Read the inspirational story of successful carrot farmer Mohandeep Singh

Successful carrot farmer: In today’s era when everyone is running towards the cities, there are some people who are returning to their village and farming. One such interesting story is of Mohandeep Singh of Punjab, who chose to cultivate carrots despite having an engineering degree.

His story tells that it is never too late to fulfill dreams. Mohandeep, who was interested in farming since childhood, finally listened to his heart and took a big decision. Let us know how an engineer chose a new path to fulfill his dreams and made farming his career.

Who is Mohandeep Singh ?

Mohandeep Singh is a resident of Machhiwara Nagar in Ludhiana district of Punjab. He had a keen interest in farming since childhood. His parents themselves used to do farming, but they wanted Mohandeep to do engineering and make a better career. Respecting his parents’ wishes, Mohandeep completed his Junior Engineer Diploma and then his graduation. However, during this time he realized that he was not interested in this field at all.

Mohandeep always had a passion for farming. He was always inspired by the greenery of his village and the beauty of the fields. That is why he decided that he would return to his real interest and make carrot farming a part of his career.

He learned Modern Agriculture in Abroad

After completing his engineering studies, Mohandeep got a job offer, but he wanted to do something big in agriculture. He openly told his parents that he did not want to do a job and decided to realize his dreams. After this he moved to the Netherlands, where he initially worked in a restaurant. But still, his mind was always inclined towards agriculture.

While living in the Netherlands, he started working in a friend’s agricultural farm. This farm was spread over 5 acres and about 40 Indians were working here. Crops like flowers, carrot cultivation and tomatoes were cultivated in this farm. Mohandeep gained deep experience in the field of agriculture while working on this farm from 2007 to 2011. Here he learned about new technology in agriculture, which proved to be extremely useful for his future.

Started Farming after returning to India

When Mohandeep shared his ideas about agriculture with his friend, he told about the quality of India’s soil and advised him to return to India and do farming. Hearing this, Mohandeep got a new direction. In 2011, he returned to India and started carrot cultivation with the consent of his parents.

Mohandeep tells that before going to the Netherlands, he was cultivating carrots, but had to stop this work due to going abroad. Coming back, he resumed his old farming and gradually expanded his farm. He increased his land by 10 acres every year, so that today he is successfully cultivating carrots in more than 70 acres of land. His hard work and dedication has made him a successful farmer in this field.

New technology and variety in carrot cultivation

With the aim of diversifying the market, Mohandeep has also started cultivating black, white, yellow and orange carrots in addition to red carrots. For this, he imports special seeds from abroad, which has not only increased the variety in his crop but also increased their demand in the market.

In 2014, a new variety for carrot cultivation through natural pollination was developed in Mohandeep’s farm, which he submitted to Punjab Agricultural University for testing. This new variety is proving to be very beneficial for the farmers, and Mohandeep now sells its seeds in large quantities.

Apart from this, they also have a special variety brought from the Netherlands, which is durable even in 44 degree temperature. In this way, they supply fresh carrots to their customers till 20th July. With all these efforts, they have set a new example in the agriculture sector.

Specialty and Market for their Carrots

Mohandeep’s carrots are recognized in the country and abroad. The quality of his carrots is so good that it leaves the carrots of other states behind. His major customers include big companies like Reliance, which consider the reliability and quality of his products to be high.

In the summer season, when most of the fresh carrots are gone from the market by May 10, Mohandeep’s carrots are still available in the market till July. This is the result of his hard work and new technology in agriculture. His carrots are not only tasty but also high in nutritional value, due to which customers give them priority. All these aspects together give his product a special identity in the market.

Production of diverse crops

Mohandeep Singh not only cultivates carrots in his more than 85 acres of land, but he also grows other crops like French beans, green chillies and maize to increase his crop diversity. This not only increases his income but also maintains the quality of the soil. He uses minimal chemical pesticides in farming, only spraying weedicide before sowing. Apart from this, he maintains the health of his crops by using a balanced amount of phosphorus, potash and nitrogen, which further increases the quality of the produce.

Irrigation system

His farm is located near the Sutlej river, where water is available at a depth of 15-16 feet. He uses tube wells, which provide him continuous water for irrigation. Along with this, he also uses solar energy, so that there is no hindrance in irrigation even during power shortage. In this way, Mohandeep not only provides proper amount of water to his crops, but also fulfills his responsibility towards the environment.

Economic aspects

Carrot farming costs around Rs 80 thousand per acre, which includes the cost of seeds, labor and diesel. The average production is 200 quintals per acre, which is a good profit figure. His annual income from all crops combined is between Rs 51 to 99 crore, which is the result of his hard work and new technology in smart agriculture. He never sold carrots for less than Rs 7 per kg, which makes it clear that he gives priority to the quality and value of his product.

Marketing and challenges

Initially, there were some challenges in marketing, such as competition in the market and difficulty in reaching the customer. But now his market network has become strong, and the demand for his carrots has increased abroad as well. He exports his carrots by air and sea, especially to Europe, Canada and Gulf countries. His carrots get the best price in these countries, which makes his business more profitable. Thus, he has established a successful model by facing the challenges in the field of marketing.

Honours and Awards

For his outstanding achievements, he has received the Best Vegetable Farmer Award 2024 and the ‘Sardar Ujagar Singh Dhaliwal Award’ from Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana. These awards confirm his hard work, dedication and innovations towards agriculture, which make him a source of inspiration in the agriculture sector.

His Future plans

Mohandeep wants to expand his business to the Gulf countries, so that he can employ more and more farmers. His goal is not only to increase his carrot cultivation production but also to empower the local communities. For this, he plans to use new technologies and train local farmers. This will not only increase their income but will also open up new possibilities in the agriculture sector.

His message to new farmers

Mohandeep Singh believes that there are limitless possibilities in farming. He says that those who work with honesty and dedication definitely get success. He inspires new farmers that they should not be afraid of failure and should continue to try. According to him, there is no shortcut to success in this field; success can be achieved only with hard work and dedication. This message is an inspiration for all young farmers not to back down from realizing their dreams.

Conclusion

Even after 13 years of successful farming, Mohandeep still has a desire to learn. Currently, he is pursuing B.Sc. Agriculture from Punjab University. He also wants to educate both his children in agriculture, so that they can progress further in this field. Inspired by the agricultural work of his parents, Mohandeep has become a successful farmer today and is very happy with it. His journey is an example of the fact that if there is passion and hard work in the mind, any goal can be achieved.