Sad demise of Buta Singh Kanwal – Indian seed industry and the world lost a gem!

Buta Singh Kanwal was a doyen of the Indian Seed Industry over a career spanning over the last 30 years.
Born on Aug 24th, 1952 in an agricultural family of Haryana, Buta Singh Ji lost his father after 13 days of his birth.
He grew through an independent and hardworking household to build a flourishing career over five decades, spanning the length and breadth of his country.
An alumnus of Meerut University., Buta Singh Ji was introduced to the Indian seed industry by Shri Uday Singh Ji in 1991 – where he grew Namdhari Seeds Pvt Ltd. to the great heights of the industry. When he retired in 2013 as the Director at Namdhari Seeds, the company had established a strong leadership position amongst several seed product lines. During his tenure, his hard work and dedication to the seed industry saw his career flourish as he brought his deep knowledge and insights to multiple organisations that are defining the future of the seed industry and farming practices in India.
He went on to play a vital role in various committees of several domestic and international agricultural organisations, including the Seed Association of India, the International Seed Federation (ISF), and the Asian Pacific Seed Association (APSA). He was the Chairman of the proceedings for the pivotal National Organising Committee of APSA, held in Hyderabad in 2008. He twice served as an Executive Committee Member of ASPA from 2004-07 and again in 2011-14. As a key member of the Governance Steering Committee of ASPA, he helped redraft its constitution which was a crucial milestone in the organisation’s growth.
Since 2014, he grew Lucky Seeds Pvt Ltd. from scratch and grew it to an organization of international acclaim. His impeccable planning and foresightedness expanded the company’s operations from just a few states to across India as well as foreign shores. His vision for Lucky seeds is now carried forward by his old friend Naresh Lakhotia and his son Balwant Singh.
Buta Singh Kanwal was a renowned thought leader in the Seed Industry and his innovations in seed technology and seed marketing, have built a new generation of seed entrepreneurs in the country. A soft-speaking leader of the industry, hundreds of seed professionals across the globe owe their firm standing to the groundwork done by Buta Singh Ji. A life-long seed-man – his extensive knowledge and a strong vision for Seed Industry – attracted his colleagues, juniors, farmers, and suppliers throughout the industry.
The Indian Seed Industry has seen an irreparable loss of a father-figure, when Buta Singh Ji succumbed to the after-effects of Covid on April 29, 2021.

Source – Balwant Singh balwantsk@gmail.com