Polyhouse farming information in India

Even though Polyhouse farming and Greenhouse farming terms are used interchangeably, there is a slight difference between these two terms.Greenhouse farming is a broad term which includes all types of Greenhouses made of Glasses,Polyethylene etc.Polyhouse farming is specific to the Greenhouses built using Polyethylene.Cost of Greenhouses ranges from Rs 80/Sq.ft to 500/Sq.ft out of which Polyhouses are cost effective.The cost will differ in polyhouse farming also based on the Quality of Polyethylene used.The Polyethylene sheet gauge varies from  200 to 800 micron.Ply film can tolerate an average temperature of55 ̊C and its average life span is 4 Years.

Construction of a Polyhouse

The Polyhouse structure is prepared with Iron pipes(GI) or Bamboos.For long life and strength,Iron pipes are recommended.But it is costly than Bamboos.The average length of a polyhouse is 30 feet(you can change the length and width based on your plan and availability of land) and 6 feet width.The direction of Polyhouse should be always east to west.This is to avail maximum sunshine.Polyhouse should be constructed in an area where maximum sunshine is available. 

Polyhouse Cucumber farming

Irrigation systems used inside polyhouses are

• Hand watering
• Tube method
• Sprinklers
• Drip Irrigation
• Mist system

These irrigation methods are used separately or in combined form based on the requirement inside the polyhouse.

Plants grown

Flowers:Mainly flowers like Gerbera, Anthurium, Marigold,Carnation,Rose etc are grown inside a Polyhouse farm.Read about Greenhouse flower farming and Greenhouse Gerbera farming for more details.

Vegetables:Tomato,Cucumber,cabbage,Asparagus,Broccoli,Capsicum etc are grown inside a Polyhouse farm.Read about Greenhouse tomato farming,Greenhouse cucumber farming etc fore more details.Greenhouse farming in terrace is also gaining popularity.

Polyhouse Rose farming

Polyhouse farming Advantages

Detailed advantages of Polyhouse farming is given in the post Greenhouse farming in India.Polyhouses mainly serves as a protection for plants and its surrounding environment.Hence maintain a favourable climate for plants.This will help us to increase the productivity 5 to 10 folds compared to open field farming.Quality of the products also will be superior.Optimum use of resources is possible inside a polyhouse. As the plants are grown throughout the year,farmer can expect high return compared to open field farming.

Main disadvantage of polyhouse farming is its high initial cost. The farmer/worker should be educated about latest technologies and greenhouse technology.Then only greenhouse farming will be successful.The cost of naturally ventilated polyhouse ranges from RS 800 to 1200 per square meter whereas Environment controlled fully automatic polyhouse cost range from RS 2000 to 3500 per square meter.The construction cost varies based on the quality of materials used.

There are lots of consultancies who provide services for setting up Polyhouses. Most of them are scams and they try to loot your money.Hence take care if you approach any consultancy.Approach Government agencies like Krishi Vigyan Kendra for free consultancy and training.

Polyhouse farming Subsidy

Both state governments and Central government are promoting Greenhouse/Polyhouse farming by providing various subsidies and schemes.Visit your nearest government agency like KVK,Krishibhavan,Bank etc for knowing more about government subsidies for polyhouse farming.

Polyhouse farming is the only solution for reducing the dependency of  our farmers on weather conditions.In India,Now weather conditions are not favourable for farming.This affected most of the farmers who depend rain for watering their plants. Polyhouse farming can be a life saver in such conditions.It reduces the loss of water and enables effective utilization of resources.This will help Indian farming sector and farmers in long term.

You are most welcome to post your views and opinions about Polyhouse farming. 

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Why some Greenhouse/Polyhouse farms not succeed in India-Know before Investing.

Greenhouse/poly house farming is Booming in Indian agriculture sector.Because of the high return possibilities and advantages of greenhouse farming, more and more farmers are implementing greenhouse farming without considering their capacity,knowledge,market requirement etc. Of course,Greenhouse farming technology is a modern method of farming which got lots of advantages and profitability.But it got limitations too.Many of the Greenhouse/Poly house companies/Consultants hide these limitations from farmers in order to promote their products.The ultimate sufferer is the one who invest his hard earned money by believing their words and get no returns.So here we are analysing what are the factors which we need to consider before investing in greenhouse farming and how they affect the success/failure of Greenhouse/Poly house farming.

False promises

In order to promote their products,most of the Greenhouse manufacturing companies and sales representatives provide wrong informations like high returns,quick profitability,wrong market demand etc. If they believe these things  blindly,then the result will be huge loss.So getting fair knowledge about Greenhouse farming is very much essential...

Corporate entrepreneurs

Majority of the people who are victims of these scams are young entrepreneurs from corporate world.They lack practical knowledge about farming and are easy targets.So think twice before investing and seek the help of experienced farmers whom you trust.

Words of Experienced farmers

As far as farming is concerned,Experience is the Key of success.Visiting a nearby Greenhouse farm and understanding how it works will give you lots of learning.Get advise from such farmers before Investing.This will help you to avoid lots of mistakes.

Cost you can afford

Understanding the Cost involved in Overall construction and maintenance of Greenhouse/Poly house farm is very much necessary.This will help you to arrange enough resources well in advance and avoid last minute suspense.You should invest only if you can afford it.Else you can opt for conventional farming methods.

Knowledge

As said earlier,Knowledge and Experience is the crucial factors in the success of a farm.Get maximum knowledge like constructing a Greenhouse/Poly house farm,running it,maintenance etc. You can approach nearby Greenhouse farm,various government agencies,agricultural universities etc. Avoid private consultants during the initial stages of your learnings.They may mislead you  

Accountability

Most of the young investors are employed people working in some companies.They only invest and appoint workers for running the farm.The accountability of these workers is a question.If the workers of the farm is not well qualified,the farm will result in loss.So it is very important that you manage the farm directly..

Market demand

Understanding the market demand is very critical in success of the Greenhouse/Poly house farm.Producing large quantity of quality products when market demand is high, will help the farmers to achieve maximum profitability.So understanding the pulse of the market and planning well in advance is very much important.

Farmers groups

Forming Farmers groups,Societies will help the farmers to share their investments and thus reduce the risk factors associated with Greenhouse farming.It will also help them to organise various activities,form ideas and better management of the farm.Farmers groups will have knowledge,Experience and Capacity to invest compared to Individual farmers.The chance of success is more for such Groups.

 These are some of the tips you can keep in mind and apply if you are interested in Greenhouse farming. Having adequate knowledge and experience will help you to manage your farm without any loss.Greenhouse/Poly house farming is profitable only if you are managing your resources based on the market demands.

Related Posts

• Greenhouse tomato farming
• Greenhouse Gerbera flower farming.

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Greenhouse Farming in Monsoon Season

 

  Monsoon seasonal farming contributes a large portion of vegetable production in India.As the availability of water is high,we can produce vegetables in almost all parts of our  farm land.But in this year,Monsoon is so strong that major portion of the production is lost due to heavy wind,flooding,diseases etc.So it is the time to think how we can save our farmland from Monsoon attack.The answer is by using Greenhouse Farming Technology.

The main advantages of Greenhouse farming during Monsoon Season are

• Protection from Heavy wind:As heavy damages are caused by Wind,protection against wind is very important.Greenhouse shelter can provide complete protection against wind.
• Protection from Diseases:As Monsoon atmosphere is suitable for multiplication of micro organisms,plants are vulnerable to many diseases.Greenhouse structure prevents these micro organisms from entering inside Greenhouses and keep the plants safe.
• Protection against Heavy rainfall
• Protection against Flooding :As we build Greenhouse shelters in a safe location,we can provide protection against Flooding.
• Protection from Pets:During Monsoon Season,Number of Pets increase exponentially.Greenhouse shelter prevent pets from entering inside and attack plants.
• Off-seasonal farming possible:There are number of plants which do not grow during monsoon season.Inside Greenhouses we can provide suitable atmosphere for them and thus off-seasonal farming is possible.

Besides these there are so many advantages like increased production,Good control over production,quality production etc.For more information about Greenhouse farming,please read below posts.

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• Greenhouse Farming-Future Technology in Indian Farming
• Scope of Greenhouse Flower farming in India

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Gerbera flower farming inside greenhouses in India

From previous posts,we know the advantages of farming flower plants inside Greenhouses.Now its time to go in detail about some economically important flowers and its cultivation inside Greenhouses.Gerbera is one of the economically important flower plant and the flowers are widely used in stage decoration field.So its demand is very high and it ensures maximum return from its flowers.

 Gerbera plant require a special type of climate like minimum wet and dry condition.Excess of dryness or wet condition will ruin the plant.This speciality makes it difficult to grow in outside natural condition in India,where either heavy rain or dry conditions occur.But Greenhouse shelter can provide solution for it,where we can control dry and wet conditions effectively.Drip irrigation system can help to control watering and fertilization effectively.

For Gerbera farming,we need to construct a Greenhouse shelter of suitable size(at least 10 cents).Then a mixture of sand,compost and soil should be arranged in raw to plant the Gerbera plants.High productive plants can be arranged from Bangalore or from Agricultural universities.Great care should be taken while growing plants.Regular fertilization and fungus controlling is essential.More details can be collected from nearby Gerbera farmer or from Government agencies such as Horticultural mission or Agricultural Universities.

 Gerbera flowers are widely used in lots of social occasions as decoration materials.Almost all Event management teams require Gerbera flowers.Now they are arranging flowers from Bangalore due to non-availability in local market.This leaves Greenhouse farmers a Golden chance.So its a good time to study about Gerbera plants and implement it in our greenhouse..

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• Greenhouse farming-Future technology of Indian farming
• Scope of Greenhouse flower farming in India

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Recent changes made by Greenhouse technology in Indian farming sector

Greenhouse farming  technology is the most  revolutionary technology  that changed the agricultural industry in India last ten years.It changed the way others see the farming sector.After the successful implementation of this technology,the profitability raised considerably and farming became one of the successful and attractive business sector.

The main speciality of greenhouse farming is that it provides maximum yields while utilizing minimum area.A farmer having three decent modern Greenhouse structures can make 4 to 8 Lakhs per annum based on his products and market.Since the products are exotic vegetables,flowers and fruits, price and market is not a big issue.

How Greenhouse Technology changes farming sector

As the profitability increased considerably by Greenhouse farming,youths attracted to farming.Before the introduction of Greenhouse technology,the profit from farming was poor and many young people not interested to get in to this field.But after the introduction of Greenhouses,more and more people attracted to farming.Now lots of professionals and executives are interested in farming and they are even ready to become full time farmers.This results in lots of investments in farming sectors from individuals,entrepreneurs and companies.

Changes in farming concept

Farming concept changed from large farm land to small greenhouse buildings.As farmers get more control over environmental factors in Greenhouses,They are able to concentrate more on other aspects of farming like sales and marketing.Jobs in farm field also converted to executive jobs in Greenhouses.

Application of Modern Technologies

Greenhouse shelters are suitable platforms for application of latest technologies and equipments.So after the introduction of Greenhouses,usage of such equipments became more easy and more and more researchers are being conducted in this field.

So in total,Greenhouses are the suitable environment where modern science and our farming practices can work together to produce high quality, environmental friendly products. 

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• Greenhouse farming-future technology in Indian farming
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• Greenhouse Tomato farming
• Greenhouse Cucumber farming
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Greenhouse farming on terrace-A side business opportunity for people live in city apartments

Organic farming from home is gaining more and more popularity.People wanted to enjoy Healthy,pesticide free vegetables grown by themselves.A  new agricultural revolution is taking place in Cities.People are more concerned about the impact of polluted,pesticide rich,unhealthy food to their body.They want to ensure that the crops and vegetables are organic and healthy.How can they ensure this.Either buy from a nearby organic farmer or farm themselves.Greenhouse farming on terrace provides this opportunity to both entrepreneur farmers and individuals who want to produce their healthy food themselves.  

Here we are discussing about

• Application/Opportunity areas of Greenhouse farming on Terrace.
• Constructing a small greenhouse.
• Implementing and Marketing.

My previous post about  Greenhouse farming Technology and its applications like Greenhouse Tomato farming,Greenhouse Cucumber farming gives some basic ideas regarding the technology which we are going to utilize here to form a successful business opportunity.Those who directly reached this post can have a brief look at those posts.

Application areas/opportunity

 In city areas,availability of fresh vegetables are very less,the vegetables we are getting will be more than three days old and may be poisoned by chemicals and pesticides.These vegetables are coming from long distant farms or may be from other states.We won't have any type of systems to check how they are treated and raised in farms.Increased use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers will affect the health of people who consumes the vegetables from such farms.So there is always a good market for locally produced Organic vegetables.The transportation charges also will be less.So the real market of our Greenhouse comes here in such cities were availability of fresh and locally produced vegetables are very less.

Greenhouse on Terrace

 For constructing greenhouses,we need some free space.In cities the availability of free land is very less and are very costly.So we need to think about alternative ideas.Here comes the idea of Greenhouse on Terrace.Yes,we can utilize the free space on our terrace to construct a successful Greenhouse.You need Poly Greenhouse sheet for roofing.The structures are built using GI pipes or Aluminium Pipes.You need a fabricator to make the Structure.Once the Structure is made,Cover the Whole structure with the Poly sheet.If you are using natural ventilation,provision for it should be given.You should keep the inside temperature cool.For home usage,Simple construction will do.If you are doing it as a business,you should get proper training from government agencies and seek the professional help. 

Implementation and Marketing

 All you need to do is to study about greenhouse technology properly and understand its applications in practical way.It is a new technology in India.Try to have some ideas on latest technologies like Soilless farming,Drip Irrigation systems,use of Fertilizers for better farming experiences.Then invest on Greenhouse to build a suitable one. Marketing won't be a problem if you are staying in City.If you can convince the people around you about the quality of your products,then the market will come to you.

Providing Quality and healthy food is not only a business,it is a service too.Apart from money,you will get the valuable satisfaction too.By trying Greenhouse farming on your terrace,you can ensure the food safety of your family and thus prevent various diseases like Cancer,ulcers etc.

If you liked this idea,give a like to our facebook page and share the article to your friends,let them also have a healthy life.Your comments and suggestions are valuable to us. 

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Greenhouse Cucumber farming

Cucumber belongs to same family of watermelon and Pumpkin.It is made up of 90% of water and rest of them are essential nutrients.It contains vitamin K,B,C, Copper, Potassium and Manganese. Consuming Cucumber on summer season will help you hydrated and meet your need of nutrients.Here we will analyse the following aspects of Greenhouse cucumber farming.

• Health Benefits of Cucumber
• Why to do Cucumber farming inside a Greenhouse or Polyhouse?

Health Benefits of Cucumber

As Cucumber contain 90% of water,the main usage of it is for Hydration.It is widely used as salads and is a very popular Indian dish.The health benefits are

• Antioxidant Property:Cucumber is rich with numerous antioxidants which are helpful to our body.These antioxidants will help us to prevent Cancer and Heart diseases.
• Reduce Stress:Cucumber contains Vitamin B which is capable of controlling stress hormones.Eating fresh cucumber during free times will keep you hydrated and less stressed.
• Brain Protection:Nutrients in Cucumber will help you to improve your memory and protect your nerve cells from ageing related issues.
• Release of Body heat:Eating Cucumber during free time will help you to release excess heat from your body.In Ayurveda,Cucumber is used mainly for this purpose.
• Eye Health:Placing slices of Cucumber on eye for two hours will help you to make your eye fresh and remove dark circles around your eye.
• Skin Care:Many skin care products are formulated with Cucumber.Putting two slices of cucumber in water while bathing will help you to nourish your skin. 

Why Cucumber farming inside a Greenhouse/Polyhouse?

Cucumber is a widely farmed vegetable in almost all part of the world.It is a vegetable which is consumed daily.So the requirements are so high the the bulk production of it is must.Here comes the benefits of Greenhouse farming.

• Temperature:Cucumber is a warm season crop.Cucumber grows best at a temperature between 20 and 25 C.Greenhouse helps you to control the temperature in this range and provides suitable environment for maximum production.It very useful in frost areas.
• Soil: Cucumber grows in various soils like Sandy loam soils to clay soils.The PH level should be between 6 and 7.The soil should have proper drainage.All these condition can be arranged inside a greenhouse/Polyhouse and monitored well.
• Pesticide free Products:Cucumbers are usually consumed without cooking.It should be free of chemicals else our health will be in danger.Inside greenhouse,pest attacks are Minimum or Zero.So there is no need of using dangerous pesticides.So the products are Pesticide free.
• Protection from Wind and Rain:Cucumber plants can be easily destroyed during Heavy wind and Rain.Greenhouse/Poly house will  provide necessary protection for Cucumber plants.
• Modern farming technologies like Soil less farming can be used along with Greenhouse farming to increase productivity.

These are some of the reasons why we go for Cucumber farming inside a Greenhouse.This will help us to get High yield,Quality products and reduce the risk of diseases and natural calamities.

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• Greenhouse farming-Future technology in Indian farming
• Greenhouse farming on Terrace
• Greenhouse Tomato farming

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Greenhouse Tomato farming

Greenhouse farming is highly suitable for producing vegetables especially high value Tomatoes,capsicum and Cucumbers.The selection of Vegetable is based on its market price,profitability,ease of farming,ease of harvesting etc.Considering these facts,Tomato farming inside Greenhouse will be a profitable idea.Tomato is one of the vegetable item preferred under greenhouse technology in almost all part of the world.As a starting greenhouse farmer,it is more easy to understand Greenhouse techniques by growing tomatoes in Greenhouse.As tomato is a highly consumed vegetable,it is having high demand on daily basis.  

If you are thinking of doing Greenhouse farming on Terrace,Tomato will be a suitable vegetable to begin.By producing your own vegetables,you and your family will get benefited with the healthy organic food.So try this today itself.

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• Greenhouse Cucumber farming
• Greenhouse farming-Future technology in Indian farming
• Recent changes made by Greenhouse technology in Indian farming sector

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Kerala Budget 2012-Government subsidy for setting up Greenhouses

 As per the budget announcement by Kerala financial minister Mr.Mani,an outlay of Rs 45 crore is allowed for setting up Greenhouses all over Kerala.It is a great efforts from Government of Kerala to promote fruit and vegetable production all over Kerala.The plan is to setup three Greenhouses in each Panchayat each costs 4.5 lakhs. 75 percent the cost is given as subsidy by government of Kerala and government of India.Subsidy given by central government of India is through national Horticulture Mission.So it is a good chance for individuals,farmer associations,co-operative societies to begin with Greenhouse technology.It is a good sign that the Government realized the importance of Greenhouse technology and taken initiative to promote it.Big thanks to respected ministers K P Mohanan and Mani for their commendable initiatives to promote the vegetable farming sector.


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• Greenhouse Cucumber farming
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Greenhouse Farming-Future Technology in Indian Agriculture

Greenhouse or Poly house farming is a modern farming technology which is the future hope for farmers in India.Over past 20 years,Many researches happened on how greenhouse technology can improve Vegetable,flowers and Crop production in India and now a dozen of companies are doing their businesses in Greenhouse cultivation field.Lots of young farmers realized the possibility of Greenhouse farming,learned how to do greenhouse farming and are willing to invest more in various fields of Greenhouse farming like Vegetable cultivation,fruit farming,flower farming etc. Yes,Greenhouse farming technology made farming a 'complete business opportunity'.Now lets have a detailed analysis of this technology.

Here we are analysing

• What is Greenhouse and Greenhouse farming.
• Advantages of Greenhouse farming.
• Disadvantages of Greenhouse farming.
• Scope of Greenhouse/Poly house farming in India.
• Subsidy by various governments for Greenhouse farming.
• Scams associated with Greenhouse farming.

With the help of Greenhouse technology,Kerala  Government was able to promote Vegetable farming to a large extend within the state.They almost doubled vegetable production this year(2015) compared to 2014.Farmers also earned very well and the People are getting benefited by enjoying pesticide free Organic Products.This is what expected from agricultural sector.The farming should be profitable,but at the same time the products should be harmless,High quality and pesticide free.People should be able to enjoy the benefits of new technologies,that is what exactly Greenhouse farming technology does.

What is Greenhouse farming?

Greenhouse Farming is Farming inside a shelter called Greenhouse.This Greenhouse shelter isolates environment inside the Greenhouse from external environment.It can be partial isolation also.The main objective is to provide a favourable environment to the plants and provide protection.Various issues like Pests,Animal attack,diseases,sunburn etc can be avoided by Greenhouse farming.A high- tech Greenhouse requires Lots of Money to construct,but we can also build our own cheap green house.Poly house Greenhouses are most common in India.In old days,the main use of greenhouses were to protect plants from extreme weather conditions.But now Greenhouses are incorporated with various technologies like automatic temperature controlling systems,drip irrigation systems etc to comprise a complete artificial farming environment.The main importance of this technology is that one can grow any plant at any time(Based on market requirement) at any place by providing suitable environmental conditions inside the green house.As the chance of attack of pests are zero inside the Greenhouse,the products are pesticide free.

What is a Greenhouse

Greenhouses are framed or inflated structures covered with transparent materials large enough to grow plants under partial or fully controlled environmental conditions to get optimum growth and productivity.

Advantages of Greenhouse Technology

• Protection from Heavy wind and Rain. Poly Greehouse protection is very helpful in High wind areas especially Hillside areas.
• High Quality agricultural products.The products are at it topmost quality as the atmosphere is highly favourable inside Greenhouse. 
• Production volume increases more than 20 times than normal production.
• Off-seasonal production possible.
• Disease and pests attacks minimum.As the Poly Greenhouse is fully covered and isolated from external environment,zero chances of pest attack.
• Production of Organic products free from Pesticides and Insecticides.
• Latest technologies can be incorporated to get maximum benefits.
• Plant growth rate and lifespan very high.
• Considering overall performance,it is very cost effective.
• Modern technologies like Hydroponic farming can be applied with this technology for better farming experience.
• Pesticide free Products

Disadvantages of Greenhouse technology

• Initial cost is very High
• Maintenance cost high
• Knowledge of various factors required to effectively control climate inside the Greenhouse.

Scope of Greenhouse farming is very huge.Various leafy greens,spinach and Micro greens which are used in Salads are cultivated inside Greenhouses.Greenhouse tomato farming and Greenhouse Cucumber farming are very popular and profitable.Pepper farming like Capsicum and Greenhouse Chilli farming are gaining more popularity and profit.Fruits like Grapes,strawberries,peaches are also farmed inside Greenhouses.Greenhouse flower farming also having large scope.Commercialized Greenhouse farming of Gerbera and Roses are proven to be successful in many parts of India.For consuming pesticide free Vegetables,Many people started to farm vegetables in their terrace,which is one of the greatest application of Greenhouse technology.

Various State Governments like Kerala,Tamilnadu ,Andra Pradesh are giving Subsidy to encourage Greenhouse farming.Apart from the State government subsidy,Central Government also providing Subsidy for Greenhouse farming.You can get in touch with your local Agricultural agencies for getting more details as the subsidy varies from state to state.Agencies like Krishi Vigyan Kendra,Krishibhavan,National horticulture board can give you more details and training.

Beware of the fake consultants and Agencies working in this field to loot money from farmers.They will collect your money by offering consultancy services and construction of Greenhouses.If you don't have enough knowledge in this field,you will end up will unnecessary expenses.To avoid such issues,you should get proper training from Government agencies before starting greenhouse farming.Investigate more details about the consultancies before approaching them.

  In a country like India,where most of the agricultural practices are depending on seasonal weather conditions,Greenhouse farming got a lot of scope.By effectively utilizing this technology,we can reduce our dependency on external factors and concentrate more on productivity.Your suggestions are very much appreciated.I hope Greenhouse technology can stimulate another Green revolution in India.What do you think?

Related Posts

• Recent changes made by Greenhouse technology in Indian farming sector
• Greenhouse Farming in Monsoon Season
• Why some Greenhouse/Poly house farms not succeed in India-Know before Investing
• Polyhouse farming information.

Read more ...