Tag: crops

Mohammad Gafur

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The Inspiring Journey of Mohammad Gafur: From 1 Bigha to 65 Acres of Land

In the bustling town of Patiala, Punjab, a remarkable farmer named Mohammad Gafur has defied all odds to build a flourishing agricultural empire. Starting with just 1 bigha of land, he has now expanded his farming operations to an impressive 65 acres. Today, Gafur is an expert in the intricacies of farming, achieving remarkable success through his sheer determination and unwavering spirit.

Hailing from the town of Malerkotla, Mohammad Gafur’s life took an unexpected turn in 1983 when his father passed away. With the weight of responsibility on his young shoulders, he had to leave his studies and seek a way to support his family. Gafur’s journey in farming began with a small vegetable nursery. He soon realized that this was his true calling, and he was passionate about cultivating the land.

Gafur’s progress in farming was nothing short of extraordinary. In 1992, he seized an opportunity to get 6 to 7 acres of land on lease, belonging to Khalsa College. This marked a significant milestone in his journey. In the year 2000, Gafur expanded his farming operations to 20 acres and by 2004, his land grew to 31 acres. His relentless dedication and hard work yielded remarkable results. In 2017, Gafur’s land on lease reached a significant milestone of 41 acres, and today, he proudly practice farming on 65-acres of land on lease.

What sets Gafur apart from others is his ability to understand the complexities of farming purely through experience. He did not receive any formal training or guidance from any agricultural institute. With time, he mastered the art of farming and became well-versed in various agricultural techniques. Gafur’s journey is a testament to the value of hands-on experience and perseverance.

Throughout the years, Gafur experimented with different crops and irrigation methods to maximize his yields. In his early days, he worked in Sangrur Nehru Market and Moga, where he sold Paneeri. In 1991, he shifted to Rajpura and eventually settled in Patiala. It was during this time that Gafur began using the mulching irrigation method, which he has employed for the past 5 years. In addition, he uses a drip system for 15 acres of his land, receiving subsidies from both the Patiala officers and the central government for this initiative.

Gafur’s expertise extends not only to farming but also to crop planning. He strategically reserves 15 acres for vegetables, 5 acres for wheat, and 25 acres for paddy during their respective seasons. His knowledge of farming practices has earned him the respect of fellow farmers, who often seek his advice and assistance. Gafur generously helps others with vegetable farming and provides guidance regarding medicines and spray names.

Mohammad Gafur’s family has played a crucial role in his farming journey. While his three brothers continue to be actively engaged in farming, the rest of his siblings have established seed shops. In 2000, Gafur became an Army contractor and started selling 10 acres of his produce to them. This agreement has been ongoing and benefits both parties. As for the future, Gafur wishes to continue farming for as long as he can and has no intentions of leaving it in the hands of servants. His children are currently involved in successful businesses of their own and are not directly involved in farming.

Gafur’s farming endeavors have been profitable, with wheat and paddy on contracted land earning approximately 10,000 to 15,000 INR per acre. The cultivation of vegetables has the potential to generate even greater profits, ranging from 50,000 to 100,000 INR per acre. However, Gafur emphasizes the importance of not solely relying on these figures, as market rates can fluctuate. He advises farmers to carefully consider their investment and start from a smaller scale, gradually increasing their operations.

To manage his extensive farming operations, Gafur employs between 40 to 50 laborers during the busy season. As the season winds down, the number decreases to around 20. Looking ahead, Gafur remains dedicated to his farm and has no plans to retire. He firmly believes in staying humble and grounded and rejects any notions of accepting rewards. Gafur’s dedication, perseverance, and hard work continue to inspire farmers across the region.

Message to farmers

His message to fellow farmers is clear: do not rely solely on others; start small, gain experience, and steadily expand. Gafur’s legacy will undoubtedly inspire a new generation of farmers to weather the challenges and embrace the possibilities that lie within the realm of agriculture.

Chamkaur Singh

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Cultivating Success: Chamkaur Singh’s Journey in Farming and Contract Agriculture

In Ina Baja, a small village nestled in the heart of Punjab, a man named Chamkaur Singh has carved a name for himself in the field of agriculture. With a passion for farming deeply ingrained in his soul, Chamkaur has transformed his humble beginnings into a flourishing enterprise that encompasses a variety of crops and provides employment to fifty individuals.

Chamkaur’s journey commenced in 1991 when he took his first steps into the world of farming. Inspired by the bountiful fields of his friend, he resolved to learn the intricacies of agricultural practices. With unwavering determination, he sought guidance from the esteemed university, which equipped him with the necessary skills and knowledge to embark on his farming venture.

Starting with a meager two canal land, Chamkaur initially focused on cultivating potatoes. The success he achieved in this endeavor fueled his ambitions, leading him to expand his operations to two acres. In due course, he diversified his crops to include tomatoes, cotton, paddy, wheat, capsicum, and cauliflower. Over time, his enterprise expanded exponentially, now spanning over fifty acres of land.

Notably, twenty-five acres of Chamkaur’s vast expanse are dedicated solely to tomato cultivation. Recognizing the potential in this crop, he established a strong partnership with the esteemed Crevice Company. Every day, two trucks laden with freshly harvested tomatoes depart from his farm, destined to meet the demands of Crevice’s discerning clientele. To enhance his expertise in tomato farming, Chamkaur sought training from Balwinder Singh Bhalimansa in Hisar, specifically focusing on the selection and management of tomato seeds.

Chamkaur’s dedication and proficiency did not go unnoticed. In 2008, he was honored with an award from the Chief Minister of Punjab, recognizing his outstanding contributions to agriculture. His expertise in crop diseases and management has made him a trusted resource for private companies, who often choose his farms as ideal locations to conduct demonstrations for their new agricultural products. Despite his achievements, Chamkaur remains modest and shy on stage, preferring to let his work speak for itself.

In addition to his accomplishments, Chamkaur has been a beneficiary of various subsidies from the Horticulture department. These subsidies have facilitated the acquisition of essential equipment such as crates, spray pumps, power meters, and even a small air conditioner. Chamkaur acknowledges that problems are an inherent part of life, and instead of succumbing to them, he embraces challenges and strives to forge ahead, armed with resilience and determination.

One of Chamkaur’s notable endeavors has been his involvement in contract farming. In 1994, he embarked on tomato farming and wisely chose to divide his yield. Half of his produce was sold to a local factory, ensuring a steady income, while the remaining half made its way to the open market. Over time, he established a partnership with Punjab Agro and eventually forged an association with Crevice, a decision that proved immensely beneficial.

Through his experiences, Chamkaur has recognized the merits of contract farming. The fixed rates offered in such arrangements mitigate the risks associated with uncertain market prices, providing stability and security for farmers. Furthermore, collaborating with companies grants access to invaluable technical knowledge that enhances a farmer’s understanding and facilitates their growth. Chamkaur firmly believes that every farmer should consider joining contract farming and offers himself as a resource, willing to extend a helping hand to fellow agriculturists. He is prepared to provide training and nursery facilities but emphasizes that hard work is essential for success.

Chamkaur Singh’s achievements extend beyond farming alone. He has also ventured into the production and sale of G2 and G3-level potatoes.

Message to farmers

If you are a diligent, hardworking farmer seeking support, a valuable opportunity awaits. Reach out to Chamkaur Singh, he offers not only guidance but also training and nursery services. Seize the chance to enhance your skills, access resources, and cultivate a prosperous future.

Amitesh Tripathi and Arunesh Tripathi

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Two Brothers Fulfilled their Dreams by Continuing their Father’s Profession of Banana Farming

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.

During this time, whenever we faced any difficulty, we resolved it by consulting the experts of banana farming. – Arunesh Tripathi

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.

As banana is an evergreen and nutritious fruit, so while marketing the crops we didn’t face any hurdles as the merchants directly visited our farm to buy it. Along with bananas we also grow wheat in large quantities. – Amitesh Tripathi

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.

Future Plans

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.

Message
“If we do something different in the field of agriculture along with following conventional farming practices, then also we can earn good profit from farming. The young generation should come up with new discoveries in the field of agriculture with their understanding and skills, so that they can earn great benefits & profit from agriculture which is also commonly known as the deficit deal.”

Priyanka Gupta

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A talented daughter … who is working hard to fulfill her father’s dream

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.

Training:

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.

“People’s perception is that organic products are costly but it doesn’t make much difference. Crops grown using insecticides and other chemicals are very dangerous for human health. So instead of eating such products all should prefer organic products because nothing is more valuable than our health.” – Priyanka Gupta
Product profile:
  • Biscuit (without ammonia)
  • Pickle
  • Vaddiyan
  • Black chickpeas
  • White chickpeas
  • Red lentil (Saabut masar)
  • Turmeric
  • Besil
  • Flax seeds (Alsi)
  • Nigella
  • Fennel
  • Mustard
  • Garlic
  • Onion
  • Potato
  • green gram
  • Jowar
  • Bajra
  • sesame
  • Desi Maize
  • All vegetables
Trees
  • Brahmin
  • Stevia
  • Harar
  • Moringa
  • Mango
  • Guava
  • Cranberry
  • Mint
  • Tulsi
  • Lemon
  • Bael
  • Neem
  • Khas
  • Shehtoot
  • Amla
  • Ashoka

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

She said, “ We do not practice monocroping (cultivating paddy and wheat) but also grow Jowar, Bajra and Maize. We grow number of different crops in a year.”
Future Plans:

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.

Message To Farmers:
“We need to work hard in every field. But you will get real satisfaction when after this hard work, you will see your crop standing tall in the field and when your customers will praise you for your work.”

Lovepreet Singh

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How Booming Interest of This B.Tech Graduate, Made Him Choose Agriculture as His Full-Time Career

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. 

Message:
“
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.
”

Khushdeep Singh Bains

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HOW A 26-YEAR-OLD BOY DISCOVERED THE REAL JOY OF HIS LIFE IN VEGETABLE FARMING

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.

How it started…

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.

Message to farmers:
“Farmers shouldn’t be dependent on the third person for their marketing, they should do their work on their own. There is one more thing that farmers should keep in mind and that is they should never follow anything by seeing anyone, they should do what they feel from inside.
The farmer should also think about doing diversified farming and they should grow more than one crop because in case one crop gets damage then at least there is the second crop to support you. Consult one to two experts every time and after that start your new venture.”

Iqbal Singh

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FUTURISTIC FARMER ADOPTED A UNIQUE WAY TO MAKE A CHANGE IN THE FOOD CYCLE OF THE SOCIETY

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.

Message to Farmers:
“If we don’t want our coming generation to face problems and diseases like cancer, skin allergy etc, then we have to turn towards organic. This is the right time, we can restore the damage that we have done to our environment, because any delay will cause serious impact on human’s health.”

 

Krishan Dutt Sharma

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HOW ORGANIC FARMING HELPED KRISHAN DUTT SHARMA SCRIPT HIS SUCCESS IN THE FIELD OF AGRICULTURE

There are situations in life which make people realize the missing objective of their lives and inspire them to achieve it. The same thing happened with an ordinary farmer- Krishan Dutt Sharma, of village- Chikhar (Shimla) and motivated him to adopt organic farming.

Achievements of Krishan Dutt Sharma in organic farming has made him so popular that today his name is counted in the list of important people in the field of agriculture.

It all started when, Krishan Dutt Sharma got the opportunity to visit Hyderabad (November 11, 2002), with the help of Agriculture Department. During that visit, he got an overview of Organic Farming. He was curious to know more about it, as well as he wanted to implement it.

His passion and ideas came into action when he came in contact with Morarka Foundation (in 2004). Until that time, he got well aware of the adverse effects of increased use of chemicals in the agriculture field and this made him very distressed and anxious. As he knew that, he also has to face the consequences of fertilizers and pesticides in the coming future, so he decided to adopt organic farming completely.

He had total 20 bigha land out which 5 bighas was irrigated land and 15 bigha was rain-fed area. In the beginning, he purchased an apple mother plant (root-stock) from Horticulture Department, and from that plant, he established his whole garden with 400 plants of apples. He also grew pears tree (20), cherry trees (20), peach trees (10) and pomegranate tree (15). Along with fruits, he also started growing vegetables like cauliflower, peas, beans, capsicum, and broccoli.

Generally, broccoli crop grown with pesticides and chemicals gets easily spoil, but the broccoli grown by Krishan Dutt Sharma in an organic way, significantly has much life. Due to this reason now broccoli grown by farmers organically is being carried to Delhi market for marketing purpose. Moreover, broccoli grown organically is sold around Rs 100-150 / kg and these numbers are escalating the income reach of farmers up to 500000 rupees, and in the boost of this six-digit figure, half of the income is earned from the sale of broccoli only.

To inspire more farmers towards organic farming, Krishan Dutt Sharma has created a group in his village under his leadership. His initiative has inspired many farmers to adopt organic farming.

Krishan Dutt Sharma’s achievements in the field of organic farming are very huge and even Himachal Government has honoured him with Best Farmer Award in “Organic Fair and Food Festival” in June 2013. But because of his humbleness, he gives all the credit of his success to Morarka Foundation and the Department of Agriculture.

He uses cows (3), bullocks (1), and calves (2) dung in his fields and forest, and he also prepares Vermicompost for better yield. He has prepared a bed of 30x8x10 on his farm where he prepares Vermicompost from 250 earthworms every year. In place of pesticides, he uses herbal spray, aperture wash, Jivamrit, and NSDL. Using natural pesticides in place of artificial improves his land condition and also decreases his expense.

Message:
“He wants to inspire other farmers to adopt organic farming for better future and good income.”