In UP’s parched Bundelkhand, one farmer scripts a success story, sets example

BANDA: In Uttar Pradesh’s parched Bundelkhand region, one farmer is scripting a success story, and has set an example in a region ravaged by farmers’ suicide and drought. Locals and activists are now approaching Prem Singh to find out how his practices have transformed his farm into a lush area.
Bundelkhand, according to the estimates of NGO Parmarth Samaj Sevi Sansthan, has seen 113 farmers’ suicides since January 2016.In the past 10 years, the region has seen drought for four times, and 70% farmers suffer from the ravages of crop failure.
Singh, 53, is among the very few farmers in a land with plummeting water tables to have an orchard, processing units and flourishing livestock across his 32-acre farm. What Singh has been practicing since 1989 was recommended by National Institute of Disaster Management in 2014, “Emphasis should be on diversification – minor crops and animal husbandry.”
Bundelkhand, which comprises 13 districts — seven in Uttar Pradesh (Jhansi, Jalaun, Lalitpur, Hamirpur, Mahoba, Banda and Chitrakut) and six in Madhya Pradesh (Datia, Tikamgarh, Chattarpur, Damoh, Sagar and Panna) — suffers from meteorological (rainfall much below average), hydrological (below average water availability) and agricultural drought.
In this scenario, Banda activist Sanjay Singh said Prem Singh’s model of diversification can be replicated by small farmers in times of drought. “He has come across as a model farmer in the current agricultural and rural scenario, and now he should make it extensive,” said Sanjay, talking to TOI.
Prem Singh has processing units and has diversified into organic farming, orchards and animal husbandry in order to sustain his farm. Today 22% of the people in his village have an orchard on their farms. “Their earnings have increased and so has their yield,” he said.
On his farm one can see full water bodies, fruit-laden trees — which have improved the risk-taking capacity of the farmer — and healthy cattle, which in turn provide manure for organic farming. The quality of the soil continues to be good as he has access to natural fertiliser.
Prem works on the land with three of his brothers, and the distinctive features of his model are crop rotation, animal husbandry, organic farming and food processing. “I have units so that dal can be used for daliya, mustard seeds for oil, fruits can be processed into pickle and murabba and milk can be processed into ghee,” said the farmer, who also authored a book on his system, titled ‘Avaratansheel kheti’.
It has been an eventful journey for him, involving learning from his mistakes. “I maintained a notebook on farming, and realized that 70% of my money was going into paying interests, chemical fertilisers, electricity bill and diesel. Then I thought of doing something that would bring me out of this vicious cycle and of the risk of crop failure.”
Right now, Prem is busy with German activist Ulrike Reinhard, who works in Panna on ways to solve the water scarcity problem of that MP region. Prem said, “This May I will be visiting Panna to meet the villagers and guide them on revitalization of natural springs.”
Reinhard said, “For villagers it is easy to take notes from one among them. He will be talking in their language.”