Just like flowers entice bees, so does this apiculturist’s one speech

Charanjit Singh Teja

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Tribune News Service

Amritsar, October 28

A matric pass farmer, who learnt through his own life experiences, encourages several farmers in the region to adopt apiculture in his own unique ways. Sadhu Singh, a marginal farmer from Roopowali village in Majitha Block, is well-known far and wide for giving motivational speeches, helping farmers to diversify into honey farming.

While sharing his story, Sadhu Singh said he owns 3.5 acres of ancestral land. Like other farmers, his family used to grow wheat and paddy. In 1980, one of the persons at his village got a job at the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU). He shared some ideas with Sadhu Singh and asked him to visit the university.

“I visited PAU and saw exhibitions of progressive farming techniques. I have subscribed to ‘Changi Kheti’, a farm journal of PAU at Rs50 paisa per month. I did a correspondence course on apiculture and decided to start honey farming.

I met District Training Officer Balwant Singh Gill at Khalsa College Amritsar, and on his advice, I did a short training at Gurdaspur. I started honey farming with two boxes in February 1985,” said Singh.

After getting honey from bees, he went to a fair at Janam Asthan Baba Budha Kathunagal. “I set up a stall there and spent the day. We used to sell honey at Rs20 per kg. Meanwhile, a balloon seller standing next to me earned five-times higher than me. My friends mocked and said it was better to sell balloons than agro products. But it didn’t discourage me,” he said.

In the late ’80s, someone asked Sadhu Singh what was the benefit of consuming honey? Singh responded that it was good for health. But the person didn’t get convinced. Sadhu searched for literature on honey, but couldn’t find much.

During his visit to Delhi to sell honey, he visited the third book fair at Pragati Maidan. He collected some Urdu, English and Hindi books. Then, he made a note of 42 points. He also got help from an old handwritten Hikmat book from hakeems to know the benefits of honey. He printed a pamphlet, which he gives along with each packing.

“I have been selling honey at Gurdwara Bangla Sahib, Delhi, for more than 10 years now. We used to go there every weekend by train. Good packaging and branding was a requirement in Delhi, so I adopted it. I started setting up stalls in local fairs with the help of then DC Kahan Singh Pannu. In the first fair at Kathunangal, I was unable to earn Rs 80 for a day, but now, I earn Rs25,000 per day at fairs,” he said.

Talking about ‘Roopowali’ his brand name, Sadhu said: “Once I had set up a stall at a local college. Some girls came and I asked them to buy honey. One of them said we get it from Roopowali village, as it is the best honey ever. It was then that I realised that I am already famous. So, I gave the name of my village to my honey. Dr Ramandeep Singh Sharry, an agri business expert at PAU, gave insights to promote the brand. I got Agmark logo around 16 years ago,” Singh said.

Now, he has around 550 boxes, his own processing plant, storage and packaging unit. He travels 900 km from his village in search of flowers for good honey.

Sharing his memorable experience, Sadhu Singh said: “Once a French tourist bought honey from me in Delhi. After six months, I received his letter. He wrote ‘Your Honey is delicious, we enjoyed it. I will visit your village and meet you whenever I visit India’.” Sadhu has several awards and certificates during this journey. Now, colleges and educational institutes often invite him as a motivational speaker and he is seen cracking jokes and doing “shero shayari” during the interaction.