Farmer Yogesh Kumar Leads a Quiet Revolution with Natural Farming
When you hear the name of Barwala village, you may think of just an ordinary Indian village, but a story is growing in the soil of this village which is showing a new path to the farmers of the whole country.
Revolution with Natural Farming: Yogesh Kumar is a dedicated and innovative farmer of Barwala village in Muzaffarnagar district of Uttar Pradesh, who has made significant contributions to natural farming and sustainable agricultural practices. Having obtained a B.Sc degree in Agricultural Science, Yogesh adopted a scientific approach in the field of farming and has developed farming techniques based on natural principles by staying away from chemical fertilizers and pesticides.
Foray into organic farming
Yogesh Kumar started organic farming from 2014 and successfully made this method a part of his life. No chemical fertilizers and pesticides are used in his farming. They use organic inputs like **Jivamrit, Neemastra, and cow dung manure**, which provide nutrient-rich crops while maintaining soil health. “We don’t buy anything from the market. We prepare everything ourselves,” he says.
Sugarcane farming and innovation
Yogesh Kumar primarily cultivates sugarcane and has done many innovations in it. He produces diverse products like **jaggery, sugar cane, vinegar, kulfi, cold coffee** from sugarcane juice, which empowers him economically. He believes that by doing value-addition of sugarcane, farmers can increase their income by 4 to 5 times. Yogesh also prepares products like cold coffee and kulfi using sugarcane juice, which he sells in local fairs.
Yogesh says, “When we do processing along with sugarcane farming, the profit increases. Our products are in great demand in the market.”
Steps towards sustainable farming
Yogesh has given priority to water conservation by using techniques like **drip irrigation and solar pump** in his farm. According to him, the use of these techniques not only saves water but also increases the productivity of crops. He has also constructed a pond in his farm, which has increased the water level of his area.
Training and awareness to farmers
Yogesh not only practices natural farming himself, but also trains other farmers. He teaches farmers how to make their crops free from chemicals by adopting natural farming. Yogesh says, “Farmers come to us twice during the crops and see our experiments, then they adopt these techniques in their fields.”
Awards and Honours
Yogesh Kumar has received several national awards for his innovative and environmentally friendly work. In 2022, he was awarded the **ICAR Innovation Award**. Apart from this, he also received the **ICAR Fellow Award** and **IIFFSR Innovation Award** in 2024. These awards were given to appreciate his innovations in natural farming and efforts to promote sustainable agricultural practices.
Impact of natural farming
Yogesh’s farming is not only beneficial for his family, but it is also a source of inspiration for many other farmers in his area. Along with promoting natural farming, he also inspires farmers to adopt this method. Yogesh believes that adopting natural farming not only increases profits, but it is also friendly to the environment.
He says, “We have seen that even though the production from natural farming is slightly less, its quality is excellent. And when we process sugarcane products, the profit increases up to four times.”
Contribution of fish farming
Along with this, Yogesh has also included **fish farming** in his farming area. This has increased his sources of income and also supported biodiversity. Farming along with fish farming is his effort to develop an integrated agricultural system, which can make maximum use of natural resources.
Yogesh Kumar’s success is an example of how farming can be made not only a profitable business with the right approach and techniques, but it can also be made environmentally friendly. His journey shows that investing in organic farming can not only make the farmer financially prosperous, but it also lays the foundation for a better future for the coming generations by making proper use of natural resources.
Yogesh’s journey towards economic and social reform shows how farming can become an advanced and sustainable business by changing the traditional model of farming. His story teaches that farming is not just a profession, but also an important responsibility, which with the right efforts can positively affect not only the life of the farmer but the entire society.
Also Read: Sprinkler and Drip Irrigation: Increasing the income of agriculture by saving water
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