Here’s how Rajvir Aulakh is continuing his family’s farming legacy in Australia – Ethnic Council of Shepparton and District

Rajvir Aulakh was born and brought up in New Zealand, but when the right opportunity presented itself, his late father, Sam Aulakh, shifted their family to Australia’s regional town of Shepparton in Victoria in 2007. 

Despite studying pharmacy, Rajvir Aulakh chose to dig his heels in the swamp to nurture his family’s farming legacy and replicate his father’s success in the fields.

The 22-year-old was initiated into the sector by his father, who started working on a kiwi farm after moving to New Zealand in 1999. ”My grandfather supported my dad and uncles Gurpreet and Manvir Aulakh to start this agribusiness after we moved to Shepparton from New Zealand in 2007.

“Today, we own 140 acres of land where we grow a wide variety of fruits including apples, pears and plums. In addition, we have another 100 acres, which we use for harvesting grains,” Mr Aulakh told SBS Punjabi.

Sikh fruitgrowers Shepparton — Three generations of Aulakh family: Piara Singh Aulakh (L), Parmdeep Singh Aulakh (C), Gurpreet Singh Aulakh (R) Credit: Supplied

And while he initially studied pharmacy, his heart lies in the family trade.

“I finished my bachelor’s in Biomedical Science in 2021 and now I’m studying pharmacy, but I still find immense pleasure in working on our farm during my semester break.”

“I have been embedded in the farming lifestyle since my childhood and it has become a second nature to me, so I’ve decided to carry forward my family’s legacy,” says Mr Aulakh.

“We have approximately 600 bins of ‘Pink Lady’ apples with an additional 500 bins that would grow to their full potential this season. In addition, we’ve 350 bins of another variety called ‘Bravo’ apples, 350 bins of Granny Smith apples and around 800 bins of various stonefruit varieties” he said.

Fruitgrowers in Shepparton — Rajvir Aulakh’s family has been involved in farming for the past three generations.

The young farmer added that he is proud of his family’s journey and believes it is a testament to the dedication, creativity, and work ethic they all have put into making this venture a success.

“So, our overall production quantity is quite high as an average bin accommodates a capacity of 350 to 400 kilograms each,” he explained. Mr Aulakh attributed his success to his father, who passed away in 2021. 

“He was a man who built everything from scratch and always stood up for the community. He valued his relationships over everything else and believed that emotional investments brought families together,” he reminisced.

Click here to listen to the full interview with Mr Aulakh in Punjabi:

Rajvir Aulakh was 7-years-old when his family migrated to Australia and bought their first farm in 2007. Credit: Supplied

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	The Ethnic Council of Shepparton and District acknowledges the Yorta Yorta People of the land which comprises the Goulburn Valley. We pay respect to tribal Elders, past, present and emerging and we celebrate their continuing culture and acknowledge the memory of their ancestors.
	The Ethnic Council of Shepparton and District is a peak body whose mission is to promote and represent the social, cultural and economic well-being of ethnic communities in the Goulburn Valley Region through the provision of quality and innovative settlement, refugee support, community development, and information and advocacy services.