CHANDIGARH: Under the directions of Punjab Horticulture Minister Shri Mohinder Bhagat, the Horticulture Department is actively working to promote crop diversification and enhance farmers’ income across the state. The farmer-centric schemes of the Punjab Government are proving to be a boon for cultivators, ensuring every possible support to help them adopt modern farming practices.
Director Horticulture Mrs. Shailender Kaur informed that taking advantage of the government’s schemes, Harbir Singh, a farmer from village Saraba in Ludhiana district, is earning handsome profits through polyhouse farming and has become an inspiration for other farmers. After obtaining a degree in Electrical Engineering, Harbir Singh chose farming as his profession instead of taking a job, setting new benchmarks by integrating traditional farming with modern technology.
Farmer Harbir Singh shared that he received comprehensive guidance on polyhouse cultivation from the Horticulture Department. He is currently cultivating seedless cucumber, coloured capsicum, melon, and potato under polyhouse, earning an average annual profit of ₹12 to ₹14 lakh.
He further mentioned that in 2014, he shifted from conventional vegetable cultivation and received specialized training from the Centre of Excellence for Vegetables, Kartarpur. He said that under the National Horticulture Mission scheme, he availed subsidy support to set up his polyhouse and started growing coloured capsicum and seedless cucumber. He regularly consulted officials of the Horticulture Department to resolve farming-related challenges.
Harbir believes thelat hard work, dedication, understanding problems minutely and consistent guidance from the Horticulture Department officials have been the key factors behind his success.