Tag: Paddy Straw

Gurpreet Singh

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Gurpreet Singh: Spearheading a Revolution in Sustainable Agriculture 

Within the sprawling district of Bathinda, Punjab, lies the largest village in the region – Mehraj. Here, in this tranquil setting, Gurpreet Singh embarked on a remarkable journey into the world of agriculture. Born into a family with a deep-rooted connection to the land, Gurpreet’s journey into farming was a natural progression. However, what sets him apart is his dedication to organic farming and sustainable agriculture practices. 

Gurpreet’s foray into farming commenced in 2009, when he decided to take up the mantle of his family’s agricultural legacy. His father had already been tilling the fertile Punjab soil for years, and it was under his guidance that Gurpreet nurtured his passion for farming. He cultivates a variety of crops on their 35-acre expanse, including Paddy, potatoes, mung beans, and mustard. 

The Organic Farming Challenge: Patience and Promise 

The turning point in Gurpreet’s agricultural journey came in 2017 when he made the pivotal decision to transition to organic farming. This marked the beginning of his quest to cultivate crops in harmony with nature, without the use of synthetic chemicals or pesticides. While he admits that the transition was not without challenges, he firmly believes that organic farming is the way forward. Currently he does organic farming on 3 acres of his land. 

When discussing his shift to organic farming, Gurpreet emphasizes that while the initial years may not be as financially rewarding as conventional farming, the long-term benefits are immense. According to him, organic farming begins to yield significant profits by the fourth year. Despite the initial hardships, Gurpreet remains resolute in his commitment to take organic farming to a commercial level. 

One of the driving forces behind Gurpreet’s dedication to organic farming is the increasing awareness among consumers about the importance of healthy, pesticide-free produce. People are willing to pay a premium for organically grown crops, and this growing demand provides a promising market for farmers like Gurpreet. 

Gurpreet’s Ventures into Dairy 

His journey isn’t limited to just farming; he also delved into the dairy business, with a herd of 25 to 30 animals at one point. However, realizing that the profit margins in this sector were limited, he shifted his focus back to organic farming and other agricultural endeavors. Currently, he maintains 15 animals, including cows and buffaloes, to meet his household requirements. 

Championing Sustainability: Stopping Crop Residue Burning and Saving Water 

One of the most remarkable aspects of Gurpreet Singh’s farming practices is his commitment to environmental sustainability. He actively refrains from the burning of crop residue, a practice that has been a major contributor to air pollution and environmental degradation in Punjab. Additionally, he has been a pioneer in implementing the direct-seeded rice (DSR) method, which significantly reduces water consumption compared to traditional methods. 

Direct-Seeded Rice (DSR): A Water-Saving Innovation 

The conventional practice of flooding rice fields consumes vast amounts of water, contributing to the alarming drop in water levels in Punjab. Gurpreet’s adoption of the DSR method, where rice seeds are directly sown into the soil, has achieved an impressive 80% success rate. His dedication to water conservation has earned him recognition from both agricultural institutions and fellow farmers. 

Empowering Fellow Farmers: The Customer Affairs Center 

Gurpreet Singh’s commitment to sustainable agriculture extends beyond his own farm. He operates a customer affairs center where he offers advanced farming techniques and services to fellow farmers. Services like the lucky seeder, silage plant, and vacuum planter have not only proven profitable for him but have also empowered other farmers to adopt more sustainable practices. He also provides knowledge on sustainable yet profitable practices within 25 to 30 Km of his village free of cost to the fellow farmers.   

Guided by Agricultural Institutions and Community Support 

His journey has been supported and guided by institutions like Punjab Agricultural University and Krishi Vigyan Kendra Bathinda. Gurpreet is also an active participant in various farmer groups that promote knowledge sharing and mutual support. He is a member of a group spanning across Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan, where farmers assist one another in overcoming challenges. 

Recognitions and Accolades: Celebrating Excellence 

Gurpreet’s innovative approaches in agriculture have garnered widespread recognition. He stands adorned with numerous accolades, including prestigious awards from esteemed institutions such as Punjab Agricultural University, Krishi Vigyan Kendra Bathinda, and the Khetibadi Vibhag. Notably, his exceptional contributions were celebrated on both the national and international stages, as he received honors from ICAR in Hyderabad in December 2022 and April 2021. His accomplishments extend beyond awards; he was notably conferred with the ‘Best Farmer’ Award during the International Conference ICSCI 2022, a testament to his exceptional dedication. 

Furthermore, Gurpreet Singh’s pioneering efforts in crop residue management, including his steadfast commitment to eschew burning practices, have earned him widespread acclaim. His sustainable practices have attracted the attention of numerous news outlets, further highlighting the remarkable impact he has made in the realm of agriculture. 

Agricultural Entrepreneurship: Selling Quality Products 

Gurpreet sells his farm products to Punjab Agro, and his high-quality wheat commands double rates from local customers who appreciate the superior quality. Moreover, he supplies aromatic Basmati rice to neighboring Haryana, reflecting his commitment to quality and sustainability. 

Words of Wisdom: Starting Small and Scaling Up 

Gurpreet Singh has a valuable piece of advice for aspiring farmers. He suggests starting small when adopting new farming techniques. Experiment on a smaller portion of your land first, and if it proves successful, expand it to the entire farm. This approach not only saves time but also minimizes risk and costs. 

 Gurpreet’s Vision: Taking Organic Farming to New Heights 

As he looks to the future, Gurpreet Singh envisions taking natural organic farming to new heights. He is passionate about educating fellow farmers about the importance of abandoning crop burning practices and implementing innovative methods to combat the depletion of water resources in Punjab. 

Conclusion

In the heart of Punjab, Gurpreet Singh’s journey from conventional farming to a champion of organic, eco-friendly methods serve as an inspiration for farmers across the region and beyond. With his dedication and vision, Gurpreet Singh is not only securing a prosperous future for his farm but also contributing to the preservation of Punjab’s precious natural resources. 

Balwinder Singh Sandhu

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STORY OF A FARMER BREAKING THE OLD CONSERVATIVE CUSTOMS OF FARMING TO ADOPT NATURAL PRACTICES

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…

Message:
“Now farmers have to hold the weighing machine in their own hands to sell their produce to earn the profit. Because if they will continue their dependence on the middlemen or dealers for selling their harvest then they will not progress and will be cheated by the thugs again and again. Mediators take away all the profit that is farmer’s right.”

Jagdeep Singh

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HOW THIS FARMER’S THRIVING INITIATIVE IS HELPING PUNJAB TO SAY NO TO STUBBLE BURNING

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.”