Minister JP Dalal Encourages More Private Firms to Invest in Contract Farming

JP Dalal, the state agriculture minister of Haryana invited more private firms to invest in contract farming. The event was held at Farrukhnagar by the international beer manufacturer AB InBev, which currently sources barley grains from over 2,500 farmers in Haryana and Rajasthan. 

The minister stated, “Contract farming has been popular among farmers in Haryana because it guarantees income. Throughout the state, contract farming of other crops and barley grains has increased.”

Dalal further claimed that barley growing is becoming more and more popular among farmers in south Haryana, where there is a shortage of groundwater because it uses less water and is an inexpensive investment. With farmers increasingly producing barley grains in dry locations, the water need is now less than half that of wheat. Also, animals eat barley stubble, reducing the need for farm fires, according to Dalal.

Flowers worth between Rs 260 and Rs 275 crore annually travel from the Ghazipur market in Delhi to the marketplaces in Gurgaon. The Haryana Marketing Board estimates that the latter records total yearly commerce of Rs 650–Rs 700 cr. Nevertheless, Gurgaon, Panipat, Karnal, Ambala, Kurukshetra, Jind, Bhiwani, Jhajjar, and Yamunanagar are among the historic growing regions for flowers like marigold and rose.

For farmers who choose to enter a contract farming arrangement with AB InBev, a gathering was organised on Monday. Beer, whisky, distilled beverages, soup, bread, and biscuits are all made from barley, which is grown during the rabi season (sown in October-December and harvested in March-April). Barley is also used as animal feed. The farmers, who are presently growing malt-grade barley for AB InBev, claimed at the ceremony that the initiative has so far benefited them.

A farmer from Bhiwani named Ram Niwas Singh said, "I've been employed by the company for the past three years. After learning about holistic growth, I expanded my barley cultivation on my 16 acres to boost productivity. It has aided me and those like me in increasing our revenue and output. I've also pushed other farmers in our community to participate in this programme. Our profit from barley, which ranges from Rs. 50,000 to Rs. 60,000 per acre, is larger than our profit from wheat, which ranges from Rs. 40,000 to Rs. 30,000 per acre.