Rose cultivation is regarded as a low-risk crop that brings in good earnings. It can be grown in ordinary open fields as well as inside a polyhouse. It is a seasonal crop, and its biggest advantage is that once the plants are put in, roses can be harvested continuously for four years. Moolchand Thakur, a resident of Jagdalpur in Chhattisgarh's Bastar district, tried his hand at this very crop after retiring from the army and went on to earn a handsome profit.
Chhattisgarh Government's Subsidy on Rose Farming
After retiring from the army, Moolchand Thakur of Jagdalpur chose hi-tech rose farming instead of looking for another job, and today he is completely successful at it. He believes that other farmers too can adopt his method and earn well from it. Notably, the government provides up to 50 percent subsidy on building a polyhouse for rose cultivation.
To understand exactly how rose farming is done, the Local 18 team spoke with farmer Moolchand Thakur. He explained that the rose is a seasonal crop and gives good profit during the season. At present, he is growing roses inside a polyhouse.
Production Begins Just 45 Days Later
Moolchand Thakur said he is cultivating roses on one acre, and field land is not required for it. First the soil is ploughed once, then it is tilled, and after that a rotavator is run over it. A distance of one foot is kept between one bed and the next, and each bed is three feet wide. A gap of one foot is also maintained between one plant and another. The plants are set on both edges of the bed, with drip irrigation arranged in the middle. Production starts roughly 45 days after planting and continues for four years.
Regular Spraying Needed to Guard Against Pests
Fertilisers such as 19:19:19, 05:23:34 and 00:34:12:61 are used in this farming. During the summer months, special care has to be taken against crop diseases. In this period pests like thrips and mites attack the crop, and spraying chemicals becomes essential to control them. The heat also increases caterpillar infestations, which is why spraying has to be done at regular intervals.
About 22 thousand plants are put in per acre, at a cost of roughly four lakh rupees. On top of this, around 60 thousand rupees is spent every month on fertiliser, labour and other expenses. The season brings in good income, while even on ordinary days a saving of about 40 thousand rupees is left after meeting all costs. Taking the average over the full year, and if a good market price is obtained, an annual profit of 6 to 10 lakh rupees can be earned.
