SUCCESS ABROAD He wants to revolutionise farming in Punjab. He believes, with all modesty, that he has the solution for many of the problems plaguing agriculture in Punjab, be it paddy stubble, low productivity, low fertilizer efficiency and excessive emission of greenhouse gases. Meet JEET JHEETEY, VP of Operations and Product Development, Clean Seed Technologies, who wants to lend a helping hand to farmers all over the world . MY ROOTS My family comes from Gholia Kalan village near Moga. My father served with the Punjab State Electricity Board, where he retired as a Superintending Engineer. A firm believer in continual self-improvement, he completed his Master of Engineering from the Thapar University, Patiala, and later after retirement his Ph.D. His lifestyle of selfless work, self-improvement and dedication are the guiding principles for my life. We migrated to Canada as permanent residents after I completed Class X at Sacred Heart School in Moga. I came to this country of opportunities at the right age and with a drive to follow in my father's footsteps. WORK WISE I enrolled to study mechanical engineering at the University of Waterloo. The university offers a four-year co-op program that allows you to explore various specialties, and I gravitated toward design, operations and continuous improvement. My first job after graduation was with Faurecia Automotive as a production supervisor, which quickly transitioned into a continuous improvement patron. After some years, I took a break and went to India. I met my better half Navjot Kaur and got married soon after. We have two amazing daughters together. The time in India allowed me to reconnect with my roots, and I spent much time talking to farmers at our farms in India. It seemed that the technology we saw in automotive had evaded farming. I moved back to Canada in December 2012 and started working in Automotive, but my heart was with farmers and farming. A few weeks later, I joined Morris Industries in Saskatchewan. Morris is an ag implement manufacturer with a 97-year-old history. We created Quantum Air Seeder with best-in-class manufacturing equipment and techniques. A few years later, I took up my current role as VP of Operations and Product Development with Clean Seed technologies. Saskatchewan's economy is primarily associated with agriculture, with wheat being the precious symbol on the province's flag. The lush fields of wheat, canola, pulses, oats and flax give the same feeling of home in Punjab in summer. FAST FORWARD At Clean Seed, we make state-of-the-art no-till precision seeders. We have brought a compact version of Smart seeder (Mini-Max) to India. Mini-Max's unique row-unit design and the "true" no-till precision product placement system will increase yield, reduce input cost by improving fertilizer effectiveness, and start much-needed soil recovery in India. The Mini-Max is designed to fight some of the critical current challenges in India, including limited availability of land and water; antiquated farming techniques (including excessive tillage); broadcast fertilizer and flood irrigation; soil erosion and other environmental impacts; rising input costs; stubble management; and labour shortages. Mini-Max's paired row design is a true multi-product seeding tool that can direct seed rice and all other crops (canola, wheat, corn, soybean, mustard, oats, barley, peas and lentils.) The Mini-Max will bring about a quantum shift toward sustainable farming in India. The journey of bringing this machine to India has been very challenging and rewarding at the same time. Farmers of India are Innovators and entrepreneurs by nature. I have created an extraordinary bond with the farmers of Punjab and Haryana over the last year as we showcased Smart Seeder technology through the Mini-Max demonstration unit with Norther Farmer Mega FPO. A special thanks to the Governments of India, Punjab and Haryana for their commitment to sustainable agriculture. I am also thankful to the Canadian Consulate General's Office in Chandigarh and the Saskatchewan Trade and Investment Office in New Delhi for their continued trust and support. SECRET SAUCE I love my work; it allows me to be close to my roots while constantly evolving and improving. I think the secret of my success is the tendency to listen to others, persistence, being respectful, working with passion and empathy, but foremost the satisfaction of doing my bit to create a brighter future for the next generation. DAILY FIX My day starts with meditation and planning. A day at work is not complete without spending time on the shop floor and talking to our customers. Every day ends with spending time with family and self-reflection.
