Mission ‘Tandarust Punjab’: Barnala farmer adopts innovative ways of agriculture to save environment
5 Dariya News
Barnala 05-Aug-2018
To deal with the problem of depleting ground water and manage agriculture crises in Punjab, a farmer Harjinder Singh of village Cheema of Barnala district shown an innovative way of agriculture to other farmers. Harjinder has not only left the traditional crop system but also installed drip irrigation and water sprinkler system in his fields. Besides earning more profit from fewer inputs, he has also become an inspiration for farmers and others in the field of sustainable agriculture. He has also been awarded as Best Farmer in 2012 by Agriculture Department.Apart from his own 5 acre land, Harjinder took 20 acres on lease to grow vegetables, maize and other crops which consumes less water. He has also constructed a water harvest tank for water conservation and also planning to plant some agro-forestry trees as his contribution to increase greenery in the state and to earn additional profit from alongside margins. He has also adopted Bee-keeping as side business and presently having 1800 boxes which he has raised from 5 boxes with the help of Barnala Agriculture Department.Harjinder said that he saw his elders cultivating rice and wheat in their fields from his childhood but he did not want to follow the mono-cropping system.
He added that he started planting vegetables like pea, potatoes and brinjal along with cereal crops and started earning more profit along with preparing seeds of vegetables and flowers along with nursery of various other crops. He said that he never set up crop residue on fire in his farms.He said that he became the member of Kissan Club, Punjab Agriculture University (PAU), Ludhiana and always participates in the camps and trainings organized by Agriculture Department to increase his income by less investments. He said that in summer season, he grows Bitter gourd, Bottle gourd, capsicum, tomato and in winter season, Carrot, Radish, Green Peas, Cauliflower and some other crops in his poly house.Harjinder Singh said that he wanted to deliver the vegetables directly to the consumer to trim down the role of middleman and supply fresh vegetables and other farm products on cheaper rates.Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner Barnala Mr. Dharam Pal Gupta lauded the efforts of Harjinder Singh and said that it was the dire need of time to save water to save life on Earth. DC added that farmers of the region should adopt new rain water harvesting technologies and also refrain themselves from traditional crop cycle of Paddy and Wheat. He said that the district administration will extend every possible help to the farmers who will adopt crop diversification in their farms.