Devendra Singh
Devendra Singh — Organic Farming and PM Kisan: How Sagar's Farmer Doubled Income
देवेंद्र सिंह — जैविक खेती और PM किसान से सागर किसान ने आय दोगुनी की
Devendra Singh in Sagar district was spending ₹18,000 per season on chemical inputs. PSEF's farmer welfare programme introduced him to organic farming and helped him claim PM Kisan and KCC. Today his costs are down 60% and yield is up 35%.
The Input Cost Trap
Devendra Singh (50) owns 3.5 acres in Sagar district's Banda block — good land by MP standards. But for the past decade, he had been caught in the input cost spiral: urea, DAP, pesticides, and diesel for the pump set were consuming nearly 40% of his gross income before he saw a single rupee.
"Every year I would take a loan from the moneylender for seeds and fertiliser. Every year the interest would eat into harvest money. I was farming but not earning."
He didn't know about PM Kisan Samman Nidhi (₹6,000/year direct transfer). He didn't have a Kisan Credit Card (KCC) for formal low-interest credit. He had been paying 36% interest to a private lender.
PSEF's Farmer Welfare Programme
In 2023, PSEF's team held a Kisan Sangam (farmer assembly) in Banda. Devendra attended, skeptical.
What he heard changed his calculations:
Entitlements He Was Missing
- PM Kisan: ₹6,000/year — he was eligible but unregistered
- KCC: credit at 4% interest vs 36% from moneylenders
- Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana: crop insurance he had never claimed
- Organic Mission MP: subsidy for transitioning to organic
PSEF's Support
Within 6 weeks, PSEF helped Devendra:
- Register for PM Kisan — received ₹6,000 in the first transfer
- Open a KCC at the district cooperative bank — ₹80,000 credit at 4%
- Enrol in Organic Farming Training — 12-day residential programme
- Get soil testing done (free under the government scheme)
The Organic Transition
Devendra converted 1.5 acres to organic wheat and vegetable intercropping.
Year 1 Results
| Metric | Chemical Farming | Organic Plot | |--------|-----------------|--------------| | Input cost/acre | ₹12,000 | ₹4,200 | | Yield (wheat, qtl/acre) | 14 | 13.5 | | Premium price received | No | +₹3/kg | | Net income/acre | ₹18,500 | ₹26,800 |
Year 2: Full Conversion
- All 3.5 acres transitioned to organic
- Linked to organic buyer network through PSEF's market connections
- Annual income: ₹94,000 (up from ₹52,000)
- Input costs down 58%
Devendra's Reflection
"I was farming for 30 years and I thought I knew everything. PSEF showed me I knew nothing about what the government was offering me, or what the market would pay for organic. My children thought farming was a dead end. Now my son wants to expand the operation."
Ripple Effect
Devendra now leads the Banda Organic Farmers Collective — 18 farmers, facilitated by PSEF, collectively marketing produce to Sagar city buyers.
PSEF Farmer Welfare Programme in Sagar
| Indicator | Number | |-----------|--------| | PM Kisan registrations facilitated | 1,200+ | | KCC accounts opened | 480 | | Farmers trained in organic | 340 | | Organic market linkages | 8 buyer groups |
Connect for farming support:
📱 PSEF Farmer Helpline: +91-8969886176 🌐 Government Schemes for Farmers