was born in a typical farming family of Rajasthan (Ganganagar District), but was grown up in a very different modern environment; with the motive of pursuing different profession than his father, he pursued Bachelors in Hotel Management from IHM PUSA, Delhi.

“But maybe Hind Pal Singh wasn’t destined to continue his career in the same field. His father was a farmer and was very much interested in farming. His father inspired and motivated him to start farming.”

After seeing so much passion of his father towards farming, he decided to help him. He also started reading agriculture related magazines like Changi Kehti etc. In one of the magazines, he read about Jojoba Farming and thought of giving it a try. He visited Jaipur and took training from there in Jojoba Farming. Mr. Saini was a faculty member of the training staff who helped and guided him in jojoba farming and especially visited his farm in his hometown also.

In the beginning, Hind Pal Singh was a little scared before starting Jojoba Farming, but now it’s been 12 years since he is doing jojoba farming and he is very happy with the yield and returns. He bought the Jojoba seedlings from Rajasthan Agriculture University because jojoba plants need to be planted in 10:1 ratio, where 10 is for female jojoba plants and 1 is for male jojoba plant. And only a proper agriculture university or expert can help in providing the right jojoba plants because common people cannot identify the male and female plants in seedling until they start flowering (can take up to three years).

“The female plants produce seed from flowers pollinated by the male plants, female plant is dependent on male plants for seed production.”

Planting and farming jojoba was not that easy for Hind Pal Singh. He faced many problems like termite and fungus, but he dealt with it very smartly. He always consulted an expert and used micro food and basic fertilizers for farming. From the year of the plantation, it starts bearing fruits in 6th and 7th year.

“One Time Investment: Jojoba farming is the best thing to do in an area like Rajasthan where there is water scarcity because it needs very less water for irrigation (can survive without water for two years), moreover the plant age is up to 100 years.”

In the beginning inter-cropping can also be done when the jojoba plants are small because they don’t start bearing seeds properly up to 6th to 7th years. He faced few difficulties in marketing the produce, but he took no help from the government. As Cosmetics Company need jojoba seeds in for making face cream, oil, face wash and many more beauty products, so soon he found his consumer and started earning good profit.

“Jojoba Oil also has an alternate use as a fuel oil because of its viscosity index. It can be used as transformer oil or as a lubricant for high-speed machinery or machines operating at high temperature.”

Other than jojoba farming which he is doing in approx. 5 acres, he is also growing cotton, wheat, seasonal veggies, mustard, kinnow and other crops in the rest 65 acres of land. He implements all the modern farming machinery like tractor, trolley, cultivator, leveller, disc harrow and drip irrigation system for better farming. His future plan is to expand what he is doing right now and attract more loyal and profitable consumers of jojoba seeds. With a minor 45 thousand of investment today he is earning in lakhs. Moreover, jojoba is a disease free and fire resistant plant which needs very less care once the plant is fully grown.

Message to Farmers
“Farmers have to become independent and start thinking differently if they want to earn profit from farming. One more thing that farmers have to do is to keep track of their accounts and give their hundred percent if they have started something.”

Farming is one of the most important ingredients of human civilization and with the advancement in technology and living, farming has also been transformed over the years. But still, many farmers in India are stuck to the conventional farming method. But one such farmer or we can say a pair of a father-son duo who made the internet as their research weapon to progress in the field of farming are Harbant Singh (father) and Satnam Singh (son).

Like other farmers, Harbant Singh was also into conventional farming until his son came up with the idea of orchard farming organically. Yes, it was Satnam Singh who after his 1 year of research, approached his father to start dragon fruit farming.

It all started just one year ago when Satnam Singh came in contact with a person (Vishal Doda) in Gujarat through one of his friends. Vishal Doda is doing dragon fruit farming in 15 acres of area. Satnam Singh researched everything about dragon fruit plant and discussed it with his father. And when Harbant Singh came to know about dragon fruit farming and its benefits, he very happily encouraged his son to start it, no matter how much investment they have to do. Soon they visited Gujarat, bought dragon fruit plants and took some guidance from Vishal Doda about its farming.

Today, this father-son duo is the first one who started dragon fruit farming in Punjab and now the plant has started bearing fruits also. They have planted 500 seedlings of dragon fruits in one and a half bigha of land. One plant gives 4-20 kg of fruit in 4 years. They especially cast and prepared a cement structure with a wheel mounted on the pillar to support this plant. Whenever they need help related to dragon fruit farming either they search the internet or they consult Vishal Doda.

Well, dragon fruit farming is not the only thing that they are doing, they have also planted Sandalwood seedling on their farm. The idea of planting sandalwood came when Satnam was watching a news channel where he came to know that a minister gifted a sandalwood tree trunk in a temple that was worth in lakhs. At that time, the thing that struck his mind was to make the future secure and more profitable in both the terms- environmentally and financially. So he invested in sandalwood farming in July 2016 and planted 200 seedlings in 6 canal area.

Both father and son are very actively involved in the farming and are well aware of the plant characteristics. They know that sandalwood is a hemiparasite plant, so they have planted split red gram seedlings, lemon plants and cauliflower along with sandalwood. They are doing diversified farming so that they can generate profit both in present and future also.

According to Harbant Singh, the farming pattern that they are following is preparing them for the future. Because both dragon fruit and sandalwood need less water (can also be irrigated through rain water only) and don’t need any special type of manure or fertilizer. Moreover, they are well aware of the fact that in the coming time paddy and wheat farming will get disappear from Punjab because of the depleting level of ground water. And orchard farming will become the need of the coming time.

Harbant Singh is strictly following organic methods for dragon farming and sandalwood farming and slowly with the time, he will reduce the chemical use in his other crops also. The thing that encouraged Harbant Singh and his son towards organic farming is the increasing diseases and ailments in the society. They want to make the environment healthy and liveable for the future generations, as their ancestors left the atmosphere for them. There is one more reason that Satnam Singh chose organic farming after completing his engineering and that is his interest in farming from the beginning.

Today Satnam Singh is making full effort in helping his father in farming with mechanized ways. They prepare jivamrit and manure at home by using cow dung and Gau Mutr (cow urine). They avoid using pesticides and fertilizers. Harbant Singh is also working on water management in his village and is teaching other villagers about it, so that, they use less tube well water. He himself has only one tube well for 12 acres of land. Other than usual crops he also has guava, banana, mango and peach tree at his farm.

Satnam especially did one year of research before starting sandalwood and dragon fruit farming because he wanted to invest in a crop that needs less irrigation and has a plethora of health and environmental benefits. He wants other farmers to do the same and adopt a farming crop that is eco-friendly and has various benefits also.

Future Plans
His future plan is to grow garlic and mahogany tree. He wants other farmers to recognize the potential and start investing in it for their better future.

Message to farmers
“Harbant Singh and his son both want other farmers to start organic farming and save the environment for the future generation, only then they can survive and make earth a better living place.”

There are very few children who take their ancestor’s occupation ahead in their life with the motive of making their father and grandfather proud of it. One such a person who after getting inspired from his grandfather, started organic farming is Rajnish Lambha.

Rajnish Lambha is a successful horticulturist based in Village Chelasi of JhunJhunu District of Rajasthan. He has a 4 acres orchard farm named after his grandfather as – Hardev Bagh and Udhyan Nursery and it has more than 3000 fruit trees of lemon, pomegranate, Bel Patra, Kinnow, Mousami etc. in it.

Choosing farming as his profession was Rajnish Lambha’s own interest. Rajnish Lambha’s father- Mr. Hari Singh Lambha was a Patwari and he had a full opportunity of choosing a different profession. And the education (double MA) that he received, from it he could have found any good job in his field, but he chose farming. Before organic farming he was into conventional farming and was growing crops like Bajra, wheat, Sorghum, Chickpea, mustard, fenugreek, onion, and garlic. But when he came to know about his grandfather’s organic farming experience he thought of taking his ancestral occupation ahead and make that work more profitable.

It all started in 1996, by planting 25 trees of Bel Patra in 1 Bigha area and implemented organic farming and no chemicals. Along with that he also started preparing nursery himself. After 8 years of hard work and efforts, in 2004-2005 finally the Bel Patra trees started bearing fruits and he earned huge profit of 50,000 from it.

This increase in profit made his belief stronger that orchard business has good yield and returns, so he decided of expanding the orchards in his whole area. In 2004, he planted 600 more trees of Bel Patra. And in 2005 along with the Bel Patra, he planted 150 trees of Kinnows and 150 trees of Mosambi in the orchards. As it is said that fruit of hard work is sweet, the results were the same; in 2013 he earned a good profit from Mosambi and Kinnows produce. And by getting inspired with that he planted 600 trees of pomegranate of sinduri variety and 250 trees of lemon. In 2012 he also planted 5 trees of mango (amrapali variety) and 5 trees of guava.

Currently he has total 3000 fruit trees in his orchard and he is gaining good profit from all the trees till date. Now even his younger brother (Vikrant Lambha) and his father (Hari Singh Lambha) are also helping in his orchard business. Other than orchard farming he also gave a try to dairy farming in 2006 with 25 cows, but he didn’t gain much profit from it and ended it in 2013. Now he has only 4 cows for domestic work.

To maintain the healthy yield and quality he prepares manure himself by using cow dung, Gau Mutr (Cow Urine), Neem water, Datura (Herb – Angel’s Trumpets), and vermicompost. And sometimes he also purchases cow dung from the market if they need it.

The main motive of Rajnish Lambha behind adopting horticulture as the main profession is that, it provides 10 times more profit as compared to conventional farming and can be easily done in an eco-friendly way. Moreover, there is very less need labour, he hires labours only when he needs to pick the fruits. Otherwise he has 2 permanent labours working for him every time. Now he also started preparing nursery for commercial purpose and is gaining good profit from it. And whenever he needs information regarding orchard farming then he consult agriculture related magazines, print media, internet etc.

To make his organic farming more updated and advanced he joined Morarka Foundation in 2009. Many farmers visit his farm regularly to learn something new from Rajnish Lambha, and he also provide them information and training without and cost. Sometimes, even agriculture officers also visit his orchard farm with group of farmers for events and training session.

From the beginning his dream was always to make his grandfather (Hardev Lambha) proud, although he is no more now, but he want to take his teachings ahead and inspire other farmers to start nursery preparation and orchard farming like him. For his great effort in the field of horticulture he is awarded by Agriculture Minister- Harji Ram Burdak in 2011 and also appreciated by Governor of Rajasthan – Kalyan Singh and many articles on him has also been published in the newspaper and magazines.

MESSAGE TO FARMERS
“He wants other farmers to adopt organic farming because organic farming has many health benefits as well as it is eco-friendly. Farmers should also reduce the use of chemicals. One thing they should remember that, regardless how much profit they are earning, profit can only be earned by doing something different like orchard farming.“

It is said that great things never come from the comfort zone. And if a person really wants to do something different that he has never done before, then he has to leave his comfort zone. One such a person who left his cushy lifestyle and came back to Punjab, India, and pursued his interest is Satvir Singh.

Today Mr. Satvir Singh is a successful agripreneur and is earning two times more profit than wheat and paddy and has also established his own farm by the name Satvir Farm in Sadhana. He is mainly farming and cultivating vegetables in 7 acres of land out of which 5 acres land is his own and has taken 2 acres on rent.

The path that Satvir Singh followed to reach this stage in life was not that easy. He faced many ups and downs, but still after his steady efforts and struggles he pursued his interest and achieved success in it. It all started when he completed his school (12th) and after four years he went to Dubai for a job. But after some time, he came back to India and decided to start farming and dropped his idea of going back to Dubai. In the beginning, he started farming wheat and paddy, but after a visit to a vegetable farm with one of his friends, he was very much impressed and attracted towards vegetable farming.

Almost 7 years back (in 2010) he started vegetable farming and faced many problems in the beginning. Cauliflower was the first vegetable that he grew on 1.5 acres of land on his farm and suffered a severe loss. But then also he never gave up and keep on doing vegetable farming. Slowly he expanded his vegetable farming area to 7 acres and started growing pumpkin, bottle gourd, eggplant, onion, different varieties of chillies and bitter gourd and he also started preparing seedling and selling them in the market. Gradually, his work gains momentum and he started earning good profit from it.

After facing the severe loss from the first batch of cauliflower, Mr. Satvir Singh put his efforts into vegetable farming very wisely and in a strategic way, to avoid such situations in the future. First, he understood the customer and market demand and according to that, he began with vegetable farming. He gave at least one acre of land to one type of crop and in this way, he solves his marketing problems. He also participated in PAU event in which he got a chance to visit different farms and learned about the Net House farming method and he is using it currently to give his vegetables a protective environment. He also cultivated and harvested Tatuma Summer Squash a bit earlier and made them available in the market at the right time in December, just before the stock of the same vegetable reached the market from Gujarat. In this way, he marketed his veggie produce at a good price in the market. Moreover, he goes himself to the market every time to sell his produce and is not dependent on anyone.

In winters he does vegetable farming in the whole 7 acres of land and in summers he reduces his vegetable land to 3.5 acres and uses the rest of the land for paddy and wheat. In the whole village, only his land is seen with vegetable plantings cover and the surrounding area is covered with paddy and wheat. For his efficient agricultural practices and marketing tactics, he has received four prizes from Punjab Agriculture University till date. One of his great achievements is developing a new variety of pumpkin and he named that pumpkin after his son’s name “KABIR PUMPKIN”.

Currently, he is living with his family (mother, father, wife, two children and his elder brother and his wife are settled in Singapore) in Sadhana village which is located in Rampura Phul Tehsil of Bathinda district in Punjab. His father was the main inspiration that dragged him towards farming in the beginning, but now his father no more works in the field, he only stays at home and be with the kids. Today his whole family is a big support behind his successful farming experience and he gives all the credit to his family.

Satvir Singh manages his farm with the help of only one permanent worker and sometimes hires women workers for picking the vegetables. He earns 1-2 lakhs in a season from one acre of land depending upon the vegetable price.

Future Plans
In future, he is planning to switch to organic farming and for that, he has also taken 3 days training for Vermin-compost making. He wants to make people aware of the difference between organic and non-organic vegetables and food products. He also wants that vegetables should also come in packets like the other grocery products so that people can recognize that they are buying vegetables of which farm and which brand.

MESSAGE TO FARMERS
“I have faced many problems in the beginning, only because of lack of knowledge. But other farmers who are interested in doing vegetable farming, shouldn’t follow that same mistakes that I did and should consult some experts and analyze the vegetable market before starting vegetable farming. Moreover, the farmers who have enough resources should fulfil their basic home needs themselves instead of buying them from the market.”

It is said that, if you have the opportunity to get better then don’t waste it, because things work out best for those who make the best of how things work out. One such a person who didn’t miss the opportunity and carved his own path to success in the field of beekeeping is Gobinder Singh Randhawa aka Jonty Randhawa.

Gobinder Singh Randhawa is a resident of Village Landa, District- Ludhiana. He chose apiculture at a young age while pursuing his college studies. The main inspiration which acts as a driving force behind his profession was Sardar Baldev Singh- the head of his village. Baldev Singh himself was a progressive farmer and had a great name in the field of beekeeping.

Gobinder Singh with his two friends attended beekeeping training for 8 days at PAU and just after that, he started with beekeeping. Today he is a successful beekeeper and has established a good business. He started beekeeping in 2003 with 114 honey bee boxes by taking a loan of Rs. 280000 and today he has around 1000 honey bee boxes. He never prefers using chemicals or supplements for beekeeping, he always gives natural feed to the bees like sugar or grinded jaggery and for pest attack, he uses the natural method to prevent it. Mainly he makes honey from marigold and mustard flowers and currently his yearly revenue is around 3 crores.

With the cooperation of his two friends, he has also made a group by the name “BIG B” in the year 2004 to help the people who are associated with beekeeping work. Gobinder Singh himself is the president of this group and till now, 310 members have joined this group. Whether it’s a lady who makes face net masks, body covers for beekeepers, or a man who make wooden bee hives boxes at a small level, Gobinder Singh had tried to gather everyone under his association to help him in their work.

While setting up his business, he made some goals and targets, and by completing them step-by-step he has made a good space for his products in the market. From the beginning, he was interested in exporting his products to foreign and currently he is exporting bee wax made by him to the US. In India, he sells his honey produce in bulk at Doraha, Ludhiana, GT Road Shop and is earning good money out of it. He is also a registered supplier of National Horticulture Department and sell his product through them.

One of the great personality, who helped him in marketing the products is Dr. Ramandeep Singh Agri Business Expert, Punjab Agriculture University, Ludhiana by sending necessary information through Whats App group about the events and fairs. Gobinder Singh also shared his views about the marketing problem that beekeepers and farmers are facing nowadays, according to him- today everything is available online, even the consumer also shop the basic things online. So the producers also need to move one step ahead and make their business online.

Currently, Gobinder Singh is living with his full-fledged happy family (mother, father, wife and two sons) in his village and is also supporting his BIG B Association. He is also a very supportive person and helps other emerging beekeepers by providing them the beehives boxes, and other necessary guidelines. He also helps the farmers in making them aware of the loan procedure to start up their business. His future plans are to make and introduce more honey products like bee venom, royal jelly, and honey bee pollen grains and export it in the international market, because of its high demand.

MESSAGE TO FARMERS
“Those youngsters who commit suicide after facing failure, shouldn’t do that and start recognizing their potential. Because if a person has the willpower to do anything then they can achieve it and can reach any stage in their life very easily. Committing suicide is not a solution.”

In our Indian society, from the beginning men are considered as the subject matter and the ruling head member of the family, who earns the livelihood for the family. On the other hand, women are given the label of homemaker and a person who is quite helpful, polite and is responsible for making everything (clean clothes, food, clean home, etc.) available to the family members on time. Well, these trends were followed in the beginning and not at present. Today many successful women have come up as an inspiration for the society and are playing roles of both man and woman for their family, and turning the world upside down.

A couple of two such women, which are originated from a small village (Chanarthal Khurd) of Fatehgarh Sahib, Punjab, are today running their own successful phulkari business by leading a group of 10 women from their village. This couple of women are a “Mother-Daughter Duo” which manages every functioning of the business very smoothly. The head of the group is Sunita Devi (mother) and Beant Sharma (daughter). Beant as being an active, young and communicative member, is the one who represents the group on every platform.

In 1996 Sunita Devi’s husband expired and for the family, it was a distressing situation. Since then it became very difficult for the family members to survive. But, gradually with the time Sunita Devi and her children recovered from that shock and start peddling slowly, to make their life smooth and get back on the track. They faced many difficulties and crossed many hurdles to reach where they are today.

Anganwadi tried to help the women of that village on a local level and formed a self-help group in 2012. And Sunita Devi’s daughters were the member of this self-help group. They were working so hard on every piece of the phulkari suit, dupatta, shawls, and jackets, but they were not getting the real worth of their produced products. Nothing was properly managed. So, in one of the PUNFED meeting, Beant Sharma expressed her and other women’s problems; after that two groups were created in May 2017 – “SHRI GURU ARJAN DEV SELF HELP GROUP” and “DEVI ANNAPOORNA GROUP”. Sunita Devi was made the president of “SHRI GURU ARJAN DEV SELF HELP GROUP” and Beant was the re-presenter of the group. Well yes, it was a group effort, but Beant’s willpower and Sunita Devi’s strength to support her daughter is what helped in the formation of this group. And when love and skill work together, it is expected to get a masterpiece.

Earlier, due to financial crisis Beant and other children were forced to stop their studies in the middle, but now as the things are going good, Beant and other girls are planning to continue their studies. Beant has planned to pursue BA privately from Punjabi University.

In Sunita Devi’s family, there are total six members, four daughters, one son and she herself. Son is working with Honda City in Gujarat on the contract basis and the four daughters are supporting the mother in running their group. Beant is the active one, out of all the four and represent the group in different events and exhibitions. Now Sunita Devi and Beant are connected to a large mesh of customers and they sell their products themselves to their customers and get the right value of their produced goods. Beant is a young girl and she is well-aware about the current marketing trends and she is also following them. She is connected with all the customers through WhatsApp group and you can get their phulkari by just ordering them and it will get delivered at your home. The handcrafted products made by this group are really very beautiful, unique and best in quality. They buy their raw material from Sirhind and make phulkari suit, dupatta, keyrings, book markers, shawls, jackets and other home decor things out of it. In future, they are planning to come up with more phulkari products with creative designs.

Message By Mother-Daughter Duo
“A woman has the potential of doing everything, it’s all about the inner strength and determination. So never underestimate yourself and always try to make your skill useful to yourself. One of thing that make the woman stronger is education. Every woman should study and complete their education in order to be updated and aware of the current situation of the world.“

In India, when a person reaches the retirement age, then his age is almost around 60. And the most common mentality of Indian people after the retirement is, no work after retirement. Because everyone has their own dreams for their golden retirement age- some people want to go on vacations, some people just want to relax and live a normal peaceful life, and some people choose the spiritual path. But there are very few people who like to choose their hobbies and interests after their retirement and pursue it as their second career. One such woman who also didn’t give up after her retirement and started her own business is Kamla Shokeen.

Kamla Shokeen, a woman who is still young by her spirits, started her entrepreneurial career after her retirement. But before getting retired, she was a Physical Education teacher for 39 years in Government School. She had the hobby of pickling berries from the beginning, so after retirement, she thought of changing that hobby into a business, and today she is running her own successful pickle business by the brand name KAMAL AACHAR.

Kamla Shokeen began her pickle business 7 years back in 2010 after getting retired from her teaching profession. And to make her pickles business more professional, she took pickle making training from PUSA Branch- KVK Ujwa under Kamkaji Mahila Kutir Udyog. After getting certification from there, she gathered the deprived and poor women of her village Dichaon Kalan, which is in Najafgarh district, to start her own pickle making and selling business. Today her fruit farm is scattered in 2.75 acres of land, in which she has grown Jujube (Ber), Carissa carandas (Karonda), Indian gooseberry (Amla), Java Plum (Jamun), and Guava trees for pickle making. And she manages all the work with the help of few workers. To maintain the good yield of the trees she never uses chemical fertilizers. She only uses vermicompost (kenchue ki khaad).

By qualification, Kamla Shokeen is MA in Political Science, but when she started pickle business after retirement, at that time, then she never felt that the work she is going to do is low grade or not of her level. Even her husband- Mr. Mulchand Shokeen, who is a retired director from GDA; two sons, out of which, one is pilot and other is an engineer by profession; one daughter- who is a doctor by profession; and two daughter-in-laws- both are teachers by profession, supported her in her venture.

Today, she is 69 by age, but her gusto of pursuing her hobby never went down since day one after her retirement. Kamla Shokeen always tried to give her best efforts, during her teaching career and as well as for her pickle business. She even received “Best Teacher Award” for her teaching from the school. And after starting the pickle business she was also awarded by PUSA for Best Quality of Aachar.

Generally, she visits events, exhibitions, and fairs to sell her handmade pickles, but to make her products available to more people she has opened a small shop in her house. Most visited fairs, where she earns the most profit by selling her pickles are Pragati Maidan and PUSA Fair. In a year she earns more than 60-70,000 from her pickles business. And in the future, she is planning to include more varieties in her pickles collection- like mango and lemon. Whenever someone comes to her for guidance related to pickles making business, she never refuses them and always provides true advice and suggestions. Till now she has suggested many people to take training from PUSA so that, they can also start their own business.

Message By Kamla Shokeen
“Rather than sitting idly on a chair all day long and doing nothing, it’s better to make yourself useful. I started working after my retirement because, I had the interest in pickling and I didn’t want to be bored. From my pickle business, I’m also able to support the poor people of my village. According to me, every woman should use her skills and hobbies to make herself independent even after the marriage, but before that they should complete their education. ”