4 min readDelhiJun 16, 2025 05:27 PM IST
First published on: Jun 16, 2025 at 09:14 AM IST
For 60-year-old Jay Singh Dahiya, who started farming on his own in 1984 when he was just 19, it took over 40 years to get the required recognition. Nestled in Rohat village in Haryana’s Sonipat district, Dahiya has been farming a revolution, quite literally, since the early 2000s.
He started crop diversification at a time when most in Haryana and Punjab hadn’t heard of the term, let alone practised it.
It doesn’t come as a surprise when Dahiya was awarded by Dr B R Kamboj, vice-chancellor of Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University (CCSHAU), Hisar, for being a progressive farmer and for working towards crop diversification in February this year.
As he reflects on his journey, Dahiya shares that he could study only till Class 10. “Times were tough. We struggled to even buy slippers),” he says, adding that very early in life he realised that he has to do something out of the box to triumph in life.
When asked how he stumbled upon crop diversification, Dahiya says that initially, he used to do farming as taught by his father and uncle. “But things changed when in the early 2000s, Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) officials came to our village and conducted a meeting on the latest techniques of farming. I realised the importance of crop rotation and diversification and understood that it meant better produce, affordable farming, and less use of chemicals. I used to grow paddy, vegetables and sugarcane before but after guidance by scientists, I started crop diversification — something that my family didn’t practice — and made good returns out of it,” he says, adding that he has also been awarded for the same as he shows certificates and recognition of his hard work.
On how he carries out crop diversification, Dahiya says, “Instead of paddy, I grow pearl millets and mustard. In kharif season, I sow millets and in rabi season, instead of wheat, I plant mustard. In between, I sow summer moong and dhaincha.”
The little paddy that he grows not only feeds the people but also helps in farming of other crops. “Na main kabhi paraali jalaata hun, na jalaane deta hun (neither I burn farm stubble, nor I let others do it). In fact, I spread the stubble in mushroom nurseries to use it as a compost. In the past 5-7 years, no one in Rohat village has burnt paddy residue,” Dahiya says, adding that he also spreads awareness on crop residue management.
Elaborating on his farming techniques, Dahiya says that he and his neighbour sowed the same crop. “He used DAT, potash and various other chemicals. I just used one bag of urea and some bags of single superphosphate. My produce was not only better than him but was also a much healthier option,” he adds.
Explaining the rationale behind not using the popular DAP fertiliser, Agricultural Engineering Scientist Sundeep Antil tells The Indian Express, “Research institutes advise farmers to use alternatives to DAP as the fertiliser is generally imported and sometimes there is a delay in its supply due to shortage.”
Antil adds that when wheat gets harvested in the first fortnight of April, there is a gap of 40-45 days to sow the next crop.
“In this period, we suggest farmers not to keep their fields empty. Either sow summer moong or dhaincha (Sesbania Bispinosa). These act as a biofertilizer and help in improving the soil health. This process — known as green manuring — reduces dependence on chemical fertilisers. Also, these pulses have nitrogen fixation in their roots, which further helps the soil and in turn the next crop’s growth,” he says, adding that with Dahiya reducing his reliance on paddy, he has also helped save a lot of water.
Farmer Jay Singh Dahiya shows his produce. (Express Photo Abhilash Mahajan) 
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