Leveraging the potential of ‘Black Gold’ in building business

Abstract

The land of Punjab is blessed with fertile soils, productive livestock, and progressive farmers. This story focuses on the efforts made under the Farmer FIRST Programme in the village of Moom, District Barnala, Punjab, where a marginal farmer named S. Harmeet Singh laid the foundation for a livestock-based business centered around buffaloes. Shri Harmeet Singh’s business model is based on the sale of milk and milk products, as well as the breeding and sale of Nili-Ravi buffaloes. Over four years, he scaled his farm from one animal to 10 animals and increased average milk production from 9 to 15 litres/day by adopting various technologies demonstrated by Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Ludhiana, Punjab. A benefit-cost analysis indicated that he earned a net profit of more than `1.00 lakh/month from buffalo farming. Shri Harmeet Singh’s exemplary work in buffalo farming serves as a model that can be replicated across the state by farmers and young entrepreneurs seeking profit and sustainable livelihoods in livestock farming.