At a time when many in Punjab view farming as unprofitable and younger generations migrate abroad, 82‑year‑old Kabal Singh Guraya of Madhuchhanga village, Ajnala tehsil, Amritsar, stands out as a beacon of resilience.
A former nationalised bank manager, Singh returned to agriculture after retirement and gradually built an integrated farming model that blends fishery, dairy, poultry, crops, and renewable energy. His six‑acre farm has become a “laboratory” for experimentation, inspiring rural youth. “When young farmers come to me, I don’t ask how much land they own. I ask them whether they have dreams,” he says.
Singh’s journey began with fish farming on five acres, later expanding into integrated farming in 2017. He experimented with pig farming but shifted to dairy after Covid‑19 losses. Today, his diversified model includes desi poultry, beekeeping, jaggery production, turmeric, sugarcane, and seasonal vegetables, alongside orchards of mango, guava, grapes, citrus, avocado, and newly planted pears.
His adoption of the Phagwara intercropping model in sugarcane cultivation allows short‑duration crops like mustard and toria to generate income while sugarcane matures. Around fish ponds, he grows maize, pulses, brinjal, tomatoes, and vegetables. The farm is designed for self‑sufficiency, with biogas for cooking and solar panels for electricity.
A hallmark of Singh’s approach is zero‑waste farming: crop residue is reused, poultry and dairy waste feeds fish and enriches soil, and animal waste becomes organic fertiliser,
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