Karnal : At a time when the Haryana government is promoting organic farming, Bhagwat Singh Sandhu of Karnal is one who took to natural farming almost a decade ago and continues with the practice reaping high dividends.
But till now his organic farming has been restricted to a 1.25 acres area only which he considers as his kitchen garden where fruits of different varieties and vegetables grow in plenty not only to take care of the family’s needs but also a large number of neighbours and acquaintances who are regular beneficiaries of this organic farm produce.
Sandhu’s kitchen garden organic farming model has become a hit and the word has spread among farming community who are visiting Sandhu’s farm and replicating it in their own backyard.
Farmers from other states are also coming to learn the qualities of natural farming from him.
Speaking to ETV Bharat, the farmer Bhagwat Singh Sandhu said, “I am a resident of Nagla Farm in Karnal. We have started natural farming as a kitchen garden in about 1.25 acres of land, in which we have planted fruit and vegetables. Fruit plants are grown according to each season. There are some fruit plants which do not grow in Haryana. But we have planted them in the fields here.”
Farmer Bhagwat Singh Sandhu said, “We have planted about 15 types of fruits including Sapodilla, Guava, Golden Apple, Litchi, Jamun, Fig, Pear, Chauktra Peach, Banana and Mango in our field. We have planted 7 to 8 varieties of guava and mango in our field, which is being discussed everywhere.”
Sandhu’s organic kitchen garden model augurs well for his relatives and farmers who are inspired by the practice and are trying to replicate.
Haryana government records and research on organic farming in the state show that the state has a total of 6605000 hectares of farm land of which a little over 5300 hectares have come under certified organic farming.
Out of these 5300 hectares of organic farming area, 4903 hectares comes under the National Programme for Organic Production and 400 hectares comes under the Partnership Guarantee System Certification.
In 2020-21, 5439 MT of agriculture production was by way of organic farming – one of the lowest in the country. But the state ranks fifth largest exporter of organic products in the country. So there is a lot of potential for organic farming in Haryana, research studies indicate.
