Nearly two decades back, a few renowned officials of the agriculture department travelled in a convoy to Deh Kalan village in Sangrur district of Punjab.
These officials included Punjab Agriculture University (PAU) vice chancellor Dr GS Kallat and agriculture scientist Dr MS Swaminathan, popularly known as the Father of Green Revolution in India.
It was during their meeting at the deputy commissioner’s office that they came to know about Bachittar Singh Garcha’s soybean processing unit. Surprised at the novel initiative to process soybean in a region that was dominated by wheat and paddy cultivation, they strived to meet the farmer.
“I was surprised to see so many officials outside my home,” the 65-year-old farmer recalls.
The humble farmer offered them freshly-prepared tofu and soy milk. “Dr Swaminathan ate paneer and had milk as well. He really liked the products and asked me where I marketed them,” he adds.
When he jokingly revealed to the scientist that he just gives away the products for free, he was surprised. But, that proved to be a turning point, says Bachittar, as he never had to give away his products for free after that.
With assistance from the PAU, he was provided market linkage facilities and was allotted a sale booth at the campus.
Today, Bachittar runs an automatic plant to process soybeans into milk and tofu.
Additionally, he prepares biscuits, namkeen, and mathri as by-products from the residual waste. Marketed under the ‘Vigour Soy Health Milk’, he has developed a huge customer base in Ludhiana, Sangrur, Dhuri, Barnala, Bathinda, and Rajpura districts, clocking an annual sales of more than Rs 48 lakh.
From being a debt-ridden farmer to award winning agricultural processor
Prior to becoming a pioneer in soybean cultivation, farming was not a bed of roses for Bachittar. Until the late 90s, he reaped huge profits by growing potatoes.
However, an unexpected glut in the market incurred him losses of Rs 3 crores. His produce was stuck in the cold storage for three consecutive years.
“Between 1998 and 2001, I couldn’t sell potatoes at all due to a surplus and there was a very low demand. There was a time when I could not afford to purchase a Rs 2 packet of salt. Uske bhi mere aukhe ho gaye the (Even buying that much was difficult for me),” he recalls.
The debt-ridden farmer was forced to sell 15-acre of his farmland — his only treasure.
“It was extremely difficult for me to take the decision of selling my farmland. For any farmer, his land is his only treasure. I was so depressed that I wouldn’t come out of my home for a year and didn’t attend any weddings or local events for four years. I would make excuses to avoid speaking to people,” he adds.
However, after some time had passed, he recollected a trade fair which he attended in Delhi in 1993, showcasing the advantages of soybean cultivation and processing.
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Read more >With newfound determination, he underwent training in preparing soy milk and soy paneer from the Central Institute of Agricultural Engineering (CIAE), Bhopal in 2002.
Coming back, he established a small one-room factory to produce soy milk and tofu. Without any other modes of marketing the products, he started giving them as samples to customers that came to his grocery shop.
“It was challenging to market this product in a place where people preferred cow and buffalo milk. So, even though they liked its taste, they wouldn’t purchase it. My family also questioned me why I was manufacturing it when I had no customers. But I believed in myself that one day, this work would scale up,” he adds.
It took him a year to make the first sale with the assistance of PAU.
Dr Mandeep Singh, Associate Director of Training at the Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) under PAU in Sangrur, says, “We have been giving a platform to Bachittar to set up stalls at the KVK and boost his work. We also promote his products at the kisan mela (farmer’s fair). It is immensely satisfying to see him succeed after years of struggle. We have been trying to promote value-addition and processing of products for extra incomes in the region.”
Today, Bachittar has established an automatic soybean processing plant. Depending on the demand, he says that he freshly prepares up to 700 litres of milk and four quintals of tofu daily. This earns him a profit of Rs 10-12 lakh per year.
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Read more >Bachittar has trained his daughter-in-law, Karanveer, to manage the day-to-day operations of the processing unit.
Karanveer, who has been helping him for the past three years, says, “He has not only taught me the processing work but also the learnings of his life. We should not give up on hard work irrespective of ups and downs. Although he has trained me, he still goes to work every day despite his age. It’s truly inspirational. Seeing him, I wonder why we can’t be as active as him.”
Interestingly, he has received numerous awards including the State Award in 2003 and the Chaudhary Charan Singh National Award in 2004. He was also facilitated with soil beverage of the year 2023 award in recognition of his contribution to the Indian soy industry.
Meanwhile, Bachittar says, he reinvested his earnings into purchasing the land he had previously sold, reclaiming the ownership of seven out of the 15 acres of land.
“I am hopeful to get the entire land that I had to sell in dire times. I started soybean processing at a time in Punjab when people didn’t know about soy milk or tofu. But today, I have not only established myself again to walk with dignity in society but also build a good future for my future generations,” he adds, reflecting on his journey since 2003.
Sangrur Based Soybean Processor S. Bachittar Singh Garcha Awareded with SFPWA’s Prestigious Award- Soy Beverage of the Year 2023: Published by Punjab Agricultural University on 4 July 2023.
Edited by Padmashree Pande. All photos: Bachittar Singh Garcha.
