- Sukhjit Singh's journey towards natural farming began after his nephew was born.
- In 2018, he decided to make ready to eat food items.
- Sukhjit Singh learned how to process food and started making noodles, biscuit
A farmer from Punjab has shown how farming can protect both human health and the environment. Sukhjit Singh, from Biroke Kalan village in Mansa district, has changed the way he grows crops by moving away from harmful chemicals and crop burning.
His journey towards natural farming began after his nephew was born and “doctors told us how the chemical-laden food and contaminated water were affecting health,” which made him rethink his future. Instead of following a career in the IT sector, he chose to focus on growing healthier food.
Speaking with 30Stades, Sukhjit Singh explained, “It shook me and I decided to focus on naturally grown food and health instead of chasing goals in the IT sector. In 2012, I started transitioning the family's 10-acre farm in Biroke Kalan village in Punjab's Mansa district away from chemical-intensive wheat and paddy cultivation towards organic farming. I approached Punjab Agricultural University in Ludhiana to learn about cultivation and biofertilisers.”
He also learned better farming methods from scientist Dr Surinder Dadal, who advised him to use native seeds. He understood that these traditional seeds were important for growing crops naturally without harmful chemicals. Since very few farmers in Punjab were saving such seeds, Sukhjit decided to find them himself in different parts of India, including Haryana, Sikkim, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
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“The transition from chemicals to organic methods came at a cost. My early attempts to grow wheat and maize without conventional fertilisers produced poor yields, leading to losses in 2013 and 2014. Improving soil health and learning natural farming practices took time.
“During the wheat season now, I collect and store around 200-300 quintals of wheat stubble for mulching sugarcane, turmeric and vegetables, giving the residue a productive use instead of burning it,” he says.
Even though Sukhjit grew crops without chemicals, finding buyers was not easy. So, in 2018, he decided to make ready to eat food items. He learned how to process food and started making products such as noodles, pasta, biscuits and snacks from wheat and millets.
He also realised that selling such food items can help him earn more than selling grains alone. For example, he can sell wheat for around Rs 100 per kg, while wheat biscuits can fetch Rs 800 per kg. In the same way, millets that sell for around Rs 50 per kg can be turned into pasta worth Rs 600 per kg.
Today, Sukhjit sells over 70 products under his brand, Biroke, including turmeric powder, jaggery, millet pasta, noodles, cookies and snacks. His wife, Sukhpal Kaur, helps prepare the products and promote them at exhibitions and other events.
The brand started getting more customers in 2023, when millets received attention during the International Year of Millets. He began taking part in exhibitions, which helped him meet buyers and families looking for gluten free food.
Indians living abroad, including those in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany and Malaysia, also order his products.
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