CHANDIGARH: From tea vendor to a CRM (crop residue management) leader, Ram Kumar, a 40-year-old landless farmer from Kaithal’s Rewar Jagir village near Guhla Cheeka, has made an incredible transformation to earn 12 balers, 300 employees, and a season’s income of Rs 45 to 50 lakh.
Asked how it started, Ram Kumar said: "I come from a joint family that tilled panchayat land or worked for the big landlords. In 2000, I had a village tea stall. Slowly, I learnt to drive a tractor and, in 2010, bought a second-hand model for packing crop residue into bales and selling it to Jaalkheri village for fuel. When I first saw a baler, I tried to understand its functioning."
His first second-hand baler cost him Rs 6 lakh but running it made him some money. Gradually, he was able to buy more balers and other equipment used for the management of crop residue, to turn it into fodder, fuel cakes, and crushed raw material for paper and cardboard industry. Kaithal’s deputy director agriculture Karam Chand, who observed Ram Kumar’s success, said: "He is a pioneer of crop residue management in this district."
Chand explained how Ram had started without bailers, rotters, croppers, and all other heavy equipment but built a fleet of those. The officer said: "Ram’s success will inspire the other farmers. We have a team of 14 small farmers who turned CRM entrepreneurs." Noni of Kaithal district, who adopted CRM after watching Ram, described how he was able to make good money out of Happy seeder and other equipment.
