A succesful entrepreneur and real hero for curbing problem of stubble burning
Gurbachan Singh is a progressive and innovative farmer resident of village Burj Deva Singh, Tehsil Patti, District Tarn Taran. He has total land holding of 40 acres in which he is sowing different crops such as paddy, basmati, vegetables and fodder crops and managing the residue of these crops without burning. He is having 40 buffaloes at his dairy farm. He has 20 boxes of honey bees. He is making sweets, paneer and other value added products from milk after taking guidance from KVK.
Apart from it, two biogas plants are installed for better management of waste at his farm. Gurbachan Singh is attached to Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Booh, Tarn Taran and regularly visits at KVK campus to gain latest knowledge regarding agriculture and livestock farming. Scientists from KVK also regularly visits to his fields to assess different enterprises specially crop and livestock. Gurbachan Singh do not burn paddy straw at his fields and motivates other farmers for in-situ management of the straw.
Gurbachan Singh first time narrated incidence to Dr. Balwinder Kumar, Deputy Director (Training) KVK, Tarn Taran regarding the condition he put in front of bride’s father that he will accept their marriage proposal for his son if they don’t burn the stubble (parali) in their field. Dr. Balwinder Kumar then made a video in the month of December, 2017 featuring Gurbachan Singh in his field to show wheat crop sown with Happy Seeder and also recorded his story about the condition set for marriage of his son. This video was sent to ICAR-ATARI Zone-1 upon which Gurbachan Singh was invited to attend a workshop at Ludhiana and Dr. R.S. Paroda, Ex. Director General, ICAR and other officials honored him after listening his son’s marriage tale. Dr. H. K. Verma, Director, Extension Education, GADVASU, Ludhiana and Mr. Pardeep Kumar Sabharwal, Deputy Commissioner, Tarn Taran presented Commendation Certificate to the farmer and his story got published in leading newspaper at national level. His efforts to manage straw burning were appreciated by Hon’ble Prime Minister of India Sh. Narendra Modi on 28 October, 2018 in Mann Ki Baat.
By adopting crop residue management practice under the guidance of KVK, Tarn Taran, he has saved approximately Rs. 5000/acre and improved soil organic matter to by 0.8%.(0.3% earlier year)