Hello Farmnest,
Have been reading a lot on internet about agriculture and recently on Farmnest. Have read through quite a lot on farmnest about projects and success stories, all very intriguing and inviting. Before I put up my queries / doubts a little about myself to help understand my pov for the readers.
I’m from Commerce background and currently working a full time job in Rajasthan, Jaipur area. However, after long time working I feel I’m not going anywhere with the job and rather would like to go for something of my own. Have been brainstorming different ideas, I think I can conclude that farming if taken as a serious business can be a viable option for me.
My grandparents were into farming and we although not farmers per se have our own land and a farmer family that helps cultivate some crops on that piece of land. We have only grown wheat, mustard, groundnuts on this land and that too just for our own consumption and not for sale. I have a steady source of income to sustain my family and so I would like to take a “calculated” risk into farming vegetables/flowers. I do want to take it as a business and want to earn decent from it, not necessarily in 1 or 2 years but definitely in 3-4 years. I’m a quick learner and know my limits. At an age of 37 I would like to invest my time and energy into something of my own. I see farming as a wonderful business opportunity for the future.
After reading the forums and farmnest I’ve got the following chalked out. Please do let me know if I’m missing something.
- I’ll start off with the soil test on my farm coming Diwali.
- Depending on the tests I plan to shortlist vegetable/flower that can be grown.
- I plan to start from next years monsoon i.e. june-july. Till then I’ll study more on the topic meeting/talking both online/offline.
- I’ll start with 1/4 or 1/2 acre for starters or something that’s easily manageble.
Now, after studying a little online I have a few doubts and queries on my mind.
- The land although fertile has little water. We have a boring around 400ft and we get around an hour of water from it per day. Is it enough for vegetable/flower farming or do I need to go for other irrigation option?
- With the minimum investment option I’d rather start with an open cultivation project but is it better to go for shadenet?
- How much investment would be needed to start off with 1/2 acre of land? Like the costs of seeds, drip system, soil prep, manure, pesticides, etc. just an approximate idea.
- All the success stories so far that I’ve read online are mostly from south of India. I’ve met a few farmers in our state that are doing well growing vegetables/flowers, however all of them are from regions having plenty water. Is there any profitable vegetable crop that can be done with lesser water?
- Although I like the farmlife and am quite passionate I still want to see me as a businessman farmer rather than just a farmer in future. Plainly put I’d like to get atleast 40-50k / month from 2-3 acres of land after 2-3 years(with enough experience). Is it too far fetch?
I’d like to thank everyone for being such a wonderful community and farmnest for providing a great platform.
regards
Bharat