Aakanksha N Bhardwaj
Jalandhar, March 14
Punjab Agriculture University (PAU) recently announced awards for the Punjab farmers and five from Doaba were honoured today for their contribution in the field of agriculture. One of the farmers from Jalandhar has been given award posthumously and one from Hoshiarpur is a woman farmer, Manjit Kaur.
Balkar Singh, 65, from Sawal village in Kapurthala has been honoured with Jathedar Gurditta Singh Mahal Yadgari Award by the PAU. As per the information, the progressive farmer owns three acres of field and does farming on 13 acres. He also has a polyhouse in his fields.
Before 2010, Singh also used to cultivate wheat and paddy, but then he switched to horticulture and since then has been growing strawberry and vegetables. He said that by coming out of the cycle of wheat and paddy, the water could be saved up to 60 per cent. Singh not only grows strawberry but is also involved in its processing and then marketing.
Bugra village farmer Taranjit Singh Mann is another grower from Hoshiarpur, who has been conferred with CRI Pump Award. Taranjit does farming on 242 acres since last 20 years, out of which he owns 32 acres and rest is on contract. He has taken technical training from Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Hoshiarpur. By adopting various techniques, the farmer ensures that the water resources are protected and he also manage paddy stubble with the help of machines recommended by the Agriculture Department.
Another Hoshiarpur farmer Ranjit Singh Bajwa has also won ‘Mukh Mantri Puraskar’. Gulzar Singh of Beas village in district Jalandhar was awarded ‘CRI Pump Award’ posthumously for adopting water management techniques and contributing to water conservation.
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