7.
1
Introduction: India is mainly an agricultural country. Agriculture is the most important occupation
for most of the Indian families. In India, agriculture contributes about sixteen percent (16%) of
total GDP and ten percent (10%) of total exports.
Over 60 % of India’s land area is arable making it the second largest country in terms of total
arable land. Agricultural products of significant economic value includes rice, wheat, potato,
tomato, onion, mangoes, sugar-cane, beans, cotton, etc.
Economic Growth: Agriculture is the backbone of Indian economy. Though, with the growth of
other sectors, the overall share of agriculture on GDP of the country has decreased. Still,
Agriculture continues to play a dominant part in the overall economic scenario of India.
Source of Food for domestic consumption: Food is essential for life. We depend on agricultural
outputs for our food requirements. India produces large quantity of food grains such as millets,
cereals, pulses, etc. A major portion of the food-stuffs produced is consumed within the country.
Our farmers works day and night to feed our population that counts over 1.21 billion.
Besides agriculture with a commercial bias, subsistence agriculture with its emphasis on the
production of food for the cultivator’s family is widespread. Traditionally, Agriculture is followed
as the simplest method of obtaining food for the family. Agriculture in India is more a ‘way of life’
then a ‘mode of business’.
Export: India exports excess food and agricultural products. A large proportion of India’s export
trade is based on the agricultural products, such as jute, tea, tobacco, coffee, spices, and sugar.
It helps in increasing the foreign exchange. India is ranked seventh in terms of agricultural
exports. In 2013, India exported agricultural products valuing around 39 billion dollars.
Basic occupation of millions: Agriculture is the basic occupation for majority of main-workers in
India. A large number of rural women are also engaged in agriculture. According to 2001
census, over 56.6% of the main workers in India are engaged in agricultural and allied
activities.
Agro-based industries: A number of industries are agro-based industries, such as jute, cotton,
sugar, tobacco, etc. Raw materials for such industries are supplied from agricultural produce.
Green revolution: Green revolution began in India with an objective to give greater emphasis on
Agriculture. The era of Green revolution that began in 1960s witnessed significant increase in
the production of food crops. The introduction of improved methods of agriculture and high
yielding varieties (HYV) seeds, mainly wheat, had resulted into remarkable improvement in
agricultural outputs. The productivity of land increased tremendously giving huge economic
boost to the nation.
During Independence there was extremely low productivity per hectare and per worker.
However, the previous trend of stagnant agriculture was completely changed due to the
introduction of economic planning since 1950-51, and with special emphasis on agricultural
development, particularly after 1962.
(i) A steady increase in the area under cultivation is noticed.
(ii) A substantial growth in the food crops is marked.
(iii) During the plan period there had been a constant increase in the yield per hectare.
Importance of Agriculture in Indian Economy:
Though industry has been playing an important role in Indian economy, still the contribution of
agriculture in the development of Indian economy cannot be denied.
This can be measured and gauged by the following facts and figures:
1. Agricultural influence on national income:
The contribution of agriculture during the first two decades towards the gross domestic product
ranged between 48 and 60%. In the year 2001-2002, this contribution declined to only about
26%.
2. Agriculture plays vital role in generating employment:
In India at least two-thirds of the working population earn their living through agricultural works.
In India other sectors have failed generate much of employment opportunity the growing
working populations.
3. Agriculture makes provision for food for the ever increasing population:
Due to the excessive pressure of population labour surplus economies like India and rapid
increase in the demand for food, food production increases at a fast rate. The existing levels of
food consumption in these countries are very low and with a little increase in the capita income,
the demand for food rise steeply (in other words it can be stated that the income elasticity of
demand for food is very high in developing countries).
Therefore, unless agriculture is able to continuously increase it marketed surplus of food grains,
a crisis is like to emerge. Many developing countries are passing through this phase and in a bid
to ma the increasing food requirements agriculture has been developed.
4. Contribution to capital formation:
There is general agreement on the necessity capital formation. Since agriculture happens be
the largest industry in developing country like India, it can and must play an important role in
pushing up the rate of capital formation. If it fails to do so, the whole process economic
development will suffer a setback.
To extract surplus from agriculture the following policies are taken:
(i) Transfer of labour and capital from farm non-farm activities.
(ii) Taxation of agriculture should be in such a way that the burden on agriculture is greater than
the government services provided to agriculture. Therefore, generation of surplus from
agriculture will ultimately depend on increasing the agricultural productivity considerably.
5. Supply of raw material to agro-based industries:
Agriculture supplies raw materials to various agro-based industries like sugar, jute, cotton textile
and vanaspati industries. Food processing industries are similarly dependent on agriculture.
Therefore the development of these industries entirely is dependent on agriculture.
6. Market for industrial products:
Increase in rural purchasing power is very necessary for industrial development as two- thirds of
Indian population live in villages. After green revolution the purchasing power of the large
farmers increased due to their enhanced income and negligible tax burden.
7. Influence on internal and external trade and commerce:
Indian agriculture plays a vital role in internal and external trade of the country. Internal trade in
food-grains and other agricultural products helps in the expansion of service sector.
8. Contribution in government budget:
Right from the First Five Year Plan agriculture is considered as the prime revenue collecting
sector for the both central and state budgets. However, the governments earn huge revenue
from agriculture and its allied activities like cattle rearing, animal husbandry, poultry farming,
fishing etc. Indian railway along with the state transport system also earn a handsome revenue
as freight charges for agricultural products, both-semi finished and finished ones.
9. Need of labour force:
A large number of skilled and unskilled labourers are required for the construction works and in
other fields. This labour is supplied by Indian agriculture.
10. Greater competitive advantages:
Indian agriculture has a cost advantage in several agricultural commodities in the export sector
because of low labour costs and self- sufficiency in input supply.
Agriculture has got a prime role in Indian economy. Though the share of agriculture in national
income has come down, still it has a substantial share in GDP. The contributory share of
agriculture in Gross Domestic Product was 55.4 percent in 1950-51, 52 percent in 1960-61 and
is reduced to 18.5 percent only at present. The share of the agricultural sector’s capital
formation in GDP has declined from 2.2 percent in the late-1999s to 1.9 per cent in 2005-06.
ii. Important Contribution to Employment:
Agriculture sector, at present, provides livelihood to 65 to 70 per cent of the total population. The
sector provides employment to 58.4 per cent of country’s workforce and is the single largest
private sector occupation.
iii. Important Source of Industrial Development:
Various important industries in India find their raw material from agriculture sector -cotton and
jute textile industries, sugar, vanaspati, etc. are directly dependent on agriculture. Handlooms,
spinning oil milling, rice thrashing, etc. are various small scale and cottage industries, which are
dependent on agriculture sector for their raw material. This highlights the importance of
agriculture in industrial development of the nation.
iv. Importance in International Trade:
India’s foreign trade is deeply associated with agriculture sector. Agriculture accounts for about
14.7 per cent of the total export earnings. Besides, goods made with the raw material of
agriculture sector also contribute about 20 per cent in Indian exports. In other words, agriculture
and its related goods contribute about 38 per cent in total exports of country.
In short, agriculture occupies a central place in the Indian economy. Its performance sets the
pace of growth in the economy as a whole. It should, however, be noted that Indian agriculture
is still in the state of backwardness, the per capita productivity in agriculture is less than in
industry.
7.2
The Green Revolution in India was a period when agriculture in India increased its yields due to
improved agronomic technology. Green Revolution allowed developing countries, like India, to
overcome poor agricultural productivity. It started in India in the early 1960s and led to an
increase in food grain production, especially in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh during the
early phase. The main development was higher-yielding varieties of wheat, which were
developed by many scientists, including American agronomist Dr. Norman Borlaug, Indian
geneticist M. S. Swaminathan, and others. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research also
claims credit for enabling the Green Revolution,[1] in part by developing rust resistant strains of
wheat.[2]
The introduction of high-yielding varieties of seeds and the increased use of chemical fertilizers
and irrigation led to the increase in production needed to make the country self-sufficient in food
grains, thus improving agriculture in India.[3] The methods adopted included the use of
high-yielding varieties (HYVs) of seeds[4] with modern farming methods.
The production of wheat has produced the best results in fueling self-sufficiency of India. Along
with high-yielding seeds and irrigation facilities, the enthusiasm of farmers mobilised the idea of
agricultural revolution. Due to the rise in use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers there were
negative effects on the soil and the land such as land degradation.
irrigation infrastructure
Use of insecticides like herbicide
Use of pesticides
Consolidation of holdings
Land reforms
Improved rural infrastructure
Supply of agricultural credit
Use of chemical or synthetic fertilizers
Use of sprinklers or drip irrigational systems
Use of advanced machinery
Use of vector quantity
Problems addressed:
1. Low irrigation
The well irrigated and permanently irrigated area was only 17% in 1951.[citation needed]
The majority of the area was dependent on rainfall and, consequently, agriculture
suffered from low level of production.[citation needed]
The Green Revolution was possible due to adequate water supply through irrigation. The
government undertook a number of minor, major and multipurpose irrigation projects to
supply sufficient water to cultivable lands so that the dependence of farmers on rainfall
reduced to great extents. The government also made provisions for digging canals, hand
pumps, etc., for adequate and increased water supply
2. Frequent famines
Famines in India were very frequent during the period 1940s to 1970s. Due to faulty
distribution of food, and because farmers did not receive the true value for their labour,
the majority of the population did not get enough food.[6] Malnutrition and starvation was
a huge problem.
3. Lack of finance
Small and marginal farmers found it very difficult to get finance and credit at economical
rate from the government and banks, hence, fell as easy prey to the money lenders.
They took loans from zamindars, who charged high rates of interests and also exploited
the farmers later on to work in their fields to repay the loans (farm labourers).
4. Lack of self-sufficiency
Due to traditional agricultural practices, low productivity, and a growing population, often
food grains were imported — draining scarce foreign reserves. It was thought that with
the increased production due to the Green Revolution, the government could maintain
buffer stock and India can achieve self-sufficiency and self-reliability.[citation needed]
Agriculture was basically for subsistence and, therefore, less agricultural product was
offered for sale in the market. Hence, the need was felt to encourage the farmers to
increase their production and offer a greater portion of their products for sale in the
market. The new methods in agriculture increased the yield of rice and wheat, which
reduced India's dependence on food imports.
49% of people in India are employed in agriculture
7.3
Operation Flood, launched in 1970, was a project of India's National Dairy Development Board
(NDDB), which was the world's biggest dairy development program.[1] It transformed India from
a milk-deficient nation into the world's largest milk producer, surpassing the USA in 1998,[2] with
about 17 percent of global output in 2010–11. In 30 years it doubled milk available per
person,[3] and made dairy farming India’s largest self-sustainable rural employment
generator.[4] It was launched to help farmers direct their own development, placing control of
the resources they create in their own hands. All this was achieved not merely by mass
production, but by production by the masses.
Operation Flood is the program behind "the white revolution." It created a national milk grid
linking producers throughout India with consumers in over 700 towns and cities, reducing
seasonal and regional price variations while ensuring that the producer gets a major share of
the price consumers pay, by cutting out middlemen. The bedrock of Operation Flood has been
village milk producers' co-operatives, which procure milk and provide inputs and services,
making modern management and technology available to members. Operation Flood's
objectives included:
Increase milk production ("a flood of milk")
Augment rural incomes
Fair prices for consumers
Operation Flood was implemented in three phases.
Phase I Edit
Phase I (1970–1980) was financed by the sale of skimmed milk powder and butter oil donated
by the European Union (then the European Economic Community) through the World Food
Program. NDDB planned the program and negotiated the details of EEC assistance. During this
phase, Operation Flood linked 18 of India's premier milksheds with consumers in India's major
metropolitan cities: Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai, establishing mother dairies in four
metros.[7] Operation Flood – I was originally meant to be completed in 1975, actually spanned
the period of about nine years from 1970–79, at a total cost of Rs.116 crores.[3]:44 At the start
of Operation Flood-I in 1970 certain aims were kept in view for the implementation of the
programs: Improving the organized dairy sector in the metropolitan cities Mumbai (then
Bombay), Kolkata (then Calcutta), Chennai (then Madras) and Delhi through marketing,
increasing producers' share of the milk market, and speeding up development of dairy animals
in rural areas to increase both production and procurement.
Phase II Edit
Operation Flood Phase II (1981–1985) increased the milk-sheds from 18 to 136; urban markets
expanded the outlets for milk to 290. By the end of 1985, a self-sustaining system of 43,000
village cooperatives with 4,250,000 milk producers were covered. Domestic milk powder
production increased from 22,000 tons in the pre-project year to 140,000 tons by 1989, all of the
increase coming from dairies set up under Operation Flood. In this way EEC gifts and the World
Bank loan helped promote self-reliance. Direct marketing of milk by producers' cooperatives
increased by several million liters a day.
Phase III Edit
Phase III (1985–1996) enabled dairy cooperatives to expand and strengthen the infrastructure
required to procure and market increasing volumes of milk. Veterinary first-aid health care
services, feed and artificial insemination services for cooperative members were extended,
along with intensified member education. Operation Flood's Phase III consolidated India's dairy
cooperative movement, adding 30,000 new dairy cooperatives to the 43,000 existing societies
organized during Phase II. Milk-sheds peaked at 173 in 1988-89 with the numbers of women
members and Women's Dairy Cooperative Societies increasing significantly. Phase III increased
emphasis on research and development in animal health and animal nutrition. Innovations like
vaccine for Theileriosis, bypassing protein feed and urea-molasses mineral blocks, all
contributed to the enhanced productivity of milk producing animals.
There were some distinctive features behind the success of 'Operation Flood':
Adopting new methods in the case of cattle in animal husbandry
Changing the composition of feed ingredients in different proportions
Fixing of different producer costs on a sliding scale
Criticism :Critics of the project argue that the emphasis on imported breeds of cattle has
resulted in the decimation of Indian breeds; while foreign breeds give higher yields, they require
more feed and are not suited to Indian conditions.
7.4
The term "blue revolution" refers to the remarkable emergence of aquaculture as an important
and highly productive agricultural activity. Aquaculture refers to all forms of active culturing of
aquatic animals and plants, occurring in marine, brackish, or fresh waters.
Aquaculture has long been practiced in China and other places in eastern Asia, where
freshwater fish have been grown as food in managed ponds for thousands of years. In recent
decades, however, the practice of aquaculture has spread around the world. Many species of
freshwater and marine organisms are being cultivated as highly productive and nutritious crops
for consumption by humans. The tremendous growth of aquaculture has been stimulated by
knowledge that there are intrinsic limitations to the productivity of the wild, unmanaged aquatic
ecosystems that humans have traditionally exploited as sources of fish, aquatic invertebrates,
and seaweeds. Moreover, in a depressingly large number of cases, the usable productivity of
natural aquatic ecosystems has been overexploited or otherwise degraded by humans, and the
harvested yields have declined substantially.
In many cases, however, the productivity of valuable aquatic species can be greatly increased
under managed conditions, and also by genetic selection for varieties having desirable traits,
such as higher productivity. The principal goal of aquaculture science is to develop systems by
which aquatic organisms can be grown and harvested at high but sustainable rates, while not
causing unacceptable environmental damage.
Seaweeds are also grown in large quantities for use as food and as feedstock for the production
of alginates and other industrial products. Most aquaculture production occurs in Asia, although
there is also a growing industry in North America.
7.5
Livestock sector includes animal husbandry, dairy and fisheries sector are considerable major
sectors. It plays an important role in the national economy and in the socio-economic
development of the country. It also plays important role in the rural economy as supplementing
family incomes and generating gainful employment in the rural sector, particularly among the
landless labourers, small and marginal farmers and women's.
Since India's independence, it has experienced considerable economic growth and structural
change; a trend accelerated by its structural reforms which began in 1991. These changes are
also reflected in trends in its livestock sector which has shown considerable growth in recent
decades especially since the late 1990s. There have also been major changes in the production
of the Indian livestock sector.
Population of Livestock and Its Importance
According to 17th censes of the livestock, their existing population is 485002. It is increasing
day by day due to its importance as an alternative source of income and food also. The
importance of livestock in India goes beyond the function of food production. It is an important
source of draught power, manure for crop production and fuel for domestic use. Thus, by
minimizing use of nonrenewable energy, livestock make a positive contribution to the economic
development. Livestock sector is an important source of income for the farmers and rural poor
peoples. The growth in the livestock subsector is expected to contribute to poverty alleviation,
as the livestock elements are largely concentrated among the marginal and small farmers in
rural areas. Near about 70% of livestock market in India is owned by 67% of small and marginal
farmers and by the land less. Livestock are an important source of income for the rural poor
also. This sector contributed important share in export of Indian international trade. Recently the
livestock subsector playing very important role in poverty alleviation in rural area. The livestock
sector contributed over 5.26 per cent to the total GDP during 2006-07. According to estimates of
the Central Statistical Organization (CSO), the value of output from livestock and fisheries
sectors together at current prices was about Rs.2,82,779 crore during 2007-08 which is about
31.6 per cent of the value of the output of Rs.8,94,420 crore from agriculture & allied Sector.
Production of Milk
India continues to be the largest producer of milk in the world and India produced 13.1 per cent
of the total milk produced in the world. Hence, India has attained the first rank in milk production
in the world. At present the first five countries in the world producing maximum milk are India,
USA, Russia, Germany and France. At the beginning production of milk was only 17 million
tonnes (MT) in 1950-51 in India. Now it is increased to 108.5 million tonnes in 2008-09. World
milk production is estimated at 693 million tonnes during 2007-08 and Indian milk production
stands at 104.8 million tonnes. Despite a higher growth rate, the per capita availability of milk in
India is 252 grams per day is lower than the world average 265 grams per day.
This has not only placed the country on top in the world, but also represents sustained growth in
the availability of milk and milk products for the growing population of the country. Concentrated
dairy products such as skimmed milk continues to be the largest item of export, which together
accounts for nearly 78% of net milk and milk product exports during 2007-08.
Poultry and Egg
Poultry is one of the fastest growing segments of the agricultural sector in India today. Their
growth rate has been rising at 8 to 10 percent per annum. As a result, India is now the world's
fifth largest egg producer and the eighteenth largest producer of broilers. Table eggs and broiler
meat are the major end products of the poultry sector in India. The organized sector of poultry
industry is contributing nearly 70% of the total output and the rest 30% in the unorganized
sector in India. The Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra producing nearly 70% of the
country's egg production. Presently production of eggs is estimated to number about 37 billion,
that of broilers 895 million, and that of poultry meat 735,000 tonnes. Egg production has
increased from 21 billion in 1990-91 to 51 billion numbers in 2006-07 and 53.5 billion numbers
in 2008. India ranks fifth in the world with annual egg production of 1.61 million tones. Poultry
exports are mostly to Maldives and Oman. Indian poultry meat products have good markets in
Japan, Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore.
Fish Production
India has a about 8041 km of coastline, and about 5.70 million ha of fresh water area suitable
for fisheries production. Fishing, aquaculture and allied activities are reported to have provided
livelihood to over 14 million persons in 2006-07. In 2001 overall fish production was 5666
thousand tonnes it gradually increasing continuously. At present, India's total fish production is
about 76.21 thousand tonnes.
This sector has great potential to export their fish and fish product also. Since 1991, overall
export of fish is raised at considerable rate. According to the data provided by ministry of
agriculture and commerce of India, there export of fish and fish product increased from last ten
years. In 1991 India has exported 140 thousand tonnes of fish and fish products but till it
reached to 541 thousands tonnes its money value is Rs. 7621 crore in 2008.
Meat and Meat Products
The meat products industry in India is largely in the un-organized sector. With rapid
urbanization, higher income levels and changes in lifestyle, market for scientifically produced
and hygienically packed meat and meat products are expanding rapidly. Today, the increasing
demand of the meat and meat products for in domestic and foreign market, particularly to the
Gulf and West Asia and neighboring countries. In 2003 India had a livestock population of 470
million that included 205 million cattle and 90 million buffaloes. Cattle, buffaloes, sheep and
goat, pigs and poultry are the types of animals, which are generally used for production of meat.
There is a huge scope for expanding exports, especially in buffalo and poultry meat, eggs and
dairy products. Slaughter rate for cattle as a whole is 20%, for buffaloes it is 41%, pigs 99%,
sheep 30% and 40% for goats. The country has 3,600 slaughterhouses, 9 modern abattoirs and
171 meat-processing units licensed under the meat products order. The production of meat has
increased 1.9 million tonnes to 23 million tonnes from 2001 to 2007.
In meat and meat processing sector, poultry meat is the fastest growing animal protein in India.
The estimated production of meat was 6.5 million tonnes during 2007-08. Per capita
consumption increased from 870 grams in 2000 and expected to reach 2 Kg during 2009.
According to APEDA, the export of buffalo meat was increased from 343817.08 tonnes (value
Rs 1536.77crore) in 2003-04, to 483478 tonnes (Rs.3549.70 crore) in 2007-08. The export of
sheep/goat meat is increased from 16820.53 tonnes (Rs 110.39 crore) in 2003-04 to 8908
tonnes (Rs.134.09 crore) in 2007-08. The processed meat export was 986.13 tonnes (Rs 7.63
crore) in 2003-04 and now it is 1245 tonnes (value Rs 12.96 crore). The export of poultry
products was 415228.17 tonnes (Rs 202.40 crore) in 2003-04 it is also increased near about
1355246 tonnes (Rs 401.08 crore) in 2007-08.
Benefits of Livestock Sector Developments in India
Animal Husbandry sector provides large self-employment opportunities. Presuming that one
family member is employed in looking after the livestock, 25 million people are estimated to be
employed with the livestock rearing activity. This sector is playing very important role in the rural
economy as support sector of the economy. Especially 70 million rural households primarily,
small and marginal farmers and landless labourers in the country are getting employment
opportunities in dairy. Dairying has become an important secondary source of income for
millions of rural families.
Poultry is also another way of getting food and food security in India. Apart from food security it
has provides employment to about 1.5 million people. Livestock Sector not only provides
essential protein and nutritious human diet through milk, eggs, meat etc but also plays an
important role in utilization of non-edible agricultural by-products. Livestock also provides raw
material/by products such as hides and skins, blood, bone, fat etc.
This provides subsidiary occupation to a large section of the society particularly to the people
living in the drought prone, hilly, tribal and other remote areas where crop production on its own
may not be capable of engaging them fully. In the adverse climatic conditions and national
calamities like drought, flood etc., animal husbandry practices shall be proved to be boon for
sustaining the livelihood of the landless and marginal farmers in the state.
Conclusion
Indian livestock industry makes up for a significant amount of world's livestock resources. Both
the national economy as well as the socio-economic growth of the country is backed by the
livestock sector. Besides, offering great potential and outstanding contribution in the agricultural
sector over the past years. The livestock sector is performing well in the manner of production,
value addition and export of dairy, fishery, wool, poultry and other products. Apart from its
performance there are some threats also exist we need to re-correct it and take the global
market opportunities.
7.7
What is Polyhouse?
Polyhouse farming is a new and widely accepted method of farming in present days. However,
there are many doubts asked by farmers regarding Polyhouse and its benefits. The Polyhouse
is a tunnel used with polyethylene in semicircular shape. Polyethylene sheets stabilize the
ultraviolet rays and helps in proper photosynthesis in crops. We can make it in other shapes
also but the semicircular shape is most commonly adopted shape in Polyhouse. Mostly it is
constructed in east to west direction to allow proper entry of sunlight. I have been introduced to
Polyhouse by my uncle who set a Polyhouse in his field and I was very confused about its
productivity. But my doubts got clarified when I saw the crops harvested from his Polyhouse. It
was large in amount and best in quality. The colour of the crops also was not faded and it was
very attractive.
Importance and advantages of Polyhouse farming
In Polyhouse farming, we can protect our crops from any adverse environment such as high
humidity or high temperature. There is a facility in Polyhouse to control temperature or humidity.
There will be an increase in the production of vegetables, fruits or flowers in Polyhouse farming
without losing their color and quality. Polyhouse can protect the crops by preventing the entry of
animals and birds into the farm. When we cultivate in normal farm, nearly 1/3rd of the crops may
be lost due to the attack of insects and worms, whereas in Polyhouse farming, we can harvest
the crops about 3 to 5 times more without much damage or loss. We can farm any crop in
Polyhouse regardless of season or place which grows like tulips, strawberries, alpines etc. One
of the main reasons for the decrease in agriculture in India now-a-days is non availability of
enough agricultural lands. But the invention of Polyhouse is a solution for lack of agricultural
lands. We can get more crops from less space in Polyhouse farming. The Polyhouse is made in
such a way that it can provide water and fertilizers in required amounts in a controlled manner
which can result in high yields.
Types of Polyhouse
Depending on the control system using Polyhouse can be with semi automatic control system or
with fully automatic control system. In semi automatic control system, manual adjustments are
needed to maintain the Polyhouse in good condition whereas in automatic system, pre-settings
are enough for the maintenance of Polyhouse. Proper alertness and technical skills should be
needed while managing semi automatic Polyhouse. Any deviation from this may result in
damage of crop and may lead to loss. In an automatic system of Polyhouse less attention is
enough for maintenance, but it is very costlier compared to semi automatic type.
Difference between Polyhouse and Greenhouse
Polyhouse is one of the types of Greenhouse in which polyethylene is used as main material for
construction. The durability of the polyhouse is more compared to other types of Greenhouse.
The Polyhouse is more advanced in view of the technology.
Cost to set a Polyhouse
To set a Polyhouse it costs around Rs.750 to Rs.1000 per square meter. The range of cost
depends on some factors like quality of the material, place, size, shape and structure. We can
use bamboo, metal pipes, wood etc., as supporting material. The steel and other metal pipes
have longer durability compared to other materials. Though it is costly to set and maintain a
Polyhouse, we can get the profit in large scale if we use it in a proper way. Government is
encouraging Polyhouse farming by giving 25 to 50% of subsidy to set up a Polyhouse.
Conclusion
Polyhouse farming is a modern method of farming in which we can expect more yields with high
nutritive values without much use of harmful insecticides and other chemicals. Some reputed
hotels and restaurants are using Polyhouses to get good quality of both seasonal and off
seasonal vegetables and fruits to maintain their reputation. We can expect large scale of profit in
short span of time from Polyhouse farming.