Neeraj Kumar, a farmer and agricultural advisor from Begusarai district in Bihar, is currently gaining attention for his cultivation of ancient wheat varieties. Neeraj has been growing the Sona-Moti variety of wheat, which was cultivated during the Harappa period, for the past three years. This variety contains three times more folic acid than other wheat varieties and has round grains instead of long ones, making it beneficial for both health and profits. Neeraj’s success has led to other farmers showing interest in cultivating this wheat variety.
Anish Kumar, a farmer and agricultural advisor from Ekamba Ward in Chudahi block of Begusarai district, started cultivating wheat after obtaining seeds from Madhya Pradesh. In 2020, during a visit to Madhya Pradesh with other farmers, Anish learned about the unique qualities of Harappa wheat from agricultural expert Vaishali Malviya. Inspired by this, he planted wheat on one acre of land in 2021 and gradually expanded his cultivation due to high demand and good profits. This year, when the government introduced incentives for the production of coarse grains, the cultivation of Harappa wheat began in Bihar as well.
Anish mentioned that the demand for Sona-Moti wheat seeds was noticed by the agriculture department, which purchased them. He himself plans to cultivate this variety on three acres of land this year. Sona-Moti wheat sells at four times the price of regular wheat, allowing farmers to earn higher profits. Other farmers are also visiting his fields to witness the success of his cultivation. Currently, Anish has prepared the land for planting Sona-Moti wheat on three acres, and he has already planted wheat on half an acre. The cost of planting wheat on one acre is approximately 10,000 rupees, and the wheat is ready for harvest within five months. Wheat grown on one acre can be sold for around 1.5 million rupees, with a minimum selling price of 100 rupees per kilogram.
नीरज कुमार जो कि बिहार के बेगूसराय जिले के किसान हैं, अपनी खेती को लिए सर्वदा चर्चा में रहते हैं। इन दिनों वे हड़प्पा कालीन गेहूं की खेती कर रहे हैं। यह सोना-मोती गेहूं है, जो पंजाब में उगाई जाने वाली गेहूं की पुरानी प्रजाति है। इस गेहूं में अन्य प्रजातियों की तुलना में 3 गुना अधिक फोलिक एसिड होता है और इसका दाना गोल होता है। इसलिए इसकी खेती करने का प्रचलन बढ़ रहा है। नीरज कुमार ने मध्यप्रदेश से इस गेहूं के बीज लाए थे और 2021 में इसे अपने खेतों में उगाने की शुरुआत की है। इस गेहूं की मांग को देखते हुए कृषि विभाग ने इसे खरीद लिया है। नीरज कुमार की योजना है कि वे तीन एकड़ में सोना-मोती गेहूं की खेती करेंगे। यह गेहूं सामान्य गेहूं से 4 गुना अधिक दाम पर बिकता है। नीरज कुमार के किसान दोस्त भी उनकी खेती को देखने के लिए आ रहे हैं।
