Patna, June 20: Sudhanshu Kumar, a farmer from Samastipur district, has been selected for the “Best Mango Grower Award” by Society for Development of Horticulture, which works under the Central Institute of Subtropical Horticulture, Lucknow.

Sudhanshu, who has been selected for the award on the basis of his achievements in production and productivity of mango, would get this award during the inaugural function of the institute’s global conference on mango at Lucknow on June 21.

Owner of an eight acre-orchard in Nayanagar village, around 100km east of Patna, Sudhanshu changed the way mango farming was being carried out in the area. Based on what he learnt from experts and his personal experience, Sudhanshu achieved something which the farmers in the area around his orchard did not even dream of.

Sudhanshu’s family used to earn around Rs 10,000 per year when he took charge of the orchard in 1988. Thanks to his keenness on using new methods and learning new things through practical experience, Sudhanshu this year has sold mangoes worth Rs 8 lakh from his orchard.

One of his achievements has been the innovative use of ethephon, a chemical used for ripening the plucked fruit. Sudhanshu came to know about the uses of the chemical from experts of Rajendra Agriculture University, Pusa. However, over a period of time, Sudhanshu developed his own method to use the chemical that was not only easier but also cost effective. He also got appreciation from the experts for his innovation.

Prior to using this chemical, most mango growers of the area used carbate (calcium carbide) as a ripening agent, which not only damaged the quality of fruit but was also a health hazard, as the chemical is carcinogenic.

“As far as my achievements are concerned, my educational background has helped me a lot and I love to share my success mantra with fellow farmers so that they too can gain from my experience,” he told The Telegraph over phone from Samastipur.

A history postgraduate from Delhi University, Sudhanshu took the conscious decision of coming back to his village and not join a job in one of the tea gardens of Tata. His family members resisted the idea of his joining the job, as they wanted Sudhanshu to prepare for the civil services. But he had different plans in mind and decided to become a full-fledged farmer.

“Once I got into farming, I decided to excel in this field. And now, after so many years of hard labour, I have proved that my decision was correct,” he said.

Sudhanshu added: “When I started farming, my family members used to say what was the use of me studying in Delhi when I had to come back to the village. Now, they say that an educated person does any work in a better way.”

It is not for the first time that this progressive farmer has received recognition for his work.

In the past also, he has won many awards, including a certificate of appreciation from the Indian Council of Agriculture Research for contribution and participation in the National Farm Innovators Meet at Mysore in November last year. His certificate read: “Your contribution is an encouragement for reshaping the farmer-oriented farm technologies across the country.”

The Bihar Agricultural Management and Extension Training Institute has also commissioned the making of a short film on Sudhanshu’s technique of horticulture. The film will be screened before farmers in different regions of the state.