Apple and pear growers diversify as Australia's fruit consumption declines
But four years ago, he left it all behind to pursue his dream of being a farmer in Victoria's Goulburn Valley.
"I had no idea about Shepparton, but I came to visit a friend who had just bought a farm here," Mr Bajwa said.
"I really liked the weather and the way everything looked really green.
"It resembles my home country."
Mr Bajwa, who grew up in Punjab in northern India, purchased a fruit orchard in Shepparton East with his brother, but it was not long before it got tough.
He lost nearly 70 per cent of his crop to a hailstorm, the orchard was flooded in 2022 and now the state is experiencing drought conditions.
Despite all that, Mr Bajwa does not regret making the move.
"I feel connected — farming brings communities together, whereas in metros you don't know your next-door neighbours.
"The support we've had from the community has been beyond my expectations."
Apple and Pear Australia Limited (APAL), which represents growers, said the industry was at a "crossroads" and most producers had not made a profit in the past four years.
APAL head of industry, government relations and advocacy Jeremy Griffith said he expected more orchards to be consolidated over the next five years.
"Input costs have ramped up dramatically, and supermarkets are not covering those costs," Mr Griffith said.
Mr Griffith said APAL's strategy for the next five years would focus on increasing consumer demand for fresh produce.
New export markets are opening up in China, but Mr Griffith said the industry really needed Australians to eat more fruit.
"Apple consumption has flatlined and we have certainly seen a decline in pear consumption," he said.
"We did see, in the last few years, 15 per cent of pear orchards removed."
The challenges continue to stack up, but Mr Griffiths said farm succession was one of the biggest concerns for orchardists.
"Their kids don't want to take over because they can't really see a future in it," he said.
"Working this hard and not being able to make a profit, it's a pretty depressing place for the industry to be in.
"It's a tough, tough business … and I'm yet to meet a grower who doesn't work seven days a week."
It is Mr Bawja's unsinkable optimism that keeps him in the orchard every day.
Mr Bawja is diversifying his crops so he does not have to rely on the income of an annual harvest, including growing broccolini year-round.
"This is the third year and we're really happy with the way things are coming up," he said.
He also plans to plant more apples and apricots.
"We are in the process of pulling old varieties out and replacing them with new varieties," Mr Bajwa said.
"They are better looking, better eating quality and better yields
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