Jakhar spends 15 days in his farm in Maujagarh in Firozpur district of Punjab. He is ’10 km’ from everywhere – Pakistan, Haryana and Rajasthan. "So 15 days I spend in my corner of the world and other 15 days of a month in New Delhi and other places," he said.
He raises Kinnow, a variety of oranges in Maujagarh and has recently started using a vaccine plant version of this variety, which enables him to transport the variety down south instead of just New Delhi, where he gets very low price. Bharat Krishak Samaj was started on April 3, 1955 and has gained prominence in his locality. "We were agriculturalists for the last 200 years," says Jakhar proudly.
Asked what he felt Indian farmer needed the most, Jakhar said it was education. "Farmers need to adopt best agricultural practices. Extension services by the agriculture department, which are good in Tamil Nadu, need to be effectively utilised across the country. In most places, farmers haven’t even met their block development officer. They choose crops and fertilizers by what theshopkeeper says. This situation needs to be changed," he said, adding that his website (www.farmersforum.in) enlists the advocacy issues that his organisation has taken up.
"There is a last mile connectivity issue in India. Farmers don’t even know what schemes the government has for them," he said.
As for NREGA, he said the district collector and university officials should decide on a period of 150 days every year in which the farmer need not work. "In 100 days a year, he will also find work in farms as farm labour is getting more expensive and scarce," he said.