By Gurmukh Singh
VANCOUVER: Vancouver-based Gurpal Birak is undoubtedly among the top five Indo-Canadian farmers in Canada.
His Birak Berry Farms, spread over over 600 acres around Vancouver, harvest what he calls “top-quality blueberry, blackberry and strawberry’’ crops.
“Last year, our farm output was 300 million pounds. Having added another 150 acres this year, I am hoping that we will produce over 500 million pounds this time,’’ says Gurpal Birak who hails from Kaley village near Phagwara and landed in Canada in 1980.
But farming is actually a part-time profession for Gurpal Birak and his family because he also is the biggest labour supplier in British Columbia province of Canada.
“My company Star Labour Supply Ltd has over 300 labourers on its rolls and we are the biggest supplier of labour to farms. New immigrants from India come to us in search of work,’’ he says.
Narrating his family’s journey into Canada, Gurpal Birak says, “We are four brothers. We had very fertile 10 acres in our village and we were doing well. But then my brother, who is a trained engineer, came to Canada in 1973. Other members of the family followed him. I came here after completing my MA in political science from Himachal University.’’
The eldest Birak brother was lucky to get employed as an engineer with British Columbia Hydro. But also he became a part-time farm labour supplier as newly arrived Indian immigrants looked for work on Indo-Canadian farms.
“Our labour supply business picked up as people and farms trusted us. But agriculture is in our DNA. We thought that since we handled farm labour supply, so why we shouldn’t start our own farming operations also. That’s how we bought over 20 acres and started blueberry cultivation in the 1990s,’’ says Gurpal Birak.
In less than 20 years, Birak Berry Farms have multiplied their harvest produce and acreage many times over.
“Because berry farming is a technology-intensive operation, we have employed the best machines for harvesting and packaging. Moreover, we have always kept focus on top-quality produce. We supply locally and across the border to the United States,’’ says the Sikh farmer who has also served as vice-president of Vancouver’s oldest gurdwara – called Ross Street Sikh Temple – from 1999 to 2011.
Birak considers the success of Indo-Canadians in agriculture and politics due to their intense involvement in community activities.
“Our success in these fields springs from our close-knit community. Because of my community activities I want to reduce my farming operations, but our farms keep growing,’’ he laughs.
Gurpal Birak’s young son, who has come back from Australia after completing his JD in law, has deferred cutting his farming teeth as he first wants to work as an assistant with a local Indo-Canadian MP and then enter politics.
“My family have been active in politics in Punjab and here. My son will go into politics as well as become a part-time farmer,’’ says Gurpal Birak who is assisted by his wife Harminder in running their huge farms.
Interestingly, Birak’s wife is also a part-time farmer as she runs her own independent travel agency.
“So, we are a family of part-time farmers,’’ quips Birak.
But these part-time farmers have become Canada’s top success story.
