The interviews and reporting for this story were conducted in September 2024.

Phuman Singh Kaurra grew up as the youngest among six siblings in Paramjitpura, a village in Kapurthala, Punjab. Hailing from a farmer’s family, he saw his father and grandfather toil in the fields, struggling to make ends meet.

The situation was so dire that Phuman Singh had to discontinue his education after BA second year. He started helping his family as they could no longer afford his college fees. He would work in their paddy and wheat field, along with running their dairy farm. Noting that this wasn’t profitable and would be unsustainable in the long run, the young boy started looking at other options to improve their financial condition.

While looking around, Phuman Singh found carrot farming to be a viable option. Paramjitpura, also known as Allupur, falls in the Sultanpur Lodhi block in Kapurthala district which is a famous hub for carrot cultivation. Therefore, he sought help from a carrot farmer who was cultivating the vegetable on a small piece of land.

However, instead of helping him, the farmer chided him saying that this would not be his cup of tea. Spurned, it only made Phuman’s resolve to make a name for himself as a carrot farmer stronger. And over the past 30 years, this 65-year-old has proven that farmer wrong and how.

Starting on a 4.5 acre land, Phuman turned around his family’s fortunes........

© The Better India