Growing together with a poplar plantation
I am Keshav Bansal, M.Phil Public Admin from Bhatinda in Punjab. I worked as lecturer, Principal in rural areas of Punjab, during my 30 year. I aspired a job of doing agriculture in villages.
In our area only paddy-wheat-cotton cycle is there. Water level is going down day by day. Farmers are not ready to change their mind.
In our area only paddy-wheat-cotton cycle is there. Water level is going down day by day. Farmers are not ready to change their mind.
I left my job and started searching into a scope of agriculture. During family visits to Haridwar I saw lot of tree plantations in the fields. I visited Yamunagar, Hoshiarpur and FRI Dehradun and went through the system of Agro forestry in Haryana, Punjab and U.P. After calculating profits and scope, I planned to do the same.
After consulting with experts, friends, different farmers and relatives we decided to start a poplar plantatation in Yamunanagar Distt. of Haryana. I prepared a complete project report, refined by the accounting experts and same was put in PNB Bank for Finance.
The project was approved and financed by PNB. We created an Organised OASIS AGROINFRA LTD, acquired 300 acres of land from different farmers on lease for 5-6 years duration and started poplar Plantation in January 2011 along with different inter crops like sugarcane, wheat, maize, zimikand, turmeric, potato, mustard and other suitable crops.
We achieved wonderful growth of poplars and crops. The following year in 2012 we acquire 500 acres of land and planted poplars, eucalyptus there in. We made SELF-HELP Groups and handed over land in small pieces to them for working, caring and supervision of all the fields on sharing basis. We have given work to lot of families, a lot of small farmers and handsome lease to land owners.
Later on after taking land on lease in 2013 we planted poplars in 200 acres. Now in 2014 we are planting poplar trees in 200 acres of land totalling 1200 acres land, this is a lifelong project with handsome income and satisfaction doing creative work which is eco-friendly.
There is a lot of chances to rise in this field and to provide job and work to others. We are maintaining day to day reports and growth progress charts, we have achieved wonderful growth in all our plantations. One can earn minimum 1 lac INR or 1700 USD every year from one acre of land after all the expenses.
We think we are the largest poplar plantation in North India, and we will increase the area every year.
We have our own nurseries of poplars for own use and for sale purpose. We are motivating farmers in Punjab & Haryana to plant trees along with intercrops instead of traditional crops. We supplied poplar baby plants to farmers on concession bases to plant the same in their fields and guide them method of plantation and caring the same.
Every year with the growth of poplar plants different new farmers are contacting us for poplar plantation day by day our network of plantation is increasing. There is a great scope of agro forestry for the farmers, younger’s and other entrepreneurs, those who want to do something, just an effort and confidence is required.
Photo: Oasis Plantation at Klanaur Village – With Keshav Bansal and Mahesh Goyal
Blogpost and photo by Keshav Bansal (Bathinda, Punjab-India) – oasisbtd(at)gmail.com
