Why this B.C. farmer is mentoring a blueberry grower in Punjab

For the last two years, Gurprit Singh Brar has been mentoring a farmer in Punjab, India, around growing blueberries. 

"Indo Canadian farmers like me have got success in Canada," said Brar, director and research chair of the B.C. Blueberry Council.

"However the farmers in Punjab are committing suicides due to losses. More farmers of Indo origin should come forward to help the Punjab growers." 

Brar, who is from Punjab and is now based in Langley, B.C., says it's time for farmers like him to give back to farmers of their state, whose agricultural sector has been facing economic losses and seeing the deaths of many farmers.

Punjab is an agrarian province in northwestern India, with about 42,000 square kilometres of cultivable area — around 83 per cent of the state's geographical area. About two-thirds of its population is involved in agriculture, producing mainly wheat and rice.

But there have been increasing concerns over the deaths of farmers in the state, with government data showing that despair over their livelihood — due to reasons like bankruptcy, debt, and farming-related issues such as crop failure — is among the root causes. 

Brar, who completed his master's degree in agriculture from Punjab Agriculture University, says he's witnessed the sector's challenges and started the mentorship to encourage farmers in the region, especially around growing high-value crops.

Mentorship over phone, video calls

Mukhtiar Singh, a farmer in Punjab, was struggling with growing blueberries when he met Brar through mutual friends. Since blueberry is a relatively new crop in the region, farmers are facing challenges around its production and marketing. 

Singh and Brar communicate over phone and video calls. When he has a question or challenge, Singh says he sends Brar photos of his farm. Brar then shares solutions or advice.

"I started growing blueberries at two acres in India in 2010," Singh told CBC News over the phone. "From last two years, I have been taking help from Gurprit and have increased the area to 10 acres."

Singh says he's also learned to improve the fruit's nutritional value and the soil's health. 

"People are looking for nutritive food and I learnt its importance from Brar. Increasing the nutritional value of fruit not only gives me satisfaction but it makes marketing easy as well," he said.

"Gurprit helped to do agriculture more professionally," Singh added. "Now I consider factors such as water level, PH level, nutritive value of soil and crop." 

Overseas farmers encouraged to help

The Punjab government and Punjab Agricultural University have been encouraging non-resident Indians (NRIs) — commonly used to describe Indians living abroad — including B.C.-based farmers to support farmers in Punjab, having experienced success overseas.

In B.C., Indo Canadian farmers are involved in the production of blueberries, strawberries, peaches, apples and wine in the Lower Mainland, including the Okanagan region. Many are board members in farming-related associations in the province, such as the B.C. Blueberry Council and the B.C. Fruit Growers' Association.

"The experience and knowledge of NRIs can be useful to Punjab farmers," Satbir Gosal, vice-chancellor at Punjab Agricultural University Ludhiana, told CBC News over the phone.

"The suggestion of Indian-origin farmers from other countries can help in making and implementing agricultural policy."

The university recently hosted an agricultural summit, where more than a dozen farmers of Indian origin, from countries including Canada and the U.S., discussed challenges and potential solutions to farming issues in Punjab.

These include the need for farmers to diversify their crops and leave the wheat-paddy cycle, suggested Gurprit Brar, another Langley-based blueberry farmer, who immigrated to Canada from Punjab in 2011. 

Brar, a director for the B.C. Blueberry Council, said an online platform to inform farmers of supply and demand would also help.

"The government should set up an innovative market information centre for fruits and vegetables for growers," he said at the summit.

Paying it forward

Gurcharan Singh Brar, assistant professor in plant science at the University of British Columbia, says mentorship by NRI farmers can be of great help to growers in Punjab, although the Punjab government should also make suitable policies for the farmers.

"NRI farmers can provide their expertise in crops which are not grown in Punjab such as blueberry and other fruit crops," he told CBC News. 

"Besides this, Indo Canadian farmers can teach the importance of work culture. Punjab farmers rely on labour for the farm work, while Indo Canadian farmers do it themselves."

For Gurprit Singh Brar, providing mentorship gives him a sense of satisfaction, and helps him feel like he is giving back to his community. 

Mentoring farmers also teaches him a lot of new things, he says, adding he hopes to mentor more farmers in the future.

"Nutritive food is needed across the globe," he said. 

"With the help of technology, growers from anywhere can share their experiences to improve the life of farmers and quality of food."

If you or someone you know is struggling, here's where to get help:

• Talk Suicide Canada: 1-833-456-4566 (phone) | 45645 (text between 4 p.m. and midnight ET).

• Kids Help Phone: 1-800-668-6868 (phone), live chat counselling on the website.

• Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention: Find a 24-hour crisis centre.

This guide from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health outlines how to talk about suicide with someone you're worried about.