Punjab goes green,reaps profits from organic wheat

While last year the farmers had sold organic wheat varieties in the range of Rs 1,700-2,200 per quintal,this year the demand has increased and so have the prices.

I have sold the entire 20 quintals of organic wheat I had grown at Rs 2,000 per quintal. This was my second year of organic wheat farming; I expect the yield to be more next season, said Kiranpreet Singh,a Riakot-based farmer,who did organic wheat farming on eight acres of land.

Gurdeep Singh,another farmer from Damheri village in the Fatehgarh Sahib district,quoted Rs 2,500 per quintal as the price for his produce. None objected to the price. A majority of my buyers are doctors,engineers and even Jat Sikhs of villages. No one minds paying a little more for pesticide-free wheat, he said.

Amarjeet Singh,a farmer near Jarg village in Ludhiana,too,sold off his entire stock for Rs 2400-2500 per quintal.

Jasbir Singh,a farmer in Fatehgarh Sahib,said,Nearly 250 farmers did organic farming in Fatehgarh Sahib and nobody faced any problem in selling their produce. Others should learn a lesson from us.

Meanwhile,the farmers had sent out group messages to enhance their sales while a few had also advertised in local channels. A majority,however,got buyers through the word of mouth.

Every farmer decides his rates himself. Next year onwards,we will also increase the rates in proportion to the MSP hike, said Jasbir Singh.