68-year-old Fatehabad farmer turns crop waste into income, jobs

At Fatehabad’s Dhani Masitawali village, 68-year-old farmer Major Singh is redefining the way farming should be done in Haryana. While most farmers burn rice stubble after harvest, polluting the air, Singh has found a way to monetise the crop residue. He also employs this waste as a tool for environmental protection.

Major Singh owns ten acres of farmland, but his impact extends far beyond his own fields. Equipped with two straw-baler machines, he collects rice stubble from about 2,000 acres each year and compresses it into tightly packed bales. These bales, totalling roughly 50,000 quintals annually, are sold to biomass power plants, dairies, and other industries. The process ensures that the fields are ready for the next crop in time while generating substantial additional income for Singh. What once was considered waste is now a valuable commodity that benefits both the farmer and the environment.

The impact of Singh’s work is palpable. Where smoke once filled, the fields are now being cleared without polluting the atmosphere. His initiative also provides year-round employment to 30 to 40 local labourers, turning what used to be a seasonal struggle for work into a steady source of livelihood. Singh has gone a step further by teaching other villagers that crop residue is not a burden but a resource that can bring economic and environmental benefits.

At 68, Major Singh is proving that age is no barrier for innovation. Agriculture officials in the region say his work demonstrates how experience, vision, and determination can combine to make farming more sustainable and profitable. Singh’s story is a powerful reminder that even long-standing traditions can be transformed when approached with creativity and purpose.

Singh said that protecting the environment was a shared responsibility and that farmers must adapt to changing times. “What’s done is done...we must embrace the change. Besides protecting the environment, we should also find ways to increase our income,” he said.

An agriculture official said that Singh was today being recognised across Fatehabad as a pioneer in stubble management and sustainable farming.

By turning a persistent problem into a solution, he has shown that farming can be profitable while being environmentally responsible and socially beneficial. His has become a model for other farmers in Haryana and beyond, demonstrating that thoughtful innovation and determination can transform rural communities, improve air quality, and create lasting economic benefits.