Tag: Onion

Inder Singh Sidhu

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Success Story of a Punjab-Based-Farm Which Is Left Unaffected With the Impact of Green Revolution

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.

Message

“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.

Gurmail Singh

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How This Farmer Made Farming a Real Profitable Venture with Sustainable Agriculture Practices

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.
Message

“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.

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.”

Satvir Singh

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Story of a Successful Agripreneur Coming Up as a Role Model for the Other Farmers in the Society – Satvir Farms Sadhana

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.”

Mohinder Singh Grewal

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STORY OF A MAN WHO MASTERED THE ART OF AGRONOMY AND ESTABLISHED HIS FEAT IN THE FIELD OF DIVERSIFIED AGRICULTURE

Anyone can think and dream. But there are very few people who can take stand on their thinking and have the ardour to accomplish it. With the strong determination there comes a navy man who decided to change his profession into farming. That man came up with an idea of multipurpose farm and with his passion and hard work, today that farmer has turned himself into a global personality in the field of agriculture.

Sardar Mohinder Singh Grewal, the first Farmer Consultant of Punjab Agriculture University, PAU, has 53 years of experience in diversified farming of growing 42 different types of crops. He has learned hybrid seed developing and progressive farming techniques from countries like Israel. Till now, he has won 5 international, 7 national and 16 state level awards for his work in the field of agriculture.

Mr. Grewal was born on 1st December 1937 in Lyallpur in present day Pakistan. His father’s name was Arjan Singh and mother’s name was Jagir Kaur. If we look at the entire life of Mohinder Singh Grewal, we can see that his life was full of struggles but he assumed every struggle and difficulty in his life as a challenge and with dedication and hard work he fulfilled the dreams of himself and his family.

During his school and college days, Mohinder Singh Grewal was really enthusiastic about football and he used to captain the teams of various schools. He was also a good athlete and due to this, he got a permanent job in Indian Navy. In 1962 Mohinder Singh Grewal travelled to Kala Pani in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia on the ship named INS. While playing a match in Indonesia he suffered a serious injury on his right thigh. Due to his injury and family pressure he left his job in Indian Navy in 1963 and after that his life came to a standstill for a while.

After leaving the job, he did not have much of a choice but to go back to his ancestral profession of agriculture. He started with the farming of wheat and maize and he did this for 4 years. Mohinder Singh along with his wife Jasbir Kaur made a cohesive plan to succeed in agriculture and today he has become world famous due to his agricultural activities. Even though he has a small farm of 12 acres but by doing crop rotation he is making a lot of profit. Mohinder Singh Grewal has been able to grow almost 42 types of crops in his fields and get good quality produce. His feat has not only been recognized in Punjab but in the entire India as well.

Mohinder Singh Grewal’s Work has made him so popular that he has served for many prestigious committees and councils. At the state level, he has served as Member of Governing Board, Punjab State Seed Certification Authority, PAU Publication Committee and PAU Farmers’ Advisory Committee. At the national level, he has served as Member of Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices, Government of India; Member of Seed Act Sub-Committee, Government of India; Member of Advisory Committee, Prasar Bharti, Jalandhar, Punjab; and Member of Indian Institute of Sugarcane Research, Lucknow. At present, he is a Member of Agriculture and Horticulture Committee, PAU, and Member of Governing Board, Agricultural Technology Management Agency. And he is also the Founder and Charter President of Punjab Farmers’ Club, PAU.

He has been honoured by many countries such as England, Mexico, Ethiopia and Thailand for his work in the field of agriculture and has also won over 75 awards at various levels. He has been awarded as “Man of the year” by Autobiographical Institute, USA in 1996; and on 15th August 1999, he was honoured with a Gold Medal and Loyi in Shri Guru Gobind Singh Stadium in Jalandhar by honourable Governor S S Rai.

He has also been invited by Farmers Institute, Pakistan twice to educate the farmers of West Punjab on how to earn more profits in agriculture and to educate the officials of the Agricultural University in Pakistan about crop diversification. He has been travelling most of his life and has been to many countries like USA, Canada, Mexico, Thailand, England and Pakistan as a scientific farmer and a delegate member, and wherever he went, he imparted technical knowledge to the local farmers.

Sardar Mohinder Singh Grewal is also a keen writer and has written five books, titled as “Kheti-Bari Di Safalta Di Kunji”, “Tere Bagair Zindagi” (poems), “Rang Zindagi De” (autobiography), “Zindagi Ik Darya” and “Successful Scientific Farming.” His writings have been published in foreign newspapers, national dailies, state newspapers, agricultural magazines and Rotary magazines. He has also contributed to the community by undertaking several community service projects like free eye check-up camps, road safety week, blood donation camps, tree plantation, field days and soil tests.

In the field of agriculture, Mohinder Singh Grewal has achieved tremendous success and has set higher standards for farming. His achievements in agriculture act as a source of knowledge and inspiration for all the farmers.