Father's death inspires Surat man to adopt natural banana farming

Surat's Kalpesh Patel quit chemical fertilisers for natural farming after his father's death from cancer. He now cultivates 50+ banana varieties, earning Rs 10-12 lakh annually and gaining national recognition for his successful model.

Kalpesh Patel, a resident of Saras village in Olpad taluka of Surat district, transformed his life after his father's death. Since 2019, he has been practising natural farming and now cultivates more than 50 varieties of bananas.

A Personal Tragedy Sparks a Change

Kalpesh works as a chemical operator in a private company. After his father, Ramanbhai, passed away due to cancer, it became a turning point in his life. He resolved never to use chemical fertilisers on his farm again.

From Training to Record-Breaking Harvests

Giving up toxic pesticides, he adopted natural farming. Being a nature lover, Kalpesh fully committed himself to natural farming. He underwent training provided by the Gujarat government's agriculture department, learned to prepare Jeevamrut (a natural fertiliser), and began a new chapter in his life.

Kalpesh inherited around eight bigha of land. On three and a half bigha land, he cultivates over 50 varieties of bananas, including Puvan, Adhapuri, Rasthali, Red Banana, Blue Java, Basrai, Mahalaxmi, and Elaichi bananas. He has also achieved record production. In 2025, one bunch of bananas from his farm weighed 73 kilograms, whereas the average weight of a banana bunch is around 20 kilograms. On his farm, the average weight exceeds 30 kilograms.

The Farmer's Journey in His Own Words

Explaining his journey, Kalpesh said, "When my father was diagnosed with cancer, I felt we must free ourselves from the poison of chemical fertilisers and adopt natural farming. My father used a lot of pesticides, and his body would carry their strong odour. I never interfered as I wasn't involved in farming then, but after he developed cancer and passed away, it changed my life."

"I have been practising natural farming for the last seven years. I have also adopted the forest model. I do value addition to my farm produce and follow the principle of 'my product, my price.' Due to natural farming, I save Rs 15,000 to Rs 20,000 per bigha of land annually on chemical fertilisers and pesticides. As soil health improved, banana production increased significantly. From three and a half bigha, I earn Rs 10 to Rs 12 lakh annually," he added.

Government Support and Market Access

Under Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, natural farming has gained momentum in the state. Several schemes have been implemented to encourage farmers to give up chemical fertilisers and pesticides. Governor Acharya Devvrat has also been actively promoting natural farming across the state by personally visiting farms.

The Gujarat government has introduced natural farming markets in various cities, allowing farmers to sell their produce directly.

Value Addition and National Recognition

Kalpesh Patel sells bananas and other produce at the agricultural market in Vesu, Surat. If raw bananas remain unsold, he processes them into products like banana wafers, banana fig (dried product), and banana powder, thereby increasing his income through value addition.

Kalpesh Patel's natural banana farming has gained nationwide recognition. Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan even interacted with him and shared his success story on social media. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)