While such tech-based farming is prevalent in states like Gujarat and Maharashtra, it has not taken root in Jharkhand yet. That didn’t stop Ghosh from experimenting. Armed with a diploma in business management from the Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow, he came across the concept at HARP, a subsidiary of the Indian Council of Agriculture Research, which is engaged in taking the technology from laboratory to farms.
So in June last year, Ghosh set up Maati Agrotech Private Ltd, with Ayush Khemka, a graduate from Delhi University, as its managing director. Khemka leased out two acres of his fa ther’s barren land, where Ghosh has set up three greenhouses to grow green, yellow and red capsicum, even exotic vegetables like broccoli, French beans and cherry tomatoes.
Nearly 22,000 capsicum plants were raised in the greenhouses, each spread over 3,000 sq m and 6.5-metre high. Now, he is ready to replace them and add two more greenhouses to raise 70,000 plants in summer, which is likely to shoot up the production from 250 kg to 800 kg per day.
Each greenhouse is especially designed to maintain an optimum temperature, wind velocity and humidity for the plants.
“To keep the plants free from infection, we are planning to use fans,” says Ghosh.
Grown in rows of specially prepared ridges, each plant is supported by a plastic rope tied with its steel roof and provided water through drips. “The drips are also used to provide necessary nutrients,” says Khemka.
“I have worked for top advertising companies, but I could never expect to double the return in two years,” says Ghosh. The companywhich employs eight workers and two technicians-invested Rs 60 lakh last year and has already sold capsicum worth Rs 23 lakh and French beans worth Rs 6 lakh. “With more retail shops like Reliance Fresh and Spencer being opened in this state, there is no dearth of demand and quality price marketing of vegetables,” says Ghosh.
Given the success of the project , it’s no surprise that an identical greenhouse is being set up by Anjani Singh near Ranchi in a 5,000 sq m area. “Our project will be commissioned next month and will produce capsicum, broccoli, baby tomatoes and beans,” says Singh.
The state government too has woken up to the potential of greenhouse farming with the Rural Development Department showing a willingness to promote it. “We have asked Ghosh to organise a workshop for farmers. If people show an interest, we can back him with inputs,” says Santosh Satapathy, Secretary, Rural Development Department, who visited Ghosh’s farm recently.
Ranchi, with its salubrious climate, is ideal for growing vegetables and flowers, even fruits like papaya, litchi and mango, says Dr Shivendra Kumar, Principal Scientist, HARP. All it now needs is greenhouses
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