Farmers’ Column: BBA grad turns 2 failed wheat sowings into Rs 1 crore from vegetables

Baldhir Singh Bhullar, a 35-year-old BBA graduate and farmer from Basti Nanaksar in Ferozepur district, turned two failed wheat sowings into a lucrative vegetable farming business. In 2021, his wheat crops were destroyed by a stem borer and heavy rain, prompting him to shift to vegetables in open fields and protected cultivation.

Now, 13 acres of vegetables generate over Rs 1 crore annually, compared to about Rs 75 lakh he used to earn from 60 acres of wheat and paddy. Bhullar's diversified vegetable cultivation includes tomatoes, cucumbers, capsicum, seedless cucumber, and Japanese melon under open fields and protected cultivation in polyhouses and net houses.

Protected cultivation offers greater control over factors like temperature, humidity, irrigation, and pests, resulting in higher returns and lower dependence on pesticides. Bhullar plans to expand his protected cultivation to 15 acres. While the initial investment in protected cultivation is substantial, the economics of vegetables provide a significant profit margin, even during price fluctuations.

Bhullar's success in crop diversification has earned him the Pravasi Bharatiya Award from Punjab Agricultural University.