Gujarat Farmer Grows Record Bananas With Natural Farming

By Mahima Katal A farmer in India’s western state of Gujarat has drawn national attention after achieving unusually high banana yields through natural farming methods inspired by the death of his father from cancer, which he believes was linked to prolonged exposure to chemical fertilisers and pesticides.

Kalpesh Patel, a farmer from Saras village in Surat district, says his shift away from chemical-intensive agriculture transformed both his farm’s productivity and profitability.

Last year, one bunch of bananas grown on his farm weighed 73 kilograms, more than three times the average weight of around 20 kilograms typically seen in the region.

Patel’s story gained wider recognition after India’s Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan highlighted his work on social media, according to a Gujarat government statement released Wednesday.

The case is being showcased as part of Gujarat’s broader push toward natural farming under Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel. State officials say more than 564,000 farmers adopted natural farming practices across nearly 200,000 hectares of land by the 2024–25 financial year.

Patel said the turning point came after his father, Ramesh Patel, who regularly used pesticides and chemical fertilisers, was diagnosed with cancer.

“When my father developed cancer and later passed away, it completely changed my perspective,” Patel said. “I felt we needed to free ourselves from the poison of chemical fertilisers and adopt natural farming.”

He inherited around eight bighas of farmland and now cultivates over 50 varieties of bananas on approximately three-and-a-half bighas using natural farming techniques.

According to Patel, abandoning chemical inputs has helped him save between Rs 15,000 and Rs 20,000 annually per bigha in fertiliser and pesticide costs. Improved soil health has also boosted productivity, he said.

He estimates that he now earns between Rs 1 million and Rs 1.2 million ($12,000–$14,500) annually from the land.

Patel has also adopted what he describes as a “forest farming model” and focuses on value-added agricultural products. Unsold raw bananas are processed into banana wafers, dried banana products, and banana powder, helping diversify income streams.

The Gujarat government has increasingly promoted natural farming through farmer outreach programs, dedicated marketplaces, and awareness campaigns. Governor Acharya Devvrat has been one of the prominent advocates of the initiative, regularly visiting farms and encouraging farmers to reduce dependence on synthetic chemicals.

Supporters of natural farming argue that it lowers production costs, improves soil fertility, and reduces environmental damage. However, agricultural scientists continue to debate whether such methods can consistently match the productivity levels required for large-scale food security.

Patel now sells his produce directly at a natural farming market in Surat’s Vesu area, benefiting from growing consumer demand for chemical-free food products.