Farmer Jasbir Singh Gill Champions Horticulture, Sets Example for Crop Diversification in Punjab

• Mar 27, 2025

Jasbir Singh Gill, a progressive farmer from Beharwal village near Attari, has emerged as a shining example of successful crop diversification in Punjab. Moving away from the conventional wheat-paddy cycle, Jasbir has transformed eight acres of his farmland into thriving orchards of guava and pear, handling everything from cultivation to marketing himself.

Gill personally oversees the plucking, packaging, and transportation of his produce, even sending his pears as far as Kolkata to secure better market prices. His efforts recently caught the attention of a delegation of experts from the United States and scientists from Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), who visited his farm and lauded his commitment to sustainable horticulture.

“Earlier, we were wasting large quantities of groundwater growing paddy and struggling to even secure the minimum support price,” said Gill. “Fruit cultivation not only requires less water but also yields higher profits. While many farmers lease their orchards to contractors for a fixed return, we realized that selling directly in the market helps eliminate middlemen and improves income.”

Sharing his journey, Jasbir explained that he and his brother own 16 acres of land. Twelve years ago, inspired by a relative growing guavas in Sultanwind village, they planted their first guava orchard on two acres. The venture proved to be more profitable than expected, prompting the brothers to expand into pear cultivation.

“In the beginning, we too leased our orchards to contractors,” he said. “But over time, we decided to manage the entire supply chain ourselves — from harvesting to marketing — and the results have been very encouraging.”

Gill now advocates for increased government support to boost horticulture in the region. He has called for the establishment of local fruit processing units, which could drastically reduce transportation costs and open up more markets for farmers.

“We currently spend Rs 300 per 20-kg box just to transport our produce from Amritsar to Kolkata,” he noted. “If the government sets up fruit processing facilities here, we could sell our produce locally and cut down on these costs.”

Jasbir Singh Gill’s success story serves as an inspiring model for farmers seeking to transition to more sustainable and profitable agricultural practices in Punjab.