Solapur man who developed 2 custard apple varieties, honoured

NASHIK: The K K Wagh Group on Saturday presented its maiden ‘Krushi Tapasvi’ award to Solapur’s Navnath Kaspate, who started custard apple farming 20 years ago at a reduced production cost.
He developed two indigenous species of custard — Annona 2, and NMK 1. “Grapes used to be the preferred cash crop in our area when I started custard apple plantation. I used the drip irrigation technique. Earlier, people laughed and ridiculed me, but when my first batch of custard apples earned me more than Rs 1 crore in one season, they were left shocked,” he said.
Kaspate is well-known for developing the two species of custard apples.“I don’t have great knowledge of biotechnology. Whatever I did was on the basis of experience,” he said.
Kaspate said he wants to use the prize money to spread new techniques of agriculture among farmers in the state. “Just like our Solapur region, Nashik is known for grape farming. I would like to educate interested farmers on custard apple farming,” Kaspate said. Scientist Padma Vibhushan Anil Kakodkar felicitated Kaspate.
Apart from this, Matin Shankarrao Bhonsale, who runs a school for children from the Pardhi community in Mangrul Chavla, a nondescript tribal dominated village in Amravati village was felicitated with ‘Karmayogi’ Award of the K K Wagh group of institutions at the same ceremony.
The Pardhi community is widespread in the Vidharbha region and in Chhatisgarh. Bhonsale, a member of the Pardhi community himself, runs a residential school — Prashnachinha — which translates to ‘question mark’. The school has been operational for the last five years.
“I worked under the Amravati zilla parishad as a teacher and later resigned from the post to help rehabilitate orphans from my community who are either engaged in begging or other such activities,” said Bhonsale
Bhosale is a graduate and also holds a diploma in Education from Amravati University. Bhonsale was awarded Rs 1 lakh, a memento and a citation at the hands of former Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan. At present, Bhonsale has 447 tribal students and minors studying in his school, including 135 girls. He said that the award money will be used to provide daily food and shelter to these students.
“On February 17, Prakash Amte will visit our school at Mangrul Chavla. We will be changing our name from Prashnachinha to ‘Maitra Dnyan Mandir’ which means temple of friendship of knowledge,” Bhonsale said.
Revenue minister Balasaheb Thorat, office-bearers of the K K Wagh Education Society and prominent citizens of Nashik were present at the occasion. The ‘Karmayogi Award’ for social work and and ‘Krishi Tapasvi’ award for agriculture research will be presented each year.