Koderma: Farmers in Jharkhand's Koderma district are now rapidly embracing new and modern farming methods alongside their traditional practices. There was a time when most farmers here stuck only to paddy, wheat and seasonal vegetables, but today many are turning towards crops that bring in higher profits. A shining example of this shift is Suman Mehta, a farmer from Domchanch block, who carved out a distinct identity by becoming the first in his village to take up gerbera flower cultivation on a commercial scale. By leaning on modern technology and government schemes, he now earns around Rs 30,000 every month.
Suman Mehta says it was the district horticulture department that motivated him to take up gerbera cultivation. The department's horticulture friend explained the benefits of this farming and the possibilities it held, after which he made up his mind to move ahead in this direction. Before starting out, he underwent a special six-day training programme in Ranchi, where he was given detailed guidance on flower cultivation, plant care, ways to boost production and the use of modern techniques.
After completing the training, he developed his field in a modern way. A green net house was set up over an area of roughly 10,000 square feet, in which gerbera plants were planted using drip irrigation and mulching techniques. With this method, the plants receive water as per their requirement, and the problem of weeds growing in the field is also greatly reduced.
According to Suman Mehta, the biggest advantage of farming inside a green net house is that the plants remain largely protected from harsh sunlight, heavy rain and pest attacks. Thanks to the controlled environment, the quality of the flowers improves and the output too stays consistent.
At present, his garden is producing around 1,500 gerbera flowers every week. Local gardeners and flower sellers come straight to the field to buy these flowers. In the market, a single gerbera flower fetches between Rs 5 and Rs 6, giving him a steady income. He said the demand for gerbera flowers is highest for bouquets, weddings, ceremonies and decoration work.
Suman Mehta said the biggest benefit of this entire project was that the gerbera plants and the complete green net house setup were provided to him free of cost under a government scheme of the horticulture department. As a result, he did not have to make any major investment at the start, and now a large share of his earnings comes directly to him as profit.
His garden is in full bloom with gerbera flowers in several attractive shades, including red, yellow, pink, white and orange, which catch people's eyes from a distance. Suman Mehta's success has now become a source of inspiration for other farmers in the region, and many of them are beginning to show interest in modern flower cultivation.
