Farm Fresh the Haryana Way

  • Abhishek Behl | Barnali Dutta/FG
  • India
  • Mar 20, 2015


Photo: Prakhar Pandey

 

Abhishek Behl

Agriculture in India is today at the crossroads, mostly plagued by small landholdings harbouring a rising population. This is putting immense pressure on farmers to sell and move out. However, by adopting new technologies and embracing progressive ways of farming and new produce, more than a few farmers are realising that they can increase their productivity, output and value. The more enterprising are into food processing, and are even branding their produce. This is the strong message that was sent out to thousand of farmers who participated in the Haryana Agri Leadership Summit in Gurgaon. While the State government leaders did hog the ‘medialight’, the event was undoubtedly of, for and by the farmers. Even the corporate crowd in Gurgaon was impressed by the ‘farmwares’ on display by stakeholders from across the State. The centre of attraction was Dharambir Kamboj - popularly known as Kisan Dharambir, who presented many progressive ideas and innovations. His journey, from being a rickshaw puller in Delhi to now becoming an entrepreneur who designs and sells innovative food processing machines across India, is an inspirational tale in a nation where second chances are rare. Dharambir said he had met with a serious accident while riding his rickshaw, and had gone back to his village. There, with govt. help, he learnt about farming and food processing. “I had no money, and my house was also on the verge of being sold. I was in despair. Just then a chance visit to Ajmer inspired me to take up food processing. "I saw that farmers there were making good money by processing local fruits,” he said. An inspired Dharambir went to nearby Jagadhri, a local steel fabrication hub, and got a supplier to make a rudimentary machine for processing farm produce. After two years of hard work he was able to fine-tune his machine, which can now process multiple fruits, herbs and other produce. “The result is that I have been able to sell a number of these machines across the country, and even abroad. I now earn well, but all this happened only after I connected back with the farm. It helped me make my comeback,” said Dharambir. On sale at his stall were Aloe Vera gel, cream, strawberry juice, 'amla murabba' and several kinds of jams – all produced through his machine. Even the Haryana Governor stopped to take a look at his stall. An officer of the Agriculture department who came to his stall agreed that a large part of horticulture produce in the country, including in Haryana, gets wasted. In his opinion, local ‘factories’ like Dharambir’s,  would go a long way in helping save food, and in turn ensure that farmers get a good price. The farmers at the Agri Summit were also told to branch out to floriculture, dairy and other related activities, which would free them from the wheat-paddy economy that is totally controlled by the govt. through its Minimum Sale Price (MSP) policy. Rajinder Dahiya, a farmer from Sonepat, was inspired by an official of the Hisar Agricultural University to take up floriculture. Today he, along with his sons, plants 12 acres of his land with imported bulbs from Holland and is making a neat profit by producing quality flowers - which include Lilies, Chrysanthemums and Roses. His son Kushagra said that they sell the flowers in Ghazipur Mandi, and these are bought by leading hotels in Delhi-NCR because of their good quality. A farmer can make a profit of Rs 5 lakhs per acre through floriculture, provided he is dedicated and willing to work hard, he added. In fact if some of the innovations are embraced seriously, even the humble potato and tomato can help you earn big bucks – even in the arid lands of South Haryana. Vinod, a young farmer from Patikra village in the dry zone of Mahendragarh district, has adopted the use of hybrid seeds and the drip irrigation process to multiply his production of potatoes and tomatoes. “My quality is better and even the taste is good, so it fetches me a good premium. I also save on water and power costs, and thus make a  better profit,” he said. Agriculture no doubt needs hard work, he added, but if farmers are open to adopting advanced techniques, they can earn well. Raj Kumar, another progressive farmer from Tejakhera in Sirsa, grows Kinnows. He said that co-operative farming could be the way forward for farmers with small holdings. “We grow Kinnows in our farms, and also jointly with other farmers. The business is good, but it has a gestation period of five years,” said the farmer, whose family has a large land holding. He added that, compared to farming, orchards are a more reliable and better source of income. 

Baljit Singh Redhu, owner of Lakshya brand, has a dairy and milk processing plant in Jind. Redhu is a leader in milk production in the State. He states that the government will have to intervene strongly to make dairy farming profitable. “Right now running a dairy is not at all profitable for the small farmers, and even those who keep cattle as part of subsistence farming are giving it up,” said Redhu. “We urgently need to improve the quality and breed of the indigenous milch-producing animals, using the latest genetics. We need to have better fodder management. The government needs to work on a PPP (Public Private Partnership) mode in this industry. The number of cattle in this country is huge, and we can supply milk to the entire world if proper measures are taken,” he quipped. A special section of the Summit was designated for the indigenous cows and the Murrah buffaloes and bulls, which were priced in lakhs - and even a couple in crores, much to the surprise of the visitors. Bulls like Yuvraj, Virat, Dara Singh, Golu, Sultan and others were the centre of attraction at the ‘mela’, as people thronged to see these ‘Mercedes-class cattle’. Narendra Singh Poonia, owner of Golu, said that the demand for his bull is very high because of the top quality germ plasm it produces. Poonia regularly sells the semen of his bull at a very high profit – farmers use it for the artificial insemination of their stock. “I have earned more than 50 lakh  rupees from Golu; he is invaluable to me,” he added. Redhu, the dairy industrialist, said that genetic breeding, artificial insemination and techniques like these need to be evenly spread across the State, including among small farmers, to ensure equitable development. Agriculture Minister Om Prakash Dhankar has said that the government will provide 50 percent subsidy for the setting up of small dairy units having 4-5 Haryanvi Sahiwal cows, and 25 percent subsidy on big dairy units. He also said that the government intends to increase milk production in the State and make it available for commercial use. At present the State produces 2 crore litres of milk, of which 60 percent is consumed by locals and only 40 percent is sold. The per capita consumption of milk in Haryana is 800 grams. Another major boost to agriculture by the Haryana government was the introduction of the 'Haryana Fresh' brand - wherein the govt. would help improve the produce of farmers, so that they could pass the quality control norms of ISI, AGMARK and ISO. The Agriculture Minister believes that this branding would help farmers get better prices for their produce. The government would also create a conducive atmosphere for trading, so that farmers and traders become joint stakeholders. Some farmers said that they should be helped to market their produce or offered a ‘minimum support price’ by the government. Gurmail Singh, who came with a group of farmers from Sirsa, opined, “We have learnt a lot about new seeds, better machines and soil testing. These facilities now need to made available locally and at low cost.” There were some critics as well, like G.S. Dhillon, a farmer who has visited several European countries and seen how farmers work there. “We are very backward, even by the standards seen in this Summit. Agriculture in India needs to leapfrog a couple of decades, to ensure that farming becomes a viable alternative. The local traders do not pay even the cost of the produce. The situation is so bad that sometimes the crops are allowed to rot in the field,” he rued. His fellow villagers said that power and water are the major problems and costs for the agriculturist, and most of them have little incentive in exiting the wheat and paddy crop cycle. The lack of crop insurance and poor cold storage facilities in rural areas were cited as other major problems that lead to losses. Rakesh Kumar, a farmer from Kaithal, said that pioneering agricultural summits like this are most welcome and the government must continue this effort by holding workshops, to help increase farm productivity. Shamsher Singh from Guhla Chika said that the government should focus on setting up Special Agricultural Zones instead of ‘bogus’ Special Economic Zones (SEZs) that are later taken over by real estate majors to create urban land banks. 

In reply to the shrill demands for crop compensation (due to the recent untimely rains and hail), the Agriculture Minister Om Prakash Dhankar announced that Haryana will get all its fields insured. “We are preparing a special insurance policy, and any compensation owing to damage due to adverse weather conditions will be paid by the insurance companies. The farmer will also get compensated if his crop is purchased below the Minimum Support Price,” said Dhankar. The Haryana government has also announced the setting up of a ‘dry port’, to ensure that agricultural produce of the State can be transported quickly to different parts of the country. The participants at the Agri Summit wanted the government and their local officials to now show similar zeal at their feild level. “If the government genuinely partners with farmers, India can become the food producer to the world,” asserted Devinder Singh of Karnal, who is planning to set up an orchard, inspired by the Kinnow growers of Sirsa. 


Photo: Prakhar Pandey


Barnali Dutta

The pioneering Agri Leadership Summit held at the HUDA grounds near Leisure Valley was widely attended by farmers from across Haryana, agricultural scientists and experts in agricultural practices from India and abroad. The Summit presented the changing face of Indian agriculture and captured the keenness of the farmer community to embrace technology. The focus was on innovations that are being practised across the world to enhance agricultural output and quality. This was particularly relevant in the context of a shrinking agriculture base in India today. Farming is no longer about simply tilling the land. Science and technology has taken an important position in Indian agricultural practice. According to official statistics, more than 90 per cent of the power is now being drawn from mechanical sources: tractors and power tillers provide the bulk of the requirement, followed by electric motors and diesel engines. Some forty years ago, over 72 per cent of the power was provided by human beings and animals. Many progressive farmers have combined their hard work with technology to yield ‘gold’ in their farmlands. There is now greater focus on organic crops and human health. The offering of fresh farm produce is a most refreshing development. 

The 3-day Agri leadership Summit witnessed a healthy display of ‘non-traditional’ farm produce. Visitors crowded pavilions where farm products such as Broccoli, Strawberry, Squash, Cherry Tomato and the like were in evidence. These represented several success stories of India’s rejuvenated farm sector. The Summit was inaugurated by the Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal and Union Minister for Surface Transport Nitin Gadkari. In the Farmer’s Pavilion, a range of farm produce was exhibited in stalls. The State government has coined the term ‘Agri Leaders’ to depict and recognise the outstanding farmers who have dared to experiment in their fields….and succeeded “These ‘Leaders’ have evolved with the market demands and are today earning very good money,” said the Chief Minister. The CM added, “The new generation is well aware of the requirement of the market today, and they are most willing to adapt and adopt the appropriate farming practices. You will now find many youth with B. Tech. degrees adopting agriculture as their career,” he said. One such youth was Vikram, from the Mada village in Hisar district. He grows strawberry in his fields and is earning a good fortune. Similarly, agri leader Manpal, of village Malikpur and Shakti Rajan, of village Chamanpura in district Jhajjar, have experimented with new techniques. A graduate in Agriculture, Rajan said that he has erected an 8,000 sq.m. ‘Polyhouse’ within his 3-acre farm. In village Chamanpura they grow Cherry Tomato, Larrups, Red Cabbies, Broccoli and Squash – which fetch them between Rs 100 to 150 per kilogram. They sell to various markets across the country. Rajan produces 400 tonnes of vegetables per year and earns Rs 1 crore from exports. He has travelled to Israel and China, to study the new agri techniques. According to him, farming in a Polyhouse is cheaper than traditional farming and one can even produce ‘unseasonal’ crops or vegetables. Manpal (of village Malikpur) said that, motivated by his near relative, he started ‘Bee-rearing’ with 28 boxes and 280 colonies in 2002-03, and now is able to produce 400 quintals of honey - from which he earns Rs 50 lakhs per year. He said that a large number of customers have approached him for supplying ‘pure honey’, which has medicinal value. The demand for Manpal’s honey is high because of its quality. “Recently some samples of honey of even branded companies have failed,” he said. Manpal’s son Vinay, an educated lad, finds the new techniques more cost effective - thus yielding higher profits. Onkar, a farmer from Fatehabad district, was yet another success story. Switching to become a ‘kinoo grower’ from a traditional cotton grower, Onkar is now able to earn more than Rs 2.5 lakhs in profits every year. Dr Vivek Gupta from Kurukshetra has transformed himself into a successful mushroom cultivator.

Interestingly, the Summit had provided a wide platform for woman farmers to showcase their talents. They had come from different areas of the State. “One day I decided that I would begin working on our land. Initially we started cultivating mushrooms and then into ventured into organic farming. I know I could have chosen any other job but I preferred to be a farmer, to work on our own land. Society has a misconception about a woman's capability – she can do anything that she sets her mind to. In a village, most women anyway do almost everything, but since they are not allowed into the Mandi house, the men take all the ‘credit’. We (women) need encouragement and financial support from the govt. A farmer works very hard to produce food,” said Seema, who runs her own farm ELLE. Smt. Krishna Yadav of village Bajghera (Gurgaon) reminisced about her life 20 years ago as a poor woman struggling to sell vegetables in the market, often below cost. Now she has graduated to food processing. She makes various types of pickles and ‘murabba’ and her whopping 153 brands are sold in several cities - including the swanky shopping malls. She earns well through her four outlets, and also directly and indirectly employs 400 women. 

Across Haryana, a traditional agri champion of India, there would be many similar success stories today. It required an Agri Summit to bring many of them out in the open. The new methods, techniques and produce have changed the world for many of them. They have proven that the lands of farmers can bloom many model, innovative projects. Quick to dispel fears of unbridled (farmer) land acquisition, Union Minister for Rural Development Ch. Birender Singh assured the farmers that no land would be acquired without their consent. He however cautioned them that, with cultivable land decreasing, farmers would have to learn to adopt new technologies. He also expressed concern on the persistent use of chemical fertilisers and their impact on soil fertility. “We have to devise ways to preserve the fertility of the soil, so that the future generations can also enjoy the benefits of this fertile land,” he added. Haryana Agriculture Minister O P Dhankar, the prime mover of the Agri Leadership Summit, said the ‘Second Milk Revolution’ in the country was already taking place in Haryana. The government has enhanced the incentive under ‘milch-cattle scheme’ from Rs 25,000 to Rs 30,000, to give a boost to the White Revolution in the State. Union Minister of State for Agriculture Dr Sanjeev Balyan said that the Agri Summit had even attracted the urbanites and the ‘common man’, who were fascinated by the prize cows and bulls…and had partaken the fresh farm produce. Jai Kisan.

 

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