MISTAKES TO AVOID BEFORE MAKING SUCCESSFUL POLYHOUSE & HYDROPONICS FARMS
Abhishek Bhatt
Managing Director , Board member at Agriplast Protected Cultivation Pvt Ltd
What is protected Cultivation?
?It is growing crops in a controlled environment where crops are covered and protected from all the threats of nature like excessive rains, hails, sun, pests, etc. This allows 5 to 10 times of production with consistent quality and supply around the year. It is like a plant factory giving monthly returns like any job.
?Why we should do protected cultivation at first? What are CLEAN FOODS?
When crops are grown in an open field without any kind of physical protection it is at war with all kinds of external conditions like rain, hail, wind, pests, etc. Farmers intend to save their crops whatever it takes. They tend to use heavy pesticides and medicines due to a lack of knowledge which makes it close to dangerous. Over the past many decades these practices have polluted our food supply chain.
Only a sustainable way to grow crops without using harmful pesticides is protected cultivation. Crops that are grown under controlled conditions use 10% of the resources and are clean or safe foods that are healthy and have everything which is under health guidelines.
?How can somebody earn 10 or 20 lacs per acre? How it is possible?
?Yes, this is possible due to a well-established 20-year-old technology in India which is called protected cultivation (Polyhouses, Greenhouses, Net houses, etc ) for all types of exotic vegetables, flowers, and nursery plants.
?Which crops are being grown for such income?
Crops like Bell peppers, Cucumber, Tomatoes, Cherry tomatoes, Different kinds of leafy greens, Strawberry, Gerbera, Carnation, Gypsophila, Lilium, Pot plants & nurseries can be grown under such technologies.
What are the types of Protected cultivation structures in the Indian context:
?NET HOUSE: COST PER ACRE (10 lacs to 25 lacs)
?A Shade house/Nethouse is a structure enclosed by nets or any other woven material to allow required sunlight, moisture, and air to pass through the gaps of the net. It creates an appropriate microclimate conducive to plant growth and gives returns. We use this technology more where there is less rainfall.
?
NATURALLY VENTILATED POLYHOUSE: COST PER ACRE ( 40lacs to 50 lacs )
?A Polyhouse is a combination of plastic, steel structure enclosed by nets or any other woven material to allow required sunlight, moisture, and air to pass due to natural ventilation. It creates an appropriate microclimate conducive to plant growth and gives returns. We use this technology in almost all places in the country.
?GREENHOUSES: COST PER ACRE ( 60 lacs and above )
?The greenhouse is a protected technology where we have more controls. It is having fans on one side and pads on the other. It is also called a forced ventilation system. It works very well in hot and dry climates. During monsoon performance of this system is not good. We should avoid using fan and pad greenhouse in coastal regions
?Is it difficult to enter Hitech Agriculture & become successful?
?Almost 70% of new-age entrepreneurs who enter hi-tech agriculture are with zero experience and did a switch from their carriers. But all such entrepreneurs are doing great in this field. One key reason for that was to choose the right experienced company that can guide them end to end. That’s very important and the main reason for failure is lack of guidance. Make sure you have the right mentor till you become independent.
?
What is the typical investment size of such protected cultivation projects & payback periods?
?We prefer a minimum land size of Half-acre to 1 acre( 2000sqmtr to 4000sqmtr) for some substantial returns from protected cultivation and it can expand to hundreds of acres. Like any other venture protected cultivation setup also has a payback period of 2.5 years to 3 years without subsidy and with subsidy, it can be close to 1.5 years to 2 years. We have seen in some cases profitability even in the first year. The investment can range from 15 lacs an acre to 50 lacs an acre and more.
Is subsidy the main criteria for entering protected farming?
?This is the biggest myth where people think that subsidies can only make them sustainable. Open field cultivations are getting difficult every day due to climate change and soil contamination. The global population is increasing every day. To feed 10 billion people in 2050, this is the only way of producing clean food. Other businesses people expect ROIs in 3 to 5 years but in agriculture, we think that the profits should be from day one. We need to change our mindset and treat protected cultivation as any business venture not relying on subsidy.
?What will the world say if I start doing Hitech farming switching from an IT job or any other reputed job in society?
?All the above success stories are from various individuals with different jobs having successful careers. But the thing which was common in all was the satisfaction level they got reaching back to their roots. Also when they started scientific farming they became the inspiration for thousands to follow making them heroes in their area and now they are invited on various platforms for delivering their success stories and motivating others. This is also a great way of creating employment and making the world a better place.
Steps to enter Protected cultivation:
?·? Do online research as much as possible in hi-tech agriculture space
领英推荐
·? Identify brands that can help you with end to end support
·? Match your research with the vendor's expertise and see the best fit
·? Do background study about the supplier and visit their factories and facility for sure.
·? At least meet 5 successful farmers created by the supplier.
?
Reasons for failure of protected cultivation projects in India:
?·? No market research for selling of their end product according to demographies.
·? Zero research by the farmers/individuals about the vendors who will execute the project.
·? Going ahead with cheap products without understanding the technical requirements. Quality is not the selection parameter, price is.
·? 100% dependency on the supplier & not using their skills to learn more.
·? Selection of suppliers who lack enough experience, expertise in creating success stories.
?Above was a small introduction about protected farming from Agriplast protected cultivation Pvt ltd. It’s a big ocean and a lot of technologies are to be known to create a successful project. We have in-house experts in all domains and experience in creating more than 1000+ farms in the last 10 years. We are sure this article would create such successful entrepreneurs and reduce climate change and increase jobs at the grassroot level.
?To know in detail please follow the below links and go through the videos to have a complete understanding of this sector:
?
For our Project updates :
?
Videos for deep knowledge:
https://www.youtube.com/c/AgriplastTechIndiaPvtLtdHosur/videos
?Call center number:
?+91 76766 00777