Meet Arun Chauhan, the Haryana farmer who moved away from paddy to a 75-day sweet corn crop, says he now makes nearly Rs 25 lakh a year, and helped a village build an 80-member, Rs 4-crore farming collective

In 2004, Arun Chauhan’s family earned around Rs 10,000 from paddy cultivation on their farmland in Manauli village in Haryana’s Sonipat district. Nearly two decades later, the 59-year-old farmer has shifted much of his land to sweet corn and vegetables, says he earns a profit of nearly Rs 25 lakh a year from sweet corn, and has helped build a farmers’ collective with 80 members and an annual turnover of nearly Rs 4 crore.As reported by The Indian Express, Chauhan’s decision to move away from the traditional paddy-wheat cycle came after he visited a friend’s farm where strawberries were being cultivated successfully. The change began on a portion of his family’s 28 acres. Initially, sweet corn was grown on 10 acres. That area has since increased to 17 acres, while seven acres are used for vegetables in polyhouses and net houses. Two acres are earmarked for a packhouse and another two for fisheries.A crop that takes 75 daysOne reason Chauhan favours sweet corn is its short growing period. The crop takes about 75 days, allowing him to cultivate three cycles in a year. According to The Indian Express, Chauhan said sweet corn fetches an average price of Rs 12-14 per kg throughout the year. With an average production of 50 quintals per acre, he estimates gross returns of Rs 60,000-70,000 per acre. After deducting cultivation expenses of around Rs 15,000–20,000, he puts the profit at nearly Rs 50,000 per acre.Manauli becomes a ‘sweet corn village’The shift has extended beyond Chauhan’s own farm. He told The Indian Express that nearly all of Manauli’s 2,000 acres of agricultural land had been under paddy almost two decades ago. Today, he estimates that 70% of the village’s farmland is used for sweet corn and vegetables, with sweet corn alone grown on around 800 acres.As per an earlier report by Krishi Jagran, Manauli had transitioned towards sweet corn and vegetables, including crops grown under protected cultivation. Its 2022 report said the village had become known for sweet corn and that farmers were increasingly adopting alternative crops.The village’s location also gives farmers access to a large market. Delhi’s Azadpur Mandi, one of the country’s major wholesale markets for fresh produce, is about 20 km away. Farmers are also looking beyond traditional wholesale markets. According to Chauhan, e-commerce companies have entered into direct arrangements with local farmers to buy sweet corn and fresh vegetables.Why crop diversification mattersManauli’s experience comes amid wider efforts to encourage farmers in Haryana to diversify beyond the paddy-wheat system. In a December 2025 statement, the Press Information Bureau, citing the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, said Haryana had been implementing the ‘Mera Pani Meri Virasat’ scheme since 2020 to encourage farmers to move away from paddy towards alternative crops, partly in response to declining groundwater levels. The scheme is part of the broader policy context for crop diversification, although the available information does not establish that it directly supported Chauhan’s decision to grow sweet corn.For Chauhan and the farmers working with him, the change has involved more than replacing paddy with another crop. Shorter growing cycles, access to Delhi’s wholesale market, direct sales and collective processing have created additional ways to earn from their land. Manauli’s experience shows how a village’s farming choices can change when farmers organise production around what the market is willing to buy.You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ testGet the latest Lifestyle News and more. Download the TOI app.