Farmer breaks free from tradition, sows turmeric

Farmer breaks free from tradition, sows turmeric
Rajay Deep
Tribune News Service

Rampura (Bathinda), September 21
Cultivating three acres of turmeric in the heart of the cotton belt of Punjab, a progressive farmer of this village, Harjeevan Singh, has not only surprised all but also set an example for other farmers trapped in the traditional circle of agriculture, to take a step towards crop diversification.
Turmeric is said to possess characteristics helpful in resisting diseases like cancer, a serious problem in the Malwa region. Its sowing is being seen as a step in the right direction.
After harvesting the wheat crop in May this year, Harjeevan converted three of his seven acres of agricultural land into a turmeric field. The inspiration came from his son Gursharan Singh, a research scholar at the Punjab Agriculture University, Ludhiana.
Ignoring people who termed his initiative as a high risk venture, he purchased 21 quintals of seed of two varieties of turmeric — Punjab-I and Punjab-II — at a cost of Rs 3,000 per quintal from Gurdaspur and sowed the same.
Though the crop will yet take a couple of months before it is ready for harvesting, people have started visiting Harjeevan’s fields asking him about the pros and cons of coming out of the conventional circle of sowing wheat, cotton/paddy and cultivating turmeric.
Speaking to The Tribune, Harjeevan said, “Those who were criticising me earlier, are now bringing people to see the turmeric crop. They even express their willingness to sow the same and are waiting for the final produce of my crop. I am sure a number of farmers in the region will go for it.”
This progressive farmer feels pride in answering the queries of those visiting him these days.
He convinces them by saying it is not only lucrative but also helps in balancing the disturbed ecology.

Turmeric — the golden spice of life — is one of the most essential spices used as an important ingredient in culinary delights all over the world. The turmeric powder is obtained from dry rhizomes, which are yellowish-orange tuberous juicy stems. It has multiple usages like cosmetics, medicine, dyeing and colouring.
Claiming to be well aware of its usefulness, Harjeevan disclosed that he had been cultivating the crop with natural manure and not using any chemical spray in order to keep it purely organic.
Expecting a yield between 108 and 122 quintals per acre, the confident farmer is now planning to set up his own processing unit, for which he is not only visiting the units already running in Gurdaspur and Hoshiarpur districts but also trying to convince the department concerned to grant him loan as well as subsidy on the required machinery.
Meanwhile, he urged the officials of the agriculture department to visit his field and advise him on the precautions he should take for a healthy and bumper yield.