PANJIM: Sanjay Anant Patil, 58, an innovative Kulagar farmer from Savoi Verem, Ponda has been announced as recipient of Padma Shri, India’s fourth highest civilian honour for his distinguished service in Agriculture.
Patil is a green revolutionary, known to many as the ‘one-man army’ because he single-handedly transformed a barren plot of land, measuring 10 acres, into a lush green natural farm (Kulagar) with technical guidance from ICAR-CCARI, Goa.
In 2013, the Goa government honoured Patil with Goa Krishi Ratna Award. He received Best Horticulturalist Award by Goa Bagayatdar in 2015, IARI–Innovative Farmer Award 2023 by the ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi, for his outstanding contributions to natural farming and zero-energy micro-irrigation system and the Goa State Biodiversity Board conservation award in 2023.