Manpreet Singh, a 40-year-old farmer from Hoshiarpur, Punjab, has shown that owning vast lands isn’t the only path to success in farming. Starting with his family’s modest three acres, he now manages 40 acres, with 37 of them leased. His journey began after finishing his 10+2 education in 2000. Encouraged by his father, a retired Army officer, Manpreet embraced farming. He started with traditional crops like wheat, paddy, and maize, and also leased 10 more acres.
“Farming was never easy,” Manpreet shares, “but I wanted to prove that even a small farmer can grow big with hard work and planning.” Over time, he moved away from just growing wheat and paddy. He focused on diversification, including sugarcane, animal husbandry, and agroforestry.
Today, 24 acres are used for sugarcane, with four acres dedicated to organic farming. He practices intercropping, planting potatoes and vegetables between the sugarcane. Another 12 acres are used for growing poplar and eucalyptus trees. He also uses green manure to keep his soil healthy.
In 2013, Manpreet started pig farming with just ten pigs. Now, he has 175 pigs. He sells about 150 to 200 pigs each year, earning around ₹30 to 40 lakh. Each mature pig can sell for ₹15,000 to ₹20,000. This provides a good extra income alongside his crop farming.
What makes Manpreet’s approach special is adding value to his produce. While he sells sugarcane from 20 acres to sugar mills at the Minimum Support Price (MSP), he processes sugarcane from his four organic acres into jaggery and jaggery powder. He even sells some organic cane directly to juice sellers at a much higher price, ₹1,500 per quintal, compared to the MSP of ₹400. This smart move brings him ₹40 to 42 lakh annually from sugarcane and its products.
In 2021-2022, he added poultry to his farm. He started with just one pair of desi hens and now has 150 hens. These hens lay eggs daily, earning him ₹1,000 to ₹2,500 per day. This adds another income stream to his integrated farming model.
Even though some of his leased land has sandy soil, Manpreet finds ways to make it productive. In 2023, he installed a rain gun irrigation system on six acres of sugarcane fields. This system cuts down water use by nearly 70%. It also brings good returns, around ₹6 lakh per acre every four years, with very low input costs of just ₹10,000.
His agroforestry also helps conserve soil moisture. He plans to harvest trees from his 12 acres of poplar and eucalyptus in stages. He expects to earn ₹72 lakh from these trees over time. He aims to sell trees from about 4-5 acres each year, providing a consistent income. He also plans to increase his agroforestry area to 20 acres.
Through his diverse and smart farming methods, Manpreet has created a self-sufficient farm that generates an annual revenue of ₹95 lakh to ₹1 crore. After paying for expenses, including ₹10 lakh for leased land, he makes a profit of 40%. “I only own three acres, but I earn more than many corporate jobs,” he says proudly.
Manpreet’s achievements have been recognised with the Parvasi Bharti Puraskar by Punjab Agricultural University (PAU). Dr. Satbir Singh Gosal, Vice-Chancellor of PAU, praised Manpreet’s success, stating, “Manpreet has built a self-reliant, multi-income farm enterprise. His work is a shining example of the evolving face of Punjab’s agriculture, where traditional wisdom meets modern diversification.”
Manpreet believes his father taught him discipline, and farming taught him patience. These two lessons have helped him build a successful life.