Plunge to Ploughing

Farm Advice
#1

Hi All,
    I have been reading all the posts of new people starting up the venture and kind of suggestions received from the forum people is really encouraging, with the same note even i am very keen and interested to start-up in farming.
      I have got land of 5 acres but its not altogether. One is 3.5 acres and other is 1.5 acres with a distance separated by 1 km from both the places.Rainfall cannot be expected  in that location,but to carry other short term crop got bore dug. Soil test is also done.
Most of the people here have got pomegranate which is like less investment and high yield
      I am very much interested to grow vegetables and try with some new crop also. Kindly need suggestions for the same.

Thanks & Regards,
Chaitra
 

#2

Below are few pointers for your plan.
1.Vegetable farming is labour dependent job( we are not talking neither of home garden nor green hosue here, open feild of 3.5 acre).
2.You need to have perfect timing for sowing and harvesting otherwise it may be loss becaue vegetable rates are highly fluctuating. Eg. My friend sows carrots around Nov or Dec. He will ensure the harvesting will be done in wedding season. i.e. is the time market will have scarcity. He earns almost 2lac/acre in one season. but this is not every year. The scenarios change time to time.
3. Your presence is nedeed almost every day.
4. Climate playes a vital role too, eg. this year we had too much rain, I am from a place where potato is grown by almost every farmer in this season. 50% of crops are affected by blights, root rot. the potatoes look different in color, skins get peeled off due to wetness. Hardly any farmer made a profit. 150/- to 1000/ quintal based on size and color.

1.In pomogranate you can handle activities from remote place.
2.Less labour dependent.
3.Rates are not too fluctuating.
4.Harvesting can be contracted.
5.Once the plants are up de-weeding,pruning, spraying pesticides are the activities for which you have to depend on labour.

#3

Interesting quote dear sri2012, does pomegranate grows in all kinds of weather/place/soil?

#4

Pomogranate needs:
Semiarid climate where cool winter and hot dry summer.
The optimum temperature for fruit development is 38degree C.
The tree can not produce sweet fruits unless the temperature is high for a sufficient long period.

This can be grown where other fruits failed.
This needs very good drained soil.

Current day gossip is farmers feed more pesticide to pomogramate than water, because they are very sensitive to bacterial blight(fungii based desease)

#5

Thank you for replying sri. I am absorbing the pointers you have mentioned.

As even I find the scarcity of vegetables in our home itself, I wanted to try with vegetables in 1 acre of 3.5 acre available land and do crop rotation, and In another 2 -2.5 acres grow flowers which could be suitable to this climate, but wanted to know what are things that can be grown in this location and soil type, sri.

In 1.5 acre we have coconut trees planted.Can we grow alternate crop in between the spaces as the bore dug has pretty good water to be used.

#6

Madam Chitra,
Vegetable Farming is not Possible for the absentia Farmers.I think that you may away from your Farm Land.
Vegetable Farming is for the Farmers who are residing there.Most of the Farmers in the Villges having infrastructure like Borewell and fencing are earning 5 to 7 Laklhs/Acre P.A. For Vegetable Farming Labour Component and Regular vigil should be there.The Village Farmers are not depending on the Labour.All the Family Members are being involved in the Farming Operation.But as far our case is Concerned, it is not Possible. For every thing we have to depend on Farm Labour.

Absent farmers like us Fruit Gardens are suitable.Less labour component and GOOD earning .Its Market is not fluctuating as to that of Vegetable. As for as yours is concerned we are suggesting Fruit Gardens like Banana/Mango / Palm-granite / Appaleber / Fashion Fruit etc.
While going for Gardens you can go for Mixed Cropping like Banana with Mango etc. All the Best for your Venture.