Tag: Poultry Farming

Brijesh Kumar

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Brijesh Kumar: Cultivating Innovation in the Heartland of Agriculture

In the fertile lands of Dangarh, Bulandshahar, Uttar Pradesh, where agriculture is a way of life, the story of Mr. Brijesh Kumar unfolds—a tale of unwavering dedication, passion, and innovation that has transformed him into a beacon of success in the world of farming. It is said that when you follow your passion with true dedication, the power of the mind leads you down a path of innovation and accomplishment, and Brijesh Kumar’s journey is a testament to this belief.

With about 8 acres of his own land and additional leased land at his disposal, Mr. Brijesh Kumar has been cultivating crops round the year since 2010. His journey into farming started early in life, as he completed his Senior Secondary school and dived headfirst into the field of agriculture. Over the years, he has honed his skills and expertise in farming through an integrated farming system approach.

Brijesh Kumar’s specialty lies in a diverse array of crops, including horticulture crops like potatoes, cauliflower, and brinjal. He also ventures into animal husbandry, raising 4 Sahiwal cows and 4 buffaloes. His focus on potato seed production, particularly varieties like Jignasa 1, Jignasa 3 Neelkanth, Raisoni, spans approximately 20 acres, while rice varieties 1692 and 1502 find a home on about 5 acres of his land. Brijesh Kumar actively engages in direct sales of these seeds, contributing to his substantial income. Additionally, he cultivates seasonal mushrooms, further diversifying his agricultural portfolio.

What sets Brijesh Kumar apart is his ability to maximize profits through multiple avenues within agriculture. His success story encompasses a wide spectrum, ranging from field crops like paddy, maize, and wheat to horticultural delights like potatoes, cauliflower, and brinjal. His livestock, including cows and buffaloes, also contribute to his thriving enterprise. Moreover, poultry farming adds to his diverse income streams.

In his pursuit of knowledge and innovation, Brijesh Kumar has harnessed the power of social media. He actively uses platforms such as YouTube and Facebook to connect with fellow farmers and stay updated on the latest advancements in farming techniques. His thirst for learning led him to seek guidance from farmers in his locality, participate in Kissan melas, and undergo training at the nearest Krishi Vigyan Kendra for poultry farming and mushroom production. YouTube, in particular, plays a pivotal role in helping him stay at the forefront of modern farming practices.

Like any farmer, Brijesh Kumar faces his share of challenges, from unpredictable weather conditions to seed availability and the issue of spoilt seeds due to pesticides. However, his commitment to sustainability is evident through his dedication to organic farming on approximately 2 acres dedicated to potatoes and rice production.

To stay at the cutting edge of farming technology, Brijesh Kumar has secured government funding for upscaling technologies and implementing high-tech production methods. A significant portion of his produce, around 25%, is sold through direct channels, further boosting his income and fostering strong community connections.

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.

Harbhajan Singh

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A farmer who succeeded in running 5 different professions on a single platform and therefore is recognized as Shaktiman of Farmers- Harbhajan Singh

Diversification is a vital process to achieve successful outcomes in this rapidly changing, fast-paced world. It is hard to adopt but very necessary these days. Everyone in the universe is born to do something unique and distinctive. However, many people are afraid of the change and hence, they hold back their thoughts on diversification. Only some people can realise their uniqueness and reach the stars to change the world. This story is about one such person.

Where most farmers go with the traditional way of cultivating Wheat and Rice, Harbhajan Singh, a farmer from Malakpur village, Mansa, contributes his efforts towards the multiformity in Agriculture. He is successfully running an integrated farm on 11 acres of his land in which he rears fish, pigs, hens, goats and quails. Moreover, he has also taken 55 acres of Panchayati land on rent in which he rears fish.

After completing his graduation in 1981, Harbhajan Singh started a mechanical workshop and along with that, he was helping his family with agricultural work. At that time, his friend suggested him to start rearing fishes. So then, he began researching the fish rearing process and soon took a village pond on rent to nurture fishes.

I made a significant profit by rearing fishes and hence, decided to work on my private land– Harbhajan Singh 

He was benefited from this work, therefore, in 1995 he decided to get training from Punjab State Fisheries Development Board, Mansa and started working more effectively on his own land. Harbhajan Singh prepared a pond on 2.5 acres on his own land and later bought additional 2.5 acres of land adjoining his pond. His fish production at that time was 6 tonnes per hectare. Later, he decided to get training from the Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture, Bhubaneswar, Odisha and bought 6 breeds of fish (Rohu, Katla, Murakh, Grass Carp, Common Carp and Civil Carp) and 3 aerators to increase the fish production. The government provided these aerators with a half subsidy. The productivity of the fish rose to 8 tonnes per hectare after the use of aerators.

I had to buy fish seeds from the government hatchery, which was a costly process; therefore, I prepared a hatchery of my own– Harbhajan Singh 

Along with fish rearing, he prepared a hatchery to produce Fish Seeds as it was costly to buy seeds from other hatcheries. Generally, the hatcheries are government-made, but Harbhajan Singh was so hardworking and dedicated that he prepared his own hatchery with a large initial investment. The hatchery provides artificial rain to the fishes to help them breed. He produced about 20 Lakh finger-sized fish seeds in the hatchery and sold them for 50 paise to 1 Rs per seed.

Over time, he initiated Pig farming in 2009 with 50 pigs of large white Yorkshire breed and decided to sell them as live weight. This type of marketing was not effective enough, so he decided to start processing pig meat. He gained training in Meat products from CIPHET, PAU, GADVASU and processed pig meat into pickle. Marketing the meat pickle was a great success; his income almost got doubled.

At present, Harbhajan has around 150 pigs and he uses pig waste to feed the fishes. This saved him 50-60% of the cost, and the fishes’ production rose about 20%. And, now he produces 10 tonnes of fish per hectare.

He started a Fish Pork Processing Self Help Group of 11 members. This gave employment to many people and added to their incomes.

Harbhajan Singh was also awarded by the Chief Minister of Punjab for his success in integrated farming.

Things did not stop here! He had a long way to go.

As there is an increase in water scarcity, Harbhajan found a way to save nature by recycling the water. He reuses water by first using it for bathing the pigs; then, the same water is released to flow into the fish pond and the wastewater from the fish pond is used to irrigate the crops in the field. This water is organic and provides fertilisers to the crops; hence the only half amount of fertilisers is required to be added artificially. The Punjab CM, Parkash Singh Badal was very impressed with Harbhajan Singh’s efforts and visited his farm.

I got training from KVK, Mansa, to initiate Goat Farming– Harbhajan Singh

Furthermore, he decided to include goats in his farming; hence, he got training from KVK, Mansa and started working with 30 goats, including Beetal and Sirohi, in the beginning and at present, Harbhajan has 150 goats. Later in 2017, he started visiting Kisan Mela at PAU, from where he got the inspiration to rear Quails and Hens. Hence, he bought 2000 Quails and 150 Kadaknath Hens from Chandigarh. These hens are allowed to roam openly and find their feed on their own from the leftovers of other animals’ feed. Currently, he rears 3000 Quails at his farm.

All the feed for the animals is prepared at the field by him with the help of machines. Today, Harbhajan runs his farm successfully with his two sons, who help him in the farm works. He manages all the farming with the assistance of only one helper. He sells fish seeds for 2 Rs per seed. Besides, he sells the goats in Malerkotla on Bakar Eid’s occasion and prepares Goat pickles from the meat. The eggs of Kadaknath hen are sold for Rs 15-20 and the chicken meat is sold for Rs 700- 800. Harbhajan then got training from ICAR-CIFE, Kolkata, for making fish pickles, fish soup etc and marketed the product in the home market. He sells his product under the name “Khiala Pork and Fish Products”.

Marketing of the products is done at my farm itself– Harbhajan Singh

All the marketing process is done in his field itself; he does not need to go anywhere to sell his products. He motivated many young farmers and they visit him for taking his advice regarding integrated farming. He became an inspiration for others and encouraged many other people to run an integrated system of farming.

Future Plans

Harbhajan Singh wants to increase his income and take his farming to a higher level. He wants to be more successful in integrated farming and teach people about the benefits of organic and diversified farming.

Message

Harbhajan Singh advises young farmers to pursue organic farming. If any farmer wants to start integrated farming, he should begin from a base level and gradually add other aspects to their business.

Sirbeerinder Singh Sidhu

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Punjab – Malwa Region Based Farmer Paired Agriculture With Mechanized Technology, Have You Tried It…

Sirbeerinder Singh Sidhu, 44, keeping in mind about the Mother Nature, implements the best Eco-friendly farming practices through which time and money, both can be saved. And this thought of working in harmony with nature comes in his mind while he was far away in a foreign land.
Farming, as we know, is an age-old practice, which was followed by our ancestors and their ancestors… to cultivate food and sustain life. But, with the revolution and change in demands, today, agriculture has come a long way creating a vast history behind. Yes, there are some negative impacts of modern agriculture practices, but now not only the farming community but a lot of individuals from the city are also taking initiative towards sustainable agriculture practices.

Sirbeerinder Singh Sidhu is also one of those individuals who realized while living in abroad that he has done nothing for the land which provided him everything since his childhood. Although he was very successful living in abroad, learning about new farming technology, machinery and serving the community, he felt very despondent. And that was when he decided to take a long respite from his life in abroad and came back to his motherland, Punjab (India).

“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.”

Already aware of the foreign agriculture practices, Sirbeerinder Singh Sidhu decided to mechanize his own way of farming and then he paired commercial farming and agriculture technology together. Moreover, he decided to start Kinnow farming rather than wheat and paddy.

“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.”

Mr. Singh designed a machine which can be taken in the orchards by attaching it with a tractor and that machine can grade the Kinnows in 6 different sizes. The machine has inbuilt 9 cleaning brushes and 4 drying brushes; mechanization of the machine up to this level has reduced the cost of labour to almost zero.

“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.”

According to Mr. Singh – Earlier, the main obstacle faced was during the marketing of Kinnow, labour cost of harvesting Kinnows from the orchard and then taking care of it was very time and labour consuming and also was not economical. Since the grading machine is developed by Mr. Singh, half of the problem of harvesting and grading is already solved.
This mechanized way of grading Kinnows in six different sizes has created a valuable place for Mr. Singh’s harvest in the market, as it gets more pre-eminence and better return on investment. Using this mechanized way for grading the Kinnows is a valuable addition to the “Sidhu Model Farm”, and from the last 2 years, fruits produced by Mr. Singh is achieving first and second prizes at the State Level in Citrus Shows.

This is not the only approach that Mr. Singh is following; drip irrigation, crop waste management, green manuring, bio-gas plant, vermicomposting, organic production of vegetables, cereals, fruits, and wheat, are other means through which he is trying reduce the harmful footprints of conventional farming practices on his behalf.

Sirbeerinder Singh Sidhu’s contribution in the agriculture field has bagged him many awards and honour at state and national level, out of which these two are the main:

• Won State Level Citrus Show at Abohar, Punjab
• Received award form PUSA Delhi for Innovative Farming
Along with farming, Mr. Singh is also master of other animal husbandry and agri-allied activities, just because of his hobby. He rears dairy animals, poultry birds, kennel dogs, goats, and Marwari horses. He has also maintained a fish pond in half acre and forestry which includes 7000 Eucalyptus trees and 25 Bush Bamboos.
With his 12 years of experience in the agriculture field, Mr. Singh has focused his attention on some important matters and want to give the message to the society through these issues, which are the major concerns in Punjab ….

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-
” once in your life you need a doctor, a lawyer, a policeman and a preacher but every day, three times a day, you need a farmer.”

Manjinder Singh, Swarna Singh

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Successful Poultry Farming Venture, Established By Father And Flourished By Son

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.”

Implements:

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 & Business:

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.

Message:
“Whatever you do in the field of agriculture, do it with dedication because hard work always pays off.”

Bhagat Singh

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Joint Effort Made by the Two Brothers Has Turned Their Father’s Small Poultry Farm into a Large Scale Business: Jagjeet Poultry Breeding Farm

A small business started by a man with just Rs. 15,000, he never thought his own sons will take it to such a large scale in future. Well, it is said that big things often have small beginnings. This is the story of two sons, who followed the same footprints of their father after their education and expanded the business to a greater extent.

Sardar Bhagat Singh a small farmer of Patti town in Tarn Taran city of Punjab, started a poultry farm business in 1962 with just 400 hens. He started the business in the times when no one was aware of poultry farm business idea. He named his poultry farm – Jagjeet Poultry Farm, JAG was taken from her wife’s name (Jagdish) first half and JEET was his own nickname. Well, Bhagat Singh started the poultry business because it was his dream and he had interest in doing that. But he never imposed his words and business on his children. He had two sons- Mandeep Singh and Ramandeep Singh, and both were sent to school and college to persuade their primary and higher studies and do whatever they wanted to do with their career. But both the sons chose to join their father’s business and extend it.

Both the brothers, Mandeep Singh and Ramandeep Singh, took the grip over the business just after their father’s death in 2012 and gradually with the time, extended their farm into 3.5 acres of area. Earlier there was only poultry farm, but after some time they also started breeding, and they renamed their farm as Jagjeet Poultry Breeding Farm. But everyone in the village, from that time till now, knows the poultry farm by the name of Bhagat Singh. Well, the name doesn’t make the difference, it’s the efforts of two brothers that has made the huge difference and changed the face of the whole poultry business.

They have 1.5 acres of land for breeding purpose and 2 acres of land for commercial layer purpose. Today, they have around 12000 hens in breeding farm and 18-20,000 hens in the commercial farm.

To make their farm functioning easier and automatic gradually with the time they managed to install 8 machines in the poultry farm, and cost of each machine is around 3 lakhs. They have employed around 25 workers to manage their farm and machines along with them. Mandeep Singh and Ramandeep especially take care of cleanliness, hygiene of the poultry farm. Even Mandeep Singh’s son Dr. Jasdeep Singh is also associated with the poultry farm business. As a veterinary doctor, Jasdeep Singh plays a major role in taking care of the chicken’s health personally. He ensures that every chicken is healthy and free of any kind of disease to maintain the good quality of poultry products. He gives all the required vaccination as per the requirement and quarantines the chicken if any kind of disease or symptom is found.

A joint effort made by the two brothers 7 years back has turned the small poultry farm business value in millions. Today they supply their poultry product all around the Punjab and Uttar Pradesh. They also train and guide the people who come to them to get an idea to start their own poultry farm business. And Dr. Jasdeep Singh also helps people by telling them that which kind of feed and vaccination they should give to their chickens to maintain the quality of their poultry products. In future, this 2 brothers-son trio are planning to expand their business and make their poultry farm products available in farther areas also.

Message by Bhagat Singh’s Sons
“Nowadays, farmers are committing suicide, they should not do so. They should think that what will happen to their family after them, their family is dependent on them, and thus this is not a way to get rid of their responsibilities. Farmers should think about how to make their skills beneficial for themselves and how to process their crops so that it will give them profit in the coming time. Now, farmers have to start farming in a smart way and they have to sell their produce themselves in order to get the right price of their crops.”