Way to go: Shahkot farmer on mission to promote organic farming

Ajay Joshi

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, September 27

After toiling hard for years, Sukhjinder Singh Kohar (31) has finally achieved success in organic farming. Not only his initiative proved fruitful, but it also motivated other farmers to grow crops organically.

Morival village in Shahkot is today witnessing an “organic revolution”, with many farmers making efforts to end the excessive use of fertilisers and pesticides.

Kohar initially started sowing crop organically for own use on a small portion of his land. Seeing good results, he slowly brought his entire 8 acres under pesticide-free farming. He says it is better to have a “family kisan” than a family doctor.

He says apart from producing a variety of seasonal vegetables organically, he has also grown rabi and kharif crops without using chemicals.

Lessons from the past

After graduating in 2009, Kohar was sure that he would help his family in farming. Unlike his brother and other youths in his village, he never wished to move abroad. He stayed here to help his father in the fields. He was introduced to organic farming four years ago and he liked the concept instantly.

“Besides studying the nutritional value and fertility of soil in our region and the types of crops it supports, I visited other parts of the country and brought different kinds of seeds. The seeds grew well and slowly I brought more acres under organic farming. I also studied how farmers used to survive in the absence of chemical-laced fertilisers. The traditional farming methods helped me in discarding hybrid seeds and chemicals,” Kohar says.

Owns a decomposing unit

To replace chemicals, Kohar uses compost made from the leftovers of sugarcane and other crops. Vegetable waste is another source of fertiliser. Vegetables, fruits and processed food items produced by Kohar are in high demand. His products are even supplied to foreign countries.

Go for it, his message

Urging farmers to adopt organic farming, Kohar says they should first start sowing crops organically for their own use. Once they acquire knowledge, they should adopt it on full scale, he says. By adopting organic method, the farmers can save money spent on fertilisers and pesticides, he adds.