Punjab farmers are richer and more powerful than other states in India. They have enough money, land, big houses, luxury cars, and a good lifestyle which other state farmers don’t have. Do you know the reasons behind it?
Let me tell you that! I was born in Punjab, living in Punjab, and a farmer as well. So I know most of the things about this land, culture, and people. Punjab is a land of Gurus, Gurudwaras, agricultural and hard-working people. It is blessed by Gurus and people here are walking on their footprints and thoughts.
Many people wonder why Punjabi farmers are so rich as the whole world saw the power of Punjabi farmers in farmer protests. The news media and other narrow-thinking people just think ‘farmers are those who wear torn clothes, dirt on their face, found in the fields, and poor people.’ But the reality is far away from this of Punjab and even Haryana, UP, and West Bengal farmers.
8 Main Reasons Punjab Farmers are So Rich in India
Punjab brings the green revolution to the country. A report from the National Statistical Office’s Situation Assessment Survey reveals that an average Punjabi farm family earned ₹26,701 per month during the 2018-19 crop year. Punjab ranks in 2nd position in the agricultural family income. The following are the main reasons behind this:
1. Hardworking
Becoming a rich farmer is not rocket science or over a night game. It involves a lot of Punjabi farmer’s hard work. Their grandparents and fathers worked in their fields day to night to grow crops. They toil from dawn till dusk, nurturing the land, embodying perseverance, and sustaining India’s granary with unwavering dedication.
2. Fertile Soils
Punjabi fields and land is the most fertile land in the country. Farmers can grow many types of crops. There are different types of soils – sandy soil, peat soil, clay soil, silt soil, and loam soil. These soils are best and fruitful for agriculture. Every hectare (5 bighas) of Punjab contributes about 40 quintals of rice and 27 quintals of wheat. The net area of 4145 thousand hectares was sown in 2013-14 and almost 82% area of Punjab comes under agriculture. Farmers grow and harvest 3 crops in a year per hectare.
3. Agricultural Machinery
Other farmers in India use old and manual machines and equipment but Punjabi people have powerful and modern agricultural machinery such as heavy trackers, trollies, combine, utility vehicles, and special machines for growing and harvesting potatoes, wheat, paddy, and other vegetables.
4. Crop Diversity
Many people think only wheat and rice are grown in Punjab. But the same crops are growing in other states farmers, so why did they not become rich? Peddy and wheat are the main crops of Punjab but potato, onion, maize, cotton, vegetables, sugar, fruits, sunflower, watermelon, cucumber, cantaloupe, and other fruits are also grown on a large scale in the Punjab for which they get good price in the market.
5. Water
The name of Punjab comes from the lands of rivers – Punj (Five) + Aab (Water) means land of five rivers. Now only two rivers Beas and Sutlej flow through Punjab, but still, there is enough water under the earth’s core of Punjab. Punjab agriculture does not just depend on rainfall or rivers, they use tubewell and canals for irrigation. The Punjab under-ground water is so neat and clean and sweet in taste which is also very helpful for growing crops in any season.
6. No tax + subsidize for farmers
The Punjab government does not charge extra tax or fee from farmers. Even the government provides a Minimum Support Price (MSP) for wheat and paddy, free electricity for tubewell, health policies, subsidized fertilizer, and loans.
7. Landholding
There are small to big landholders in Punjab. However, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, and Karnataka are India’s top farming states. But still, Punjab is the most fertile and crops production state in India. People here grow more crops in their fields. You will find 2 acre to 60-acre farmers in this state.
8. Side Business
Punjab and Haryana farmers do not just rely on agriculture. They also have other sources of income such as most Punjab people have been settled in foreign countries and they send money from their families, property dealing, dairy farming, government and private jobs, and other small to medium size businesses of Punjabis. The rich Punjabi farmer’s household income comes from other non-farm activities.
Final word
However, Punjab is a rich state and people have good lifestyles, livelihoods, and well-established farming. Farmers look rich because of good farming and other income sources. But still, we can’t ignore the Punjab farmer’s issues. Still, they have many problems such as no MSP for other crops, loan border, ground-water level going down, young population going abroad, wheat cans burning issue, expenses & natural disasters, and ignorance of the central government of India on farming and Punjab problem.
Farmers are facing a lot of problems everywhere, so the government needs to listen and solve their problems. So the country can remain self-sufficient in food production.
