Shemeer's high-tech polyhouse farming is low-cost and emulative

The state's first step towards high-tech farming was through polyhouse cultivation, which gained popularity during 2011-14. However, many who started enthusiastically soon shut down their polyhouses.  There were several reasons.  In Shemeer's words, many who jumped into polyhouse farming weren't even farmers. It was a new venture, they thought they'd try it out, and since it was high-tech, the machines would take care of everything.  Things didn't go as planned; they couldn't control the humidity and temperature in the polyhouse, leading to crop losses.  The agricultural products from the polyhouse didn't receive special consideration in the market. In short, most gave up and abandoned their sheds.

During that time, S. Shemeer, a young man from Nedumangad, Thiruvananthapuram, opened a new polyhouse. Today, after deducting all expenses, Shemeer earns a profit of 3 lakh rupees annually from his 25-cent polyhouse. This young farmer doesn't expect huge profits from polyhouse farming; a stable income is his priority.  Along with that, he aims for gradual income growth by utilizing new varieties and market opportunities.

Farming alongside a job

Shemeer had an interest in farming even while studying in the technical field and working in that sector.  Once he started earning a small income from his backyard farming, he began to take agriculture seriously.  So, he and a friend rented a polyhouse on a trial basis. They experimented with salad cucumber, a favorite of everyone. This cultivation provided him with the knowledge to familiarize himself with and succeed in farming. Subsequently, with a 70% subsidy from the Horticulture Mission, he built a 25-cent polyhouse with drip irrigation, fertigation (water-soluble fertilizers), and fogger facilities.

Stability is key

Then and now, Shemeer's focus isn't on high-tech glamour. This farmer says that consistency in yield and marketing are crucial for farming success.  In the current situation, it's not possible to make the polyhouse a completely self-controlled system. He realized that making humidity, temperature, fertilization, and pest control high-tech requires more research and systems. Instead, his efforts focused on maximizing production by resisting adverse conditions as much as possible.  The first step was to identify crop varieties that are less affected by variations in heat and humidity. He avoided large companies' hybrid varieties commonly grown in polyhouses and instead chose the Kerala Agricultural University's hybrid salad cucumber variety, KPUCH-1. 

While it doesn't offer the yields promised by large companies' seeds, it has a reasonably good yield. Large companies' seeds cost Rs 8 each; this one costs only Rs 1!  Even getting 3.5 kg yield from one plant is profitable, and KPCH-1 yields even more. For beans, the imported variety 'Hari' seemed good. The Kerala Agricultural University's Prajani and Pragati bottle gourd varieties also yield well.  The only drawback is that bottle gourd requires artificial pollination, but Shemeer says the extra effort is worthwhile due to the higher price commanded by the superior quality and taste of these varieties.

Polyhouse cultivation has a specific schedule for fertilizer and pesticide application. However, this shouldn't be followed blindly. The farmer must readjust based on the chosen variety and climate change. For example, Shemeer uses only organic fertilizer as a base fertilizer in the prepared beds.  Since other nutrients are provided through foliar application, the soil's organic quality isn't lost. The planting mix doesn't need frequent changes either. After each harvest, tilling the bed and "topping up" with organic nutrients is sufficient.  Nutrient uptake through leaves is also better for plant growth.  He harvests three batches a year, with about half of each batch being salad cucumbers. With his years of experience, he's now working on building another polyhouse and increasing production.

Market expansion

When he first started the polyhouse, Shemeer sold his produce in the open market. Because they grow in controlled conditions without disease or pest attacks, polyhouse products have a better appearance and freshness. However, traders didn't offer a premium for this. Previously, consumers didn't consider this either. But Shemeer says the situation has changed.  There are 15-20% of consumers who look for quality. Selling directly to them fetches a higher price. Some traders are also interested in buying and selling products without chemical pesticides.  Shemeer says that while salad cucumbers sell for Rs 35-40 per kg in the general market, he gets Rs 50 wholesale and Rs 60 retail because of this change.  He gets Rs 80-100 per kg for beans and Rs 90 for bottle gourd.