For Arjun Sabale, a farmer in Maharashtra, the secret to increasing his agricultural income was not merely to cultivate more crops, but to maximize the potential of his limited land. Currently, he generates approximately Rs 12,000 to Rs 13,000 daily from cultivating roses and gerberas on just one acre of land.
Sabale hails from a lineage that has primarily focused on growing marigolds and chrysanthemums. For many years, his family sold their flowers in Mumbai. However, as market prices plummeted and competition intensified, traditional flower farming became increasingly unviable.
This challenging situation prompted Sabale to seek alternative methods. According to the 30Stades website, during his pursuit of a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture, he investigated protected farming techniques. His exploration led him to polyhouse farming, where he became intrigued by the concept of growing flowers in controlled environments.
In 2016, he began his journey with rose cultivation on a 10 guntha plot, roughly equivalent to a quarter of an acre (10,000 square feet), and gradually expanded his operations. He sourced his planting materials from a supplier in Bengaluru at a cost of Rs 12 per stem, initially investing around Rs 8,000.
The positive initial outcomes boosted his confidence. Approximately six months post-planting, his small plot yielded nearly 500 roses daily, which he sold locally for Rs 5 each, generating about Rs 2,500 each day.
Motivated by this success, Sabale decided to broaden his cultivation and introduced gerberas to his farm. Presently, he has one acre dedicated to both roses and gerberas, featuring around 16,000 plants of each variety.
Sabale cultivates the Top Secret variety, also known as Taj Mahal, a Dutch hybrid tea rose. Collectively, his two crops yield around 1,000 roses and 2,000 gerbera stems each day. With current market prices at Rs 5 per rose and Rs 4 per gerbera, his daily earnings from these crops amount to approximately Rs 5,000 and Rs 8,000, respectively.
In total, Sabale earns around Rs 12,000 to Rs 13,000 daily, leading to a monthly turnover exceeding Rs 3.5 lakh, with a net profit nearing Rs 2.5 lakh.
His flowers are cultivated within a naturally ventilated polyhouse, which utilizes roof vents and side curtains for air circulation rather than mechanical cooling systems. The initial investment for his 10,000-square-foot polyhouse was about Rs 3 lakh in 2015-2016.
This investment is amortized over several years, as the plants remain productive for five to seven years. He employs drip irrigation and micro-sprinklers for watering and administers weekly pest management treatments.
Rather than relying on a single market, Sabale distributes his flowers directly to retail stalls and wholesale markets. Additionally, gerberas are shipped to various cities, including Bengaluru, Vadodara, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, and Mumbai, based on demand.
