Bhubaneswar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today praised a young farmer from Odisha, Hirod Patel, during his 'Mann Ki Baat' radio programme, describing his farming model as an example of how tradition and technology can go hand in hand.

In his address, the Prime Minister said farmers are not just food providers but caretakers of the earth. He noted that today’s farmers are focusing not only on higher production but also on quality, value addition and exploring new markets.

Highlighting Patel’s journey, Modi said that until about eight years ago, the young farmer used to cultivate paddy in the traditional manner along with his father, Shiv Shankar Patel. Over time, he began experimenting with new ideas to make better use of available resources.

Patel developed an integrated farming system on his land. He installed a strong mesh structure over his farm pond and began growing creeper vegetables on it. Around the pond, he planted banana, guava and coconut trees. At the same time, he introduced fish farming in the pond.

This combined approach has enabled better land use and water conservation while also increasing income. By cultivating crops, fruits and fish at a single location, Patel has diversified his output and reduced dependence on a single source of earnings.

Modi said the success of the model has drawn attention from farmers across regions, many of whom now visit Patel’s farm to understand and replicate the system.