Ludhiana, October 10, 2013(Charanjit Singh Teja)- When marginal farmers in
the state, hit by crisis, are giving up agriculture, there are a few who have
been setting an example by adopting new techniques to keep the vocation
sustainable. A Sikh youth Davinder Singh of Muskabaad village is one such farmer who, once
marginal, has now invested around Rs three crore in introducing polyhouse
vegetable cultivation on his land.Davinder, who started with a 500-square-yard
plot, is now the biggest polyhouse vegetable grower in the state, with 5.5
acres of land under this form of cultivation.Punjab Agricultural University and
other farm institutes have honored Davinder a number of times for his
extraordinary efforts in the field.
Davinder left studies in the first year of college. He wanted to go abroad. When all his efforts in this direction bore no fruits, his friend Davinder, who was working with a multi-national food processing company, asked him to manage a nursery of chillies, back in 1996. Davinder cultivated chillies and sold the produce at Jatt Mandi in Chandigarh.
"I earned a profit of Rs 50,000 from half an acre of land. It was beyond expectation. Then, we quit the wheat-paddy cycle and started growing vegetables,” says Davinder.
Davinder says he and his friend were satisfied with the income, but then another friend suggested him to visit Spain to see how the polyhouse technology worked.
“We easily got the visa as we had been awarded as successful vegetable grower by Punjab Agricultural University. The visit to Spain inspired us a lot and we decided to initiate the polyhouse cultivation on our land,” says Davinder.
In 2008, Davinder and one of his friends started cultivating seedless cucumbers, coloured capsicums and tomatoes in a polyhouse spread over 500 square yards.
"We got three times more yield through polyhouse farming, which motivated us to increase the area under it,” says Davinder.
The major challenge Davinder faced was as to how to market the produce. He started a cooperative society and encouraged more farmers to grow vegetables in polyhouses. Presently, farmers associated with the society are cultivating vegetables in polyhouses spread over 40 acres of land.
"Adoption of the polyhouse technology is like a musical composition. One has to play the flute, another, the drums, and yet another, the piano. A single person cannot cultivate the land on his own and then go to Delhi to sell the vegetables. Only cooperative societies can make it possible,” says Davinder.
Around Rs 35 lakh are required to cover one acre of land with a polyhouse. The Punjab Government gives 50 per cent subsidy for this project. Moreover, National Horticulture Mission too gives Rs 2.50 lakh per acre to promote the polyhouse technology.
"We get the imported hybrid seeds to cultivate the vegetables. The Centre and state governments have imposed 41 per cent import duty on these seeds. On the one hand, the government is giving a 50 per cent subsidy, and on other, it is imposing a 41 per cent tax on seeds. The government must exempt us from this duty,” says Davinder.
Davinder, who started with a 500-square-yard plot, is now the biggest polyhouse vegetable grower in the state, with 5.5 acres of land under this form of cultivation. Vegetables grown in polyhouses need no pesticides and other toxics. The quality and taste of vegetables is also better than the vegetables grown in open fields. "The fabrication of the polyhouse at my farm is as per the recommended technique. So, the squall that struck the region last month did not affect my polyhouse,” says Davinder.
Davinder left studies in the first year of college. He wanted to go abroad. When all his efforts in this direction bore no fruits, his friend Davinder, who was working with a multi-national food processing company, asked him to manage a nursery of chillies, back in 1996. Davinder cultivated chillies and sold the produce at Jatt Mandi in Chandigarh.
"I earned a profit of Rs 50,000 from half an acre of land. It was beyond expectation. Then, we quit the wheat-paddy cycle and started growing vegetables,” says Davinder.
Davinder says he and his friend were satisfied with the income, but then another friend suggested him to visit Spain to see how the polyhouse technology worked.
“We easily got the visa as we had been awarded as successful vegetable grower by Punjab Agricultural University. The visit to Spain inspired us a lot and we decided to initiate the polyhouse cultivation on our land,” says Davinder.
In 2008, Davinder and one of his friends started cultivating seedless cucumbers, coloured capsicums and tomatoes in a polyhouse spread over 500 square yards.
"We got three times more yield through polyhouse farming, which motivated us to increase the area under it,” says Davinder.
The major challenge Davinder faced was as to how to market the produce. He started a cooperative society and encouraged more farmers to grow vegetables in polyhouses. Presently, farmers associated with the society are cultivating vegetables in polyhouses spread over 40 acres of land.
"Adoption of the polyhouse technology is like a musical composition. One has to play the flute, another, the drums, and yet another, the piano. A single person cannot cultivate the land on his own and then go to Delhi to sell the vegetables. Only cooperative societies can make it possible,” says Davinder.
Around Rs 35 lakh are required to cover one acre of land with a polyhouse. The Punjab Government gives 50 per cent subsidy for this project. Moreover, National Horticulture Mission too gives Rs 2.50 lakh per acre to promote the polyhouse technology.
"We get the imported hybrid seeds to cultivate the vegetables. The Centre and state governments have imposed 41 per cent import duty on these seeds. On the one hand, the government is giving a 50 per cent subsidy, and on other, it is imposing a 41 per cent tax on seeds. The government must exempt us from this duty,” says Davinder.
Davinder, who started with a 500-square-yard plot, is now the biggest polyhouse vegetable grower in the state, with 5.5 acres of land under this form of cultivation. Vegetables grown in polyhouses need no pesticides and other toxics. The quality and taste of vegetables is also better than the vegetables grown in open fields. "The fabrication of the polyhouse at my farm is as per the recommended technique. So, the squall that struck the region last month did not affect my polyhouse,” says Davinder.
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