Surat farmer turns to natural farming after father’s cancer death
A farmer from Surat district has embraced natural farming after the death of his father from cancer. Kalpesh Patel has successfully cultivated over 50 varieties of bananas on his land, gaining attention from agricultural experts. His shift to natural farming has not only improved his yield but also reduced his costs significantly.
- ▪Kalpesh Patel turned to natural farming in 2019 after his father's death from cancer.
- ▪He cultivates more than 50 varieties of bananas and has recorded banana bunches weighing up to 73 kg.
- ▪Patel has reduced his input costs by ₹15,000 to ₹20,000 per bigha annually and increased his annual earnings to ₹10 to ₹12 lakh.
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A young farmer from Saras village in Olpad taluka of Surat district has transformed his life and farming practices after a personal tragedy, emerging as a notable advocate of natural farming in Gujarat.Kalpesh Patel, who works as a chemical operator in a private company in Surat, shifted to natural farming in 2019 following the death of his father, Ramanbhai Patel, who succumbed to cancer. The incident became a turning point in his life, prompting him to abandon chemical fertilisers and pesticides on his farmland.Since then, Mr. Patel has been practising natural farming on his inherited eight bigha land, of which he cultivates bananas on about three and a half bigha.
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