Bachchattar Singh Garcha of Deh Kalan village, Punjab turned to soybean cultivation and processing after incurring big losses in potato farming. He now runs an automated plant to course of soybean into milk and tofu, clocking in an annual sale of as much as Rs 48 lakh.
Practically twenty years again, a couple of famend officers of the agriculture division travelled in a convoy to Deh Kalan village in Sangrur district of Punjab.
These officers included Punjab Agriculture College (PAU) vice chancellor Dr GS Kallat and agriculture scientist Dr MS Swaminathan, popularly referred to as the Father of Inexperienced Revolution in India.
It was throughout their assembly on the deputy commissioner’s workplace that they got here to find out about Bachchattar Singh Garcha’s soybean processing unit. Shocked on the novel initiative to course of soybean in a area that was dominated by wheat and paddy cultivation, they strived to fulfill the farmer.
“I used to be stunned to see so many officers outdoors my residence,” the 65-year-old farmer remembers.
The common-or-garden farmer supplied them freshly-prepared tofu and soy milk. “Dr Swaminathan ate paneer and had milk as nicely. He actually favored the merchandise and requested me the place I marketed them,” he provides.
When he jokingly revealed to the scientist that he simply offers away the merchandise free of charge, he was stunned. However, that proved to be a turning level, says Bachchattar, as he by no means needed to give away his merchandise free of charge after that.
With help from the PAU, he was offered market linkage services and was allotted a sale sales space on the campus.
In the present day, Bachchattar runs an automated plant to course of soybeans into milk and tofu.
Moreover, he prepares biscuits, namkeen, and mathri as by-products from the residual waste. Marketed below the ‘Vigour Soy Well being Milk’, he has developed an enormous buyer base in Ludhiana, Sangrur, Dhuri, Barnala, Bathinda, and Rajpura districts, clocking an annual gross sales of greater than Rs 48 lakh.
From being a debt-ridden farmer to award profitable agricultural processor
Previous to changing into a pioneer in soybean cultivation, farming was not a mattress of roses for Bachchattar. Till the late 90s, he reaped big earnings by rising potatoes.
Nonetheless, an surprising glut available in the market incurred him losses of Rs 3 crores. His produce was caught within the chilly storage for 3 consecutive years.
“Between 1998 and 2001, I couldn’t promote potatoes in any respect as a consequence of a surplus and there was a really low demand. There was a time once I couldn’t afford to buy a Rs 2 packet of salt. Uske bhi mere aukhe ho gaye the (Even shopping for that a lot was troublesome for me),” he remembers.
The debt-ridden farmer was compelled to promote 15-acre of his farmland — his solely treasure.
“It was extraordinarily troublesome for me to take the choice of promoting my farmland. For any farmer, his land is his solely treasure. I used to be so depressed that I wouldn’t come out of my residence for a 12 months and didn’t attend any weddings or native occasions for 4 years. I’d make excuses to keep away from chatting with folks,” he provides.
Nonetheless, after a while had handed, he recollected a commerce honest which he attended in Delhi in 1993, showcasing the benefits of soybean cultivation and processing.
With newfound dedication, he underwent coaching in getting ready soy milk and soy paneer from the Central Institute of Agricultural Engineering (CIAE), Bhopal in 2002.
Coming again, he established a small one-room manufacturing unit to provide soy milk and tofu. With out every other modes of selling the merchandise, he began giving them as samples to prospects that got here to his grocery store.
“It was difficult to market this product in a spot the place folks most popular cow and buffalo milk. So, regardless that they favored its style, they wouldn’t buy it. My household additionally questioned me why I used to be manufacturing it once I had no prospects. However I believed in myself that sooner or later, this work would scale up,” he provides.
It took him a 12 months to make the primary sale with the help of PAU.
Dr Mandeep Singh, Affiliate Director of Coaching on the Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) below PAU in Sangrur, says, “We now have been giving a platform to Bachchattar to arrange stalls on the KVK and enhance his work. We additionally promote his merchandise on the kisan mela (farmer’s honest). It’s immensely satisfying to see him succeed after years of wrestle. We now have been attempting to advertise value-addition and processing of merchandise for further incomes within the area.”
In the present day, Bachchattar has established an automated soybean processing plant. Relying on the demand, he says that he freshly prepares as much as 700 litres of milk and 4 quintals of tofu every day. This earns him a revenue of Rs 10-12 lakh per 12 months.
Bachchattar has skilled his daughter-in-law, Karanveer, to handle the day-to-day operations of the processing unit.
Karanveer, who has been serving to him for the previous three years, says, “He has not solely taught me the processing work but in addition the learnings of his life. We should always not quit on onerous work regardless of ups and downs. Though he has skilled me, he nonetheless goes to work each day regardless of his age. It’s really inspirational. Seeing him, I’m wondering why we are able to’t be as lively as him.”
Curiously, he has obtained quite a few awards together with the State Award in 2003 and the Chaudhary Charan Singh Nationwide Award in 2004. He was additionally facilitated with soil beverage of the 12 months 2023 award in recognition of his contribution to the Indian soy trade.
In the meantime, Bachchattar says, he reinvested his earnings into buying the land he had beforehand offered, reclaiming the possession of seven out of the 15 acres of land.
“I’m hopeful to get the whole land that I needed to promote in dire instances. I began soybean processing at a time in Punjab when folks didn’t find out about soy milk or tofu. However right now, I’ve not solely established myself once more to stroll with dignity in society but in addition construct future for my future generations,” he provides, reflecting on his journey since 2003.
Sangrur Primarily based Soybean Processor S. Bachittar Singh Garcha Awareded with SFPWA’s Prestigious Award- Soy Beverage of the Yr 2023: Printed by Punjab Agricultural College on 4 July 2023.
Edited by Padmashree Pande. All pictures: Bachchattar Singh.
