Farmers’ Column: Punjab duo shun wheat-paddy to bet big on veggies — and win big

“For years, I wanted to move away from wheat and paddy but didn’t have the courage to face market risks alone. I discussed it with Tarsem, who too wanted to do something new to enhance his income,” said Jaswant Singh. “When we decided to do it together, it gave us confidence. Farming alone feels uncertain, but together, we felt stronger.”

That shared approach has paid off. Where wheat and paddy once yielded modest, seasonal returns, the farmers now grow a wide range of vegetables, including cucumber, pumpkin, bottle gourd, green chilli, garlic, onion, capsicum, potato, watermelon, bitter gourd, okra, brinjal and cauliflower. Their fields reflect a shift not just in crops, but in mindset as they now save water, generate employment, and earning a respectable income.

Central to their success is intensive land use and careful crop planning. They practice intercropping, combining vegetables like cucumber and pumpkin with maize, and stagger planting cycles so that one crop overlaps with the next. This ensures near-continuous production, with the land lying fallow for barely a month each year.

Farmer Jaswant Singh (left) and Tarsem Singh working in their field at village Bhundar Bhaini in Sangrur. (Express Photo)

Unlike the wheat-paddy system, which generates income only twice a year, vegetable farming provides them with daily earnings. “Now, it’s like running a business,” Jaswant said. “We work 8 to 10 hours every day. My son Jashannot Singh (doing graduation) and wife Gurmeet Kaur too lend support and the returns reflect that effort.”

The financial turnaround has been significant. Earlier, the 20-acre operation generated around Rs 14–15 lakh annually after expenses and lease costs. Today, today there is no limit to earnings. Profits have risen by an estimated 130–140 per cent. The farmers report per-acre earnings of Rs 1.5 lakh to Rs 2.5 lakh after expenses, depending on the crop and season.

Equally important is the steady cash flow. The pair harvest fresh produce daily and sell it at local mandis, ensuring liquidity and reducing dependence on seasonal payouts. Family members have also become actively involved, turning farming into a full-time enterprise.

Beyond income, the shift has delivered environmental gains. According to Tarsem Singh, their diversified model uses 60–70 per cent less water than paddy cultivation, something crucial to a state grappling with groundwater depletion.

“Working together also helps us manage risk,” he said. “If one crop fails in the market, others compensate. It gives stability.”

Their farm continues to evolve. Currently, they have dedicated one acre to cucumber and green chilli, two acres each to pumpkin, potato, watermelon, one acre each to garlic, bell pepper, and smaller areas under onion, bitter gourd, and okra. Jaswant has also begun raising his own nursery to cut input costs and generate additional income through seedling sales.

The farm has also become a source of rural employment, engaging between five and 25 labourers daily depending on the season. The farmers are exploring allied activities such as dairy and plan to revive beekeeping, which Jaswant had previously pursued before losing all his 100 boxes in the 2023 floods.

Their efforts have drawn attention from agricultural experts. Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) has been supporting them with new seed varieties for trial, and Jaswant Singh was recently honoured with Chief Minister’s Award in Agriculture for the year 2025-26 for his work in crop diversification

Vice Chancellor, PAU, Dr. Satbir Singh Gosal, said that diverse farming is the need of the hour, and Jaswant Singh has shown the way. He said that the university has been been motivating farmers to diversify at least some part of their land under other cash crops to enhance income and come out of the wheat and paddy cycle.

For the two cousins, meanwhile, what began as an experiment has become a sustainable model. “We have no intention of going back,” Jaswant said. “Pooling resources and diversifying crops has changed everything for us. It can do the same for others too.”