UP farmer becomes lakhpati under UP govt’s ‘Per Drop More Crop’ campaign; here’s how his annual income crossed Rs 5 lakh

By saving electricity and water, farmer from Pali Bhogipur became a ‘lakhpati’ as his annual income crossed Rs 5 lakh.

The ‘Per Drop More Crop’ campaign being implemented by the Uttar Pradesh government under the leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is now showing results in villages. Progressive farmer Ram Jeevan from Pali Bhogipur village in Sarsaul block has not only transformed his own fortunes by adopting this scheme but has also set a strong example for conserving declining groundwater levels.

Through sprinkler irrigation, he has minimized the wastage of water and electricity and turned farming into a profitable venture.

The most significant aspect of Ram Jeevan’s success is the saving of water and electricity. In traditional irrigation methods using channels, nearly half of the water was either absorbed by the soil or evaporated. Now, with sprinkler technology, crops receive water as per requirement in the form of “rain-like droplets.”

Earlier, to irrigate 8.5 bigha of land, Ram Jeevan had to run a heavy 10 HP motor for hours. Now, the same work is completed in half the time with just a 5 HP motor. This has significantly reduced electricity bills.

Sprinkler irrigation ensures that water reaches directly to the roots and leaves of plants, preventing wastage and enabling irrigation of a larger area with less water.

Ram Jeevan says, “This transformation would not have been possible without the substantial subsidy provided by the government. He received 90 percent subsidy to install the sprinkler system.

This modern irrigation system, which costs in lakhs, was made available to him at a contribution of only Rs 27,000. This serves as a major inspiration for farmers who hesitate to adopt modern technology due to lack of resources.”

Ram Jeevan has developed a crop cycle on his 8.5 bigha land that ensures income throughout the year. He practices seasonal farming.

Vegetables and grains: Capsicum on 3 bigha, Colocasia on 2 bigha, and maize along with potato and tomato cultivation on 4 bigha.

Fish farming: He practices fish farming on 1 bigha by developing a ‘farm pond’.

Zero budget manure: With two cows, he prepares vermicompost and Jeevamrit on his own, reducing the cost of chemical fertilizers to zero.

“Earlier, electricity bills and water scarcity were major problems. After installing the sprinkler, the entire field is easily irrigated with less electricity. With government support, my annual income has increased from Rs 2 lakh to over Rs 5 lakh. The electricity and water saved are our real earnings,” said the farmer, Ram Jeevan.

“Water conservation is a priority area for the Yogi government. The way Ram Jeevan in Pali Bhogipur has utilized the 90% subsidy by integrating sprinkler irrigation with a farm pond is noteworthy. This has not only reduced the farmer’s cost but also resulted in significant savings of electricity and water. We want other farmers in the region to adopt this model of saving electricity and water,” stated the land conservation officer, R.P. Kushwaha.