Farming enthusiast - requesting specific details

Hi All,

I am working in an MNC as a consultant and have this urge to start something of my own… I dont want a city life (living in Delhi with Pollution)… I am the bread earner of family and do not have any siblings…

Farming has been on my mind for quite sometime and came across this forum about 1-2 months back… Cannot get into it full time from the very beginning however have ample of leaves at my disposal as and when needed :sunglasses:

To the point - Plan to start with approx 2 Acre land (closer to Delhi maybe in Haryana/Punjab/Rajasthan/UP… driving distance from Delhi for better accessibility for me to manage and target customers)… however unable to find land in my budget and area… Location?

I quickly want to get to a income that helps me to go dependent on only farming (BTW, no experience watsoever in farming… planning to attend some training if possible. recommendations?)… totally understand that it will take some tide depending on how effectively I manage & learn…

Real Questions - Keen on Polyhouse farming and wanted to understand… how to decide on crops? I understand that rotation of crops and variety of crops helps in good earning, if managed effectively… what are the crops that I should target for if I am able to get a land in Punjab/Haryana… and what if Rajasthan? Also, any leads that I can get for land? Anyone who can share experience from these locations… I have majorly seen people from south sharing their experiences which has helped a lot but would also like to see something from north…

Is there a farm or polyhouse farm that I can visit and gain some knowledge? Can I have both poly house farm and organic farm in the same land of 2 acres? If yes, will it not have possibility of infection? What are the crops in demand and exportable crops with high yields…

Apologies… too may questions but like I mentioned… new… so have a lot of questions in mind… Thanks for your help in advance :slight_smile:

First of all come out of NorthIndia SouthIndia polarity(we dont need constituency wise reprentation on the forum, do we?). We have many members from Delhi.

  1. If buying is not possible you can always lease a land(though you are not eligible legally, farmer lease land without doumentation)
  2. As a rookie Poly house is a bit difficult because the lessons you learn will be too costly.
  3. You can earn from mushroom farming a good revenue, if you move little north towards himachal button mushroom is a good option.
  4. Cash rich crops tend to take a rocket leap some times and a nose sometimes on rates. traders do this. It is better to go for assorted crops.

[quote=sri2012]
First of all come out of NorthIndia SouthIndia polarity(we dont need constituency wise reprentation on the forum, do we?). We have many members from Delhi. [/quote]

The reason I mentioned North/South is due to climate & market difference… That would be a very big factor in choosing crops…

Can u please suggest crop suitable for Punjab/Haryana region… how to decide on crops? Do I first finalize crop or should I first focus on land? How much area is recommended for an amateur… I understand there will be cost implications but I would like to give it a shot… not that I am filthy rich… its just that I am very keen for this… What all things should I first consider before I start investing money?

I am assuming that you will lease a land. so long term crops are ruled out.

while selecting land choose a land with water avaiablity,fencing,good road accebility, labour avaialability etc.

You can start vegetables. Most vegetables are 3-5 months crops you can plan different vegetables depending on seasons.

Since you are well educated(you can plan better) you can adopt precision farming. It is a way of using mulching sheets and fertigating(fertilisers thru drip) in reglar intervals. This will increase plant life by 1.5 times and yield by 2.5 times.
Mulching sheets can remain in same place for atleast 3-4 crop cycles.

Dont invest on anything as long as you have your own farm. or if you invest also it should be a moveable items.

4acres of vegetable farming can give a decent earnings. To increase profit avoid middleman. Deliver to shops/dhabas/hotels directly.

Since its polyhouse, will soil matter for the land…

If land is barren that should also work, right? My understanding is that we can make bed and normally, if the land is barren, do not use the original soil

Other points to ponder:

  1. Your thinking style should change from urban to rural. If you ask a truck fellow to deliver manure, he wont come on the day he says he will bring( he may forget or he will bring on the day of his own choice). Solution: You have to blend words with threatening/pampering/pleading etc. and pushing with repeated reminders.

  2. Dont dress too decently infront of villagers(denim t-shirt with sunglasses). They dont open up. Sometimes they feel infiriror to talk to you.

  3. No advance payments for anything.

  4. you have to be prepared for unscheduled load sheddings in rural areas.

  5. Poor roads.
    so on…

A rural project needs lot of parallel thinking(thinking like a villager, or think like professional and behave like villager).

You are right. you can construct PH on barren land build beds from good soil. water is also important. barren land has become barren without water also not only soil.

My point is polyhouse costs a big money. when you invest so big you will start agriculture like a factory. suddenly if there is a wilt you need to know what to spray or how to avoid it other wise crop will wash away and you will incurr loss+interest on the money you invested.This what I meant by costly lesson.

Thanks for the insight Sri… really appreciate your help… :slight_smile:

Plan is to hire consultant who can visit on a weekly basis… for guidance/etc. (for initial learning phases)

I still am planning for a training from KVK Baramati (if some other institute provides training, please suggest) on the basics and then start something on my own…

Other thing I wanted to ask is will I get subsidy from the Govt for polyhouse farming? I mean, if I lease / purchase a land… am I eligible for subsidy? ::)

KVK baramati will help you how polyhouse functions what are the different components involved in protected cultivation.
If the land is on lease then i think there is some minimum time duration for which you have to take it on lease then only you are eligible for subsidy.
Better to check with some horticulture officer in your area.
As you are near to delhi sri righlty pointed at initial stage try to grow veggies and tie up with hotels,shops,restaurant as trader will eat your margin.
All the best.

Polyhouse as a learning curve for farming might prove very costly;

Why dont you buy or lease the land first, develop a prototype polyhouse probably even a shadenet house, cultivate something to learn the in and outs of polyhouse farming before taking the deep plunge.

Atleast this way even if you burn the pocket, the damage can be kept minimum.

Regards and Good luck!

Also remember one thing in mind. Dont think that anything u grow will reach the market easily. Understand the supply chain very strongly. One link is broken and u will be stuck with your produce rotting in your farm.
For e.g. who will harvest, who will pack, who will pick and load in the transport vehicle, how and when will the transport guy come and pick the produce and how and which market he will drop your produce. How will the produce finally be sold in the market. If u dont have an decent quantity and your own transportation it will be very difficult to supply.
The areas which u shortlist to buy land check with the nearby farm owners that what they are growing, whom they are supplying and how they sending it till the buyer. Also how they are getting the payment of their produce.
A papaya retail price in Mumbai is Rs.40 a k.g. The farmer doesnt get even Rs.4-5 at his farm. So if u are growing papaya if u dont have a supply chain it will be really difficult.

Is there someone from Delhi/NCR or nearby whose farm I can visit? That will be a good experience… any leads will be highly appreciated…
Thanks

Hello c2f, naf here!
i can empathize with you! Trying to venture into a stream which is lucrative in many aspects form most other streams is good sense. At the same time, there are considerable monetary and lifestyle implications that have to be considered before one makes planning on this front.
The empathy comes from my short experience of 2 years from starting with passive farming to currently active farming. And now i want to go PRO.

Mr. Sri’s post “Other points to ponder” is an apt reflection of my experience of these 2 years. He couldn’t have said it better.

I can guide you in this regard even though i’m myself pretty new. For that, i’d suggest you take a trip down to my town for one weekend. I believe you mentioned you’re stationed in Delhi! Take an overnight train to Lko, we’ll spend Sat & Sun together, i’ll take you around country side village where i have a small 1.5 acre farm. There is of-course nothing to show you at the farm except that it is fenced and there is wheat sown currently. That i can show you even in an online pic. But i can run you through a crash course of sorts, how i started with a barren dry land, how i developed it gradually, what things i faced, how things are done in native rural way, what opportunities i foresee in the future and what i’m doing about them and how much i have expanded currently. There is a whole lot of things which you will understand once we exchange notes at ground zero. On Sunday night, hike a train back to Delhi.

Hope you get my drift. Let me know. Cheers, naf :slight_smile:

Thanks a ton, Naf for the invite.

Will definitely come to visit you soon. Let me plan something for Dec end or Jan… depends on weather… Really appreciate it!!

Will PM you for more details and specific info before I plan…

Meanwhile, can anyone give any leads for acquiring cheap land nearby this place… target areas - Haryana, Punjab, UP or Rajasthan… small piece of land should do for me… 2 Acres max… Also, any suggestion on managing passively when i have no one else to take care in my absence during weekdays? How do u guys manage passively without any support from any relatives?

Check statewise laws on your eligibility to own a agriland.

[quote=consulting2farming]… target areas - Haryana, Punjab, UP or Rajasthan… small piece of land should do for me… 2 Acres max…[/quote]Around my place there is quite a bit available which i can show u, i don’t know about the rest.

[quote=consulting2farming]How do u guys manage passively without any support from any relatives?[/quote]That’s a good one, will let you know when you’re here coz it’s a little typical tale to describe in written words :wink:

[quote=NewAgeFarmer]
Around my place there is quite a bit available which i can show u,[/quote]

How is the land? and more importantly what is the rate? Lucknow is not more than 6-7 hrs drive from Delhi and it is suitable for me… so I would consider that a target area… if u can give me a rate range, I can think over it.
Thanks

Hi Naf… could you please share the details…

Any other details or leads from anyone else will be much appreciated… Thanks for your help!!!

I am sure if you write your experiences in a blog, will reach to many farmers and you don’t have to remember everything in future for recollection.

Hi there,
There are opportunities around this place but it’s very subjective. For me, it may seem like an opportunity where as for someone else, it would be an utter waste of time. All depends, on how much time can you give, how much money you can spare for buying and developing, how you adapt to this field in terms of lifestyle and farming for earning a living. And these are just a very few.

A mere two acre is not worth it if you’re doing 6-7 hrs drive from Delhi. A mere 2 acre is also not worth it if you give up Delhi for here. But if we talk about 10 acres, then either way is fine. Buying and developing 10 acres is again something to ponder financially. A 10 acre in a popular landscape could be worth a fortune but again, a 10 acre in a densely populated agricultural landscape, where the nearest motorable road is min 1 km away, could just be the answer, provided one is willing to make some Lifestyle Changes. In such a situation, on a 5 year time scale, farming for earning a living could be addressed with more confidence. Make no mistake my friend, there are a lot of uncertainties even on this route. (Ask me how and i’ll easily write 20 pages on the subject.) In that case then, Adaptability is a time trusted friend of the farmer.

So this is just a jist of things. There are very many specifics also to consider. But i hope this will get you on the right thought process if you plan to plan a future in Agriculture; the first occupation of Humans, the largest employer of our economy (i guess second only to Railways?), the most under nourished sector and thus with Hugh potential for the Modern Farmer.

Cheers, naf :slight_smile: