How the Scattering Fragrance of Flowers Has Established a New Potential Floriculture Hub in Punjab
Investment in floriculture is one of the flourishing career choices in which farmers are taking great interest. There are many successful established floriculturist, who are scattering the sweet fragrance of gladiolus, roses, marigold and many other flowers and are creating a new potential floriculture hub in Punjab. One of the floriculturists, who is reaping great profit out of flower and vegetable business is Mani Kaler.
Like other landlords, Kaler family also use to give their land to other framers on lease, and on a small landholding, they use to grow wheat and paddy for home purpose. But when Mani Kaler completed his education (Bachelor of Arts) he decided of stepping in the business of horticulture. Mani took back half of the land (20 acres) that was given on rent and started farming on it.
After some time, with the help of one of his relative, Mani came to know about the RTS Flower business, which is successfully run by Gurwinder Singh Sohi. So, after getting inspired by the owner of RTS Flower, Mani finally started his flower venture and started growing five to six types of flowers like petunia, barbina, and mistasium etc.
In the beginning, he also gave a try to contract farming but after facing a bitter experience with the contracted company, he decided to apart his way with them.
In the second year of flower farming, he bought seeds worth rupees 1 lakh from Gurwinder Singh Sohi. He started gladiolus farming from 2 canals and today it’s been 2 years and he has expanded the farm in 5 acres.
Currently, he is farming on 20 acres of land, out which they are using 4 acres for low tunnel farming of vegetables, where they grow bitter gourd, pumpkin, eggplant, cucumber, muskmelon, garlic (1/2 acre), and onion (1/2 acre). For the home purpose, they grow paddy and wheat. From some time they have also started preparing onion seeds.
His hard work and diversified farming technique has resulted in increased income. Till now he has taken no subsidy from the government. He manages the whole marketing on his own and sells the flowers in the market of Delhi and Kurukshetra. Although, he makes good profit from vegetable and flower farming business, still he faces some problems in flower cultivation, but he never loses his hope and always continues his work with strong determination.
Mani’s family always supports him and never stops him from whatever he wants to do in the agriculture field. Presently, he is living with his father – Madan Singh and elder brother – Raju Kaler in his village Rai Dhariana of Sangrur district. For milk purpose, he rears 7 cattle out of which 2 are Murrah buffaloes. He never compromises with the care and feed of the cattle. He himself prepares the fodder with organically grown paddy, wheat, and fodder crops. In the free time, he also processes sugarcane juice into jaggery and sells it to the villagers.
Future plans:
In the future, he is planning to expand his flower farming business.
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Nowadays, farmers are stuck in the conventional cycle of paddy and wheat. They should start thinking and doing out if this cycle if they want to earn well.
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