73-Kg banana wonder makes surat farmer natural farming star

“When my father was diagnosed with cancer, I realised we needed to free ourselves from the poison of chemical fertilisers and pesticides,” Kalpesh recalls.

Commodity Desk

MUMBAI

In the lush green fields of Gujarat’s Surat district, a quiet farming revolution is taking root.  What began as a deeply personal journey of loss and reflection has today transformed farmer Kalpesh Patel into a powerful symbol of India’s growing natural farming movement. 

Kalpesh Patel, a resident of Saras village in Surat, has stunned farmers and agriculture experts alike after producing a massive 73-kg banana bunch through natural farming — more than three times the average weight of around 20 kg typically seen in conventional cultivation. But behind this extraordinary achievement lies an emotional story. 

Years ago, Kalpesh watched his father, Ramesh Patel, battle cancer after spending decades working with chemical fertilisers and pesticides on the family farm. Determined to build a healthier future, he turned towards natural farming nearly seven years ago.  

Today, on just three-and-a-half bigha of land out of his total eight bigha farm, Kalpesh cultivates over 50 varieties of bananas without using harmful chemicals. His methods combine natural farming with the forest farming model, helping restore soil fertility while reducing farming costs significantly.  While his record-breaking 73-kg banana bunch grabbed headlines in 2025, the average banana bunch weight on his farm now consistently exceeds 30 kg. 

Natural farming has also improved his income. Kalpesh earns nearly ₹10 lakh to ₹12 lakh annually from the small plot. To maximise profits, he processes unsold bananas into value-added products such as banana wafers, dried banana figs and banana powder. His success story recently gained national attention after Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan shared his achievements on social media.

(With inputs from PTI)