Latest news with #Jatana
Indian Express
13-07-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
From farm to retail: How Punjab's farmers process produce into brands –and profit– through direct sales
Hardeep Singh Jatana owns 15 acres of farm land at Jatana Khurd village in Punjab's Mansa district. He has taken an additional 20 acres on lease. On this land, he grows mustard, sugarcane, millets, and wheat. Yet, this farmer has not set foot into a mandi — where farmers sell their produce — in years. Instead, Jatana runs a store at his farm where he offers 225 processed items ranging from wood-pressed mustard oil to medicinal jaggery and millets. Most of these processed items come from produce that he has been growing in his own fields. 'We don't believe in selling raw produce to mandis. Instead, we process it and sell directly to consumers,' says Jatana. In Gurdaspur's village Sallopur, Gurdyal Singh, who owns 18 acres of land, has taken turmeric farming to the next level. Starting with just one kanal (1/8th of an acre) in 2004, he now grows turmeric on 10 acres . Equipped with his own set of machines — including a boiler, elevator, grinder, and packing unit — he processes and packages amba haldi, kali haldi, and regular turmeric varieties. 'The results have been fantastic. We have an outlet at the Kisan Bazaar in Batala and also supply our products through a sales point set up at the government agricultural offices. The products are also available on Amazon,' says Gurdyal, adding that he has several customers abroad. In Ludhiana's Dalla village, Jagtar Singh (45) left his job as a driver in 2020 and took to selling fresh sugarcane juice. He harvests 350 to 400 quintals of sugarcane annually from his two bighas (about 1.25 acres) of land. 'If I supply this cane to sugar mills, I'll earn only around Rs 2 lakh, and after covering expenses, I'd be left with just about Rs 1.25 lakh a year. But by selling juice of the same sugarcane, I earn Rs 1,500 to 2,000 per day. It means this land is giving me an annual income of around Rs 5–6 lakh,' he says Jagtar. Jatana, Gurdyal, and Jagtar are among a crop of farmers who are now bringing about a silent revolution in villages of Punjab. They are among farmers, who are stepping away from the traditional crop and mandi system and charting an independent course — processing and selling their produce directly to consumers. These are not corporate-backed ventures, but small-scale initiatives powered by innovation, self-reliance, and a clear determination to break free from the grip of middlemen. Jatana says a farmer cannot earn much from wheat and paddy. 'If a farmer doesn't take farming seriously, doesn't visit his field daily, and doesn't diversify his crops, he will remain in debt,' Sayas Jatana. 'Earlier, I used to grow narma (cotton) and would sell it in the mandi. But in 2018, I began a new journey. I took 20 acres on lease and started growing sugarcane specifically for processing,' he adds. He processes sugarcane juice into 12 varieties of jaggery and three of shakkar, including medicated versions infused with turmeric, triphala, and flaxseed to aid digestion, relieve constipation, and promote overall health. These products are now so popular that they are only available through advance bookings. 'We produce jaggery from November to April. Our clients pay us in advance during February and March. When the production season begins, we start delivering their orders,' he adds. Besides sugarcane, he cultivates mustard, kodra, kangni (millets), pulses, and wheat — completely avoiding paddy. 'I grow 15 different crops and sell all of them after processing at my store. After processing the rates go up by 2–3 times than what mandis offer,' says Jatana. Gurdyal agrees with Jatana. His turmeric fetches up to Rs 300 per kg, while the medicinal varieties like amba and kali haldi (both used as part of cure for several diseases, like swelling, digestion, joint pain, etc. ) sell for Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,000 per kg. 'If farmers process and sell their produce directly, returns can double, triple, or even more,' he adds. From one acre, he harvests about 130 quintals of raw turmeric, which yields around 17 to 20 quintals of turmeric powder after processing. This translates into an income of around Rs 5–6 lakh per acre. After expenses, his profit comes to Rs 3–5 lakh per acre. 'If I were to sell raw turmeric in the mandi, the profit would be very low,' he adds. In the same fields, after harvesting turmeric in February, he grows pulses between March and May. Pulses, a two-month crop, yield around 50 quintals. After processing, he sells them at market rates— about Rs 120 per kg — whereas the mandi price is almost half. 'That's why I prefer direct selling,' he says proudly, adding that he is completely debt-free. Another inspiring story comes from Pharwahi village in Barnala, where Ravdeep Singh has been practicing organic farming since 2011 on his six-acre plot. He grows a wide variety of crops including wheat, basmati rice, fruits, vegetables, millets, and oilseeds using a smart multi-cropping cycle. Every Saturday, he and a few other farmers from his district participate in a direct-to-consumer weekly market in Barnala. 'Seventy per cent of our perishable produce and 100% of our dry ration is sold there. I've cleared my entire debt with such farming practices,' says Ravdeep, a postgraduate in Defence Studies. He has built a steady market for basmati rice and wheat flour through direct packaging and consumer outreach, bypassing the mandi system entirely. Managing the sugarcane juice business with his 19-year-old son Harbandeep Singh, Jagtar says processing is essential to profitability. 'It's all about quality and consistency. We've kept it traditional, and that's what customers love,' he says At Lakhowal village in Ludhiana, farmer Amarinder Singh Punia too has embraced processing to boost his income. Of the 18 acres he owns, he cultivates wheat and paddy on 14 and dedicates the remaining four acres to organic farming, growing kitchen essentials like pulses, turmeric, onions, garlic, and vegetables. 'I don't sell my wheat at the mandi or at the MSP. Instead, I process it into flour and sell it directly, earning much more than the government support price,' he says. Since 2017, he has been marketing his produce under the brand name UPJ Farm Products, which includes a range of processed items like wheat flour and cold-pressed oils. Most of these farmers insist on diversification too. For instance, Jatana maintains a 3-acre prawn farm and a 3-acre forest plot to promote biodiversity. 'I've developed a five-acre model farm that can serve as a blueprint for small and marginal farmers. Five friends can jointly cultivate all crops grown in Punjab on this land, by properly barricading it and assigning fixed working hours. If they sell their own produce, I can confidently say they will enjoy a respectful income, mental peace, mutual learning, and even joy in farming,' he asserts. Apart from turmeric and pulses, Gurdyal also grows Basmati and other crops on his remaining eight acres, all of which he sells directly to consumers under his own brand name, Agri Brand. He also practices beekeeping, which he started in 1999 with just five boxes. Today, he manages 350 boxes and sells around 50 quintals of honey annually. 'Farmers need to diversify and get involved in processing to some extent if they want to receive the true value of their produce,' he stresses. In 2015, Gurdyal also formed a Farmer Producer Organisation (FPO), which now has around 450 farmers attached. These farmers are now selling their produce directly through the FPO instead of mandis and are getting better prices. These farmers' efforts go beyond mere survival — they represent a holistic approach to agriculture that values soil health, water conservation, local processing, and building direct relationships with buyers. They are not only reshaping their own economic prospects but also the broader narrative of farming in Punjab.
Winnipeg Free Press
25-06-2025
- Automotive
- Winnipeg Free Press
MPI applies for 2.07 per cent rate hike
Manitoba drivers will pay more to insure vehicles next year if a proposed rate hike is approved by the Public Utilities Board. Manitoba Public Insurance has requested a 2.07 per cent increase to its overall basic insurance rates starting on April 1, 2026. MPI says if PUB approves the increase, the average insurance cost of a private passenger vehicle would increase by $21 a year. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS FILES Satvir Jatana, CEO for Manitoba Public Insurance which has requested a 2.07 per cent increase to its overall basic insurance rates starting April, 2026. 'While the market remains volatile, and the cost of claims continues to rise, this rate request truly emphasizes MPI's commitment to keep auto insurance affordable for all Manitobans,' MPI president and CEO Satvir Jatana said in a statement on Wednesday. 'We are taking decisive action to manage these pressures as we continue to deliver value for our customers across the province.' However, based on what has happened in recent years, it's not certain whether the board will approve the MPI rate increase. Last year, MPI proposed a rate increase of three per cent, but that was rejected by the PUB, which imposed a 5.7 per cent increase. The PUB said the change was needed because even MPI's own calculations concluded it required a 6.77 per cent increase. While MPI requested no change to overall rates in 2023, the PUB ordered a five per cent increase. The PUB said last year it had reduced rates overall by more than 15 per cent during the previous five years while also approving rebates of more than $400 million in 2021 and 2022. Jatana said MPI is scrapping its $750 deductible and adding a $1,000 deductible, which will cost less. 'We're pleased to give customers the flexibility to maximize the affordability of their mandatory coverage by choosing a higher deductible, or to keep their existing coverage by selecting a lower deductible at an affordable price,' she said. 'Furthermore, a proposed overall increase of two per cent to our extension line of business, which includes products like rental vehicle insurance, additional third-party liability insurance and lower deductibles for basic insurance, will keep all products affordable.' Sundays Kevin Rollason's Sunday newsletter honouring and remembering lives well-lived in Manitoba. MPI is creating a new merit level for good drivers. Jatana said the new merit level of 20, under the Driver Safety Rating, will mean a savings of 53 per cent on the cost of automobile and driver insurance for the safest drivers. 'This is great news for Manitoba's safest drivers and we are proud that this fair and simple system allows us to recognize their contribution towards safer roads through incentives like discounts on insurance premiums,' she said. If approved later this year by the PUB, drivers would start paying the new rate anytime between April 1, 2026 and March 31, 2027, depending on when their insurance needs to be renewed. Kevin RollasonReporter Kevin Rollason is a general assignment reporter at the Free Press. He graduated from Western University with a Masters of Journalism in 1985 and worked at the Winnipeg Sun until 1988, when he joined the Free Press. He has served as the Free Press's city hall and law courts reporter and has won several awards, including a National Newspaper Award. Read more about Kevin. Every piece of reporting Kevin produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Winnipeg Free Press
06-06-2025
- Business
- Winnipeg Free Press
MPI vows to dive deep into ‘failure'
Manitoba Public Insurance made public Thursday its decision to pull the plug on Project Nova, a $164-million 'failure' intended to modernize outdated business and information technology systems. 'We were trying to fix the plane as we're flying the plane,' the Crown corporation's CEO Satvir Jatana said. 'At this point, we need to ground the plane.' The Free Press reported in March the Crown corporation had informed the Public Utilities Board of a revised cost estimate pegged at $435 million — 50 per cent more than previously thought — to complete the ill-fated plan, and its decision to abandon the project. On Wednesday, Manitoba Finance Minister Adrien Sala asked auditor general Tyson Shtykalo to conduct a special audit of Project Nova. 'We need to get off the plane, we need to fix the plane before we can safely bring the passengers back on,' Jatana said, while promising that plans for replacing outdated technology at MPI will be done right going forward, thanks to improved governance, adhering to industry best practices that allow for flexibility and focusing on business priorities while maintaining fiscal prudence. 'That's the process we're taking right now and I am optimistic that we will have a solution, but it is not a solution that can be delivered next month,' she said told a news conference, flanked by MPI board chair Carmen Nedohin and Christian Dandeneau, chair of the MPI board's technology committee. MPI said it would fully co-operate with an audit and 'looks forward to how the results can shape our work moving forward.' Shtykalo is 'considering' the audit request on the project that began in 2019 under the previous Tory provincial government and launched in early 2023 before being officially shelved Thursday. 'I am currently reviewing the request and will seek additional information before determining what action, if any, my office will take,' Shtykalo, who was not available for an interview, said in an email. Justice Minister Matt Wiebe, who is responsible for MPI, echoed the need for a 'closer look.' 'This is about accountability for taxpayers and a significant amount of taxpayers dollars were misspent in this case,' he said Thursday. University of Winnipeg political scientist Malcolm Bird said there's been too much interference in the operations of Crown corporations by both Progressive Conservative and NDP governments. The government's call for an audit sounds politically motivated, he said. Updating IT systems is 'really, really, really hard to do anywhere — whether it's in a public-sector or private-sector area,' said Bird, who studies Crown corporations. 'You have all these systems in place working and then you want to bring in new systems,' he said. 'You have to build them and then, somehow, magically shut the one down and turn the new one on, without it being a disaster.' Jatana said Project Nova 'was never set up for success' and MPI knows what went wrong. 'There was ineffective governance, critical business requirements were overlooked, significant changes in MPI leadership, a global pandemic and an historic strike,' she said. 'These factors have led to delays and cost overruns with many starts and stops to the project.' In May 2023, the MPI board fired CEO Eric Herbelin following an internal investigation into his work conduct. The Swiss national with a private insurance background was hired during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021 while MPI was pursuing the largest technology modernization in its history. In 2023, unionized MPI workers went on strike for the first time and were off the job for 10 weeks. An organizational review by Ernst & Young last year, ordered in 2023 by the PC government over concerns about Project Nova and financial reporting, found a litany of problems — from too many managers, to friction between divisions and significant turnover between May 2021 and June 2023. High-level organizational changes caused instability and impacted the sustainability of ongoing programs, alongside a lack of solid strategic, financial and human resources planning, the report found. Meanwhile, the projected cost of Project Nova climbed from $85 million in 2019 to $107 million to $290 million to more than $435 million, announced by Jatana in March. Targets for Autopac and commercial customers being able to renew or amend insurance policies and driver's licences online and providing connections between MPI and repair shops to speed up claims processing were missed. 'Simply put, the project timelines were unrealistic. It is clear that Project Nova has experienced significant missteps and… failures,' Jatana said. 'It has not delivered the value for money that was originally planned and promised.' She said the $164 million spent to date on Project Nova did not impact MPI customers' rates. She said the public auto insurer is locked into contracts with vendors for the project and committed to paying them roughly $88 million over the next seven years, $68 million of which would be considered of no value. 'We are hopeful and optimistic that we are in conversations with those vendors that we would be able to renegotiate those contracts and mitigate those costs.' She said there no job losses or layoffs as a result. At one time, 200 employees and close to 300 consultants were working on the project. 'Right now the numbers are very, very low,' she said, adding fewer than 50 consultants and 50 employees have been moved to 'other initiatives.' Carol SandersLegislature reporter Carol Sanders is a reporter at the Free Press legislature bureau. The former general assignment reporter and copy editor joined the paper in 1997. Read more about Carol. Every piece of reporting Carol produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Winnipeg Free Press
26-05-2025
- Business
- Winnipeg Free Press
MPI hits pause on part of tech overhaul
Manitoba Public Insurance will temporarily disable one of the only working parts of its abandoned Project Nova technology system because it is causing so many problems for its customers. In an email to staff members, MPI chief executive officer Satvir Jatana said the Crown corporation has decided to shut down the computer program, used for special risk-extension renewals and new policies for commercial customers, and return to the paper-based system it previously employed. 'We have identified a number of issues and our teams have been working hard to resolve these issues for our internal teams and our broker partners,' Jatana said in the email sent last month and obtained by the Free Press. 'Despite our significant investments in time and resources, especially in recent months, to move this work forward, we have not seen the improvements that we anticipated. It has become clear that attempting to fix the system while working in it is not in the best interests of our teams, our broker partners or our SRE customers. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS FILES Manitoba Public Insurance will temporarily disable the computer program used for special risk-extension renewals and new policies for commercial customers, and return to the paper-based system it previously employed. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS FILES Manitoba Public Insurance will temporarily disable the computer program used for special risk-extension renewals and new policies for commercial customers, and return to the paper-based system it previously employed. 'Given these ongoing issues, we have made the decision to revert back to the legacy system.' Jatana said the switch will begin June 1. Project Nova was first announced in 2020 at a cost of $107 million. It was expected to be completed in three years. Officials promised Nova would bring MPI into the 21st century in terms of digital technology, allowing its customers to renew or amend auto insurance and driver's licences online. It was also supposed to provide seamless connectivity between MPI and repair shops. Within two years, the timeline and project costs expanded to five years and $290 million. While the project's costs were exploding, then-CEO Eric Herbelin was awarding himself and others bonuses and spending more than three months away from Winnipeg on business trips. He also oversaw a massive hiring spree, adding more than 400 new staff members without a clear idea of what they would be doing. He announced that the first phase of Project Nova had been implemented on Jan. 25, 2023, declaring it would 'ultimately improve customer experience.' MPI's board dismissed him three months later. Sundays Kevin Rollason's Sunday newsletter honouring and remembering lives well-lived in Manitoba. Project Nova had been budgeted to cost $107 million when it was announced in 2020, but that price tag had swollen to $435 million earlier this year. The corporation announced in March it was abandoning the project after acknowledging it had already spent $162 million. Special risk-extension policies are purchased by owners of vehicles ineligible for basic or extension insurance, including commercial trucking firms. MPI administers about 13,000 SRE policies. Aaron Dolyniuk, executive director of the Manitoba Trucking Association, said the problems with MPI's computer system for SREs has made it difficult for companies to make financial plans. 'Has our industry been impacted? Absolutely,' Dolyniuk said. 'The challenge that most of our members have had with it is renewals being delayed and not knowing what they're going to pay. It makes it hard to manage cash flows when things become delayed.' Dolyniuk said it is especially hard for companies at a time when trucking is being impacted by American tariff threats and tightening margins. 'Nobody went bankrupt because of this, but the challenge has been the uncertainty,' he said. JOHN WOODS / FREE PRESS FILES In an email to staff members obtained by the Free Press, MPI chief executive officer Satvir Jatana said the Crown corporation will stop usuing one of the only working parts of its abandoned Project Nova technology system because it is causing so many problems for its customers. JOHN WOODS / FREE PRESS FILES In an email to staff members obtained by the Free Press, MPI chief executive officer Satvir Jatana said the Crown corporation will stop usuing one of the only working parts of its abandoned Project Nova technology system because it is causing so many problems for its customers. Grant Wainikka, CEO of the Insurance Brokers Association of Manitoba, said the system issues have made things challenging for both brokers and their clients. 'It has been difficult to deliver customer service,' Wainikka said. 'It has been difficult to communicate that coverage is in place and to communicate price increases from MPI. Many of the problems are because of the computer system that was put in place.' Matt Wiebe, the minister responsible for MPI, called it another example of mismanagement at MPI during the previous Tory government. 'For years, we saw the mismanagement at MPI and, of course, Project Nova has been a highlight of that — or a lowlight,' Wiebe said. MPI spokesperson Tara Seel said the switch to the legacy system is temporary. She said about 6,000 policies will be moved back to the old system; 7,000 policies hadn't been transferred yet. 'Once the new platform is fixed, policies will once again migrate to the new digital system,' she said, adding she didn't know when the work would be completed. Kevin RollasonReporter Kevin Rollason is a general assignment reporter at the Free Press. He graduated from Western University with a Masters of Journalism in 1985 and worked at the Winnipeg Sun until 1988, when he joined the Free Press. He has served as the Free Press's city hall and law courts reporter and has won several awards, including a National Newspaper Award. Read more about Kevin. Every piece of reporting Kevin produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
CBC
27-01-2025
- Business
- CBC
Manitoba's public auto insurer restarting much-maligned technology overhaul after pausing it
Manitoba Public Insurance is forging ahead with its much-maligned technology overhaul project that significantly overshot cost projections, saying it paused the project last year to get a better understanding of how to deliver it. CEO Satvir Jatana told a legislative committee hearing Thursday the Crown corporation needed to take stock of Project Nova, an IT renewal project launched in 2019 that's intended to let customers and brokers complete more of their auto insurance business online. "We took a pause. We didn't want to continue because we have not been successful, I'll say, thus far," she said. "We did not want to blindly spend additional funds without truly understanding what it is that we're building, what are the needs and how are we going to deliver this." Project Nova has faced major cost overruns, with a budget that rose from $86 million to nearly $290 million over a few years. MPI has spent $162 million on Project Nova so far, Jatana said. "I can't sit here and say that we have realized the full value of that [money], so hence why we needed to pause," she said, in response to questioning from MLA Wayne Balcaen, the Progressive Conservative critic for MPI. "We needed, with this board, with this leadership team, to ensure that we don't just continue to spend ratepayer dollars without delivering value, and that's what we've been focused on." 'Lots of defects': CEO The replacement of the public insurer's outdated information technology systems was supposed to be completed this spring, but only two of the four phases are finished, and one of those phases had "lots of defects," Jatana said. She didn't reveal a timeline or cost estimate for the remaining two phases, which consists of "the majority of the delivery," Jatana said. An MPI spokesperson said Project Nova is in the midst of "a detailed planning phase that will help us understand the requirements that must be in place before we move forward with implementing any further changes." She promised MPI will reveal more details in the coming months. Asked Friday when the pause took effect, MPI wouldn't give an answer, but Jatana said at a committee hearing last March the corporation needed to "rethink [and] re-plan" the IT overhaul. She also said Project Nova's next steps would be released that spring, but that didn't happen. The first phase of the project involved shifting trucking and commercial insurance customers to an online-based platform, but it's been dogged by problems since its 2023 release. Jatana said MPI stopped migrating customers over to the new system several months later to address defects. With half of commercial customers currently using the new system and the rest continuing to use the old system, all customers are continuing to be served properly, she said. The second phase of Project Nova, which shifted the vehicle registration system for trucks and buses travelling outside Canada online, was released last summer. After the pause to Project Nova, work to fix the bugs plaguing its first phase has continued, and Jatana said significant progress has been made in the last five to six months. Frustration with lack of progress The limited progress on Project Nova stems from the corporation enduring a 10-week strike in late 2023, the subsequent work to clear the backlog, and multiple leadership changes, said Jatana, who was named CEO early last year. She said there's frustration internally, especially among staff who have worked diligently on the project. "I can never say enough to them, 'This is not you. This is the situation we put you in.'" Balcaen, the Tory MPI critic, told the committee he's glad to hear Jatana say she doesn't want to "overcommit and under-deliver." That's a trend "I've seen with this [NDP] government," he said. However, he wasn't happy Jatana said she couldn't speak further about Project Nova's future steps without permission from MPI's board, whose chairperson, Carmen Nedohin, told the committee the plan for the project still needs to be finalized. Matt Wiebe, the NDP minister in charge of the MPI file, used part of his final address to the committee to allege Balcaen was "really starting to acknowledge the mess that was left by the previous government." The sharp jump in costs for Project Nova and the corporation's attempt to hire a few hundred more staff were among the reasons the former Progressive Conservative government ordered an external review of the corporation in 2023. That audit found the insurer was top heavy and contending with instability from various leadership changes, and that Project Nova "dominates and consumes" discretionary resources. Jatana has previously said Project Nova cannot be abandoned because MPI must upgrade its outdated technologies.
