The Delhi University alumnus, Master of Arts from Hansraj College has emerged as a Change Agent in Samastipur district in Bihar is leading the country by advocating and practicing many Innovative Tools and skills of Modern Farming. He holds out hope for farmers across the country especially Bihar. Raising the productivity of his Mango orchard from mere ten thousand to nine lacs in a period of three to four years is not a simple task.
Experimenting Innovative Modern techniques to improve the litchis in his orchard is also worth mentioning. He has painstakingly transformed his farm and orchards to be the most technologically advanced in the state of Bihar. He started micro irrigation in his orchards 10 years ago. He also started a completely automated Fertigation system in his orchards and was inaugurated by the present Chief Minister of Bihar in 2019.
Innovative techniques has been successfully installed in his farm says Kumar while in his conversation with The Editor,Agriculture World,Dr Lakshmi Unnithan for the programme Farmer the Brand. He has 60 acres of orchards under Micro irrigation. Out of this 35 acres is under complete automation. (Fertigation).He successfully grows Litchi, Mango, Banana, and Guava. He is at present involved in transforming his farm from growing cereals to horticultural products. He does Maize, Wheat and Masoor (lentils) in 150 acres of land.
The cultivation of Maize is around hundred acres and it has been one of mechanized farms in Bihar. He uses combined harvestor for maize harvesting. Have done this season corn planting by PRECISION PNEUMATIC SEED DRILL says Sudhanshukumar. The Machine was supplied by New Holland.He has been an active member of Maize and Poultry Task Force: Government of Bihar. The purpose was to give recommendation to the government of Bihar on how maize can be processed in the state itself and giving the Bihar farmer a better price and the state more revenue.
He goes on to explain how the farmers of nearby villages are inspired by these experiments going on at his farm and how they keep in touch with him for understanding for what application needs to done timely. In the last one year 1100 farmers have visited his farm and orchards to learn and experience technology. The agriculture university in my district (Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University, Pusa, Samastipur, Bihar, India) has made it an annual feature to send final year Agri Engineering, Post Graduate and Agri business students to experience a day on his farm and orchards. Fellow farmers are duplicating his methods and are doing more profitable farming says Kumar.
While in conversation he explains his journey of 31 years as a farmer and at present the the Secretary General of Indian Farmer’s Network. He represents his community (population 14000) as an elected head and has been elcted 4 times consecutively as Mukhiya. He is a resource person for the agricultural university - RPCAU (Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University). His farm was part of the experiment between BARC (Bhaba Automic Research Centre - India), NRCL (National Research Centre for Litchi - India) to enhance the shelf life of litchi beyond 30 days. He has experimented with a solar cool container during this experiment on my farm. Have been invited to address all the industrial forums of India (FICCI, CII, ASSOCHAM, PHDCC). He has taken part in conversations and seminars and webinars for Amplifying farmers voice in global discussions
Awards Conferred to Mr Sudhanshu Kumar are like the Mahindra Samridh India Agri Awards 2014, National Award - Jagjivan Ram Kisan Purushkar for the year 2009 given by ICAR Delhi. He Received the SDSH Best Mango Grower Award from Society for Development of Subtropical Horticulture (SDSH) from Central Institute for Sub Tropical Horticulture (CISH) Lucknow at the Global Conference of Mango held at Lucknow in 2011.He also Received the Role Model Award – 2011 from The International Consortium of Contemporary Biologist & The Board of Trustees of Madhawi-Shyam Educational Trust (ICCD-MSET) in appreciation of the contribution for enhancement of agricultural produce like mango, maize etc. on the 29th of Dec 2011 at the “4th International Conference on Life Sciences Research for Rural & Agricultural Development (ICCRAD-11) at Patna.
There are many other Other Achievements to Mr Sudhanshu Kumar like Fellowships, Titles and Memberships. Was conferred the title of A Progressive Farmer by Director IARI Delhi at IARI Pusa, Samastipur on 16th Mar 2013.He is been Nominated as member of Global Farmer Network by Global Farmer Network Foundation – January 2020 Mexico City, Mexico.
He was invited to attend a workshop on – “Policy initiatives for promoting partnership between stakeholders in agriculture with particular reference to Rainfed/Dryland Farming.” This was a personal initiative taken by H. E. Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil President of India. The work shop was held at Rashtrapati Bhavan on 15th Feb 2012. Programme was innaugrated by The Hon. Primeminister of India Shri. Manmohan Singh.
Mr Kumar is Cochran Fellow and has Completed training in Strengthening Agricultural Marketing Systems under the Cochran Fellowship Programme conducted by United States Department of Agriculture from July 8-20 2012. (Cochran Fellowship: Since its start in 1984, the Cochran Program has provided training for fellows from 125 countries. The program is named after U.S. Senator Thad Cochran of Mississippi. The Cochran Fellowship Program provides short-term training opportunities to agricultural professionals from emerging markets, and emerging democracies.)He has Attended and participated in the Agricultural Marketing and Cold Chain Workshop from July 9-20, 2012. Sponsored by the USDA and conducted by the University of California Davis in Davis, California, U.S.A.
He along with his innovations has been mentioned by many media and has also been mentioned in books published by ICAR ,Delhi.He has been invited to many forums as a farmer representative to interact and place the farmer’s perspective in front of policy makers and drafters. We sincerely hope people like Mr Sudhanshu Kumar holds out immense hope not only for Bihar but for India .
