A farmer from Amravati has built an agricultural enterprise worth Rs 15 crore after starting with an income of just Rs 150 per month, according to a report by The Times of India.
Ravindra Metkar, a resident of Masla village, is now set to travel to the United Kingdom next month to speak at an international conference on artificial intelligence at University of Oxford.
The 57-year-old has been invited to the Global Research Conference themed “AI For Every Mind”, which is scheduled to be held from May 1 to 5 at Said College, Oxford.
According to the report, at the conference, he is expected to speak about sustainable farming, reducing production costs, climate-resilient agriculture and poultry-based entrepreneurship, and explain how traditional farming methods can be combined with modern approaches.
Metkar's journey began after he completed a master's degree in commerce from Amravati University. In 1994, his family acquired land, which was later sold to purchase one acre in Bhandara district. It was here that he began experimenting with different farming practices.
"I understood early that farmers may not be able to control market prices, but they can manage their costs and improve productivity, so I started preparing my own fertilisers," he was quoted as saying by TOI.
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From that initial one acre, his work has expanded into a larger agricultural operation. He now cultivates nearly 50 acres of land in his native village. His farm produces multiple crops, including mangoes, mosambi, amla, bananas, betel nut and grains. Alongside crop cultivation, he also operates a poultry farm.
A key part of his farming model is sustainability. He uses locally produced poultry feed and converts farm waste into fertilisers, reducing dependence on commercially available inputs. This method has helped in lowering costs and maintaining environmentally sustainable practices.
Apart from his own farming activities, Metkar has also shared his experience with other farmers across the country. Speaking about this, he told TOI that, "I have supported and guided more than 50 lakh farmers across India, and they draw motivation from my journey, and if I have reached a turnover of Rs 15 crore, they can also achieve it."
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