Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
protected structures, it is also possible to raise a offseason and long dura-
tion vegetables crop of high quality (Sabir and Singh, 2013). Vegetable
farming in agri-entrepreneurial models targeting various niche markets of
the big cities is inviting regular attention of the vegetable growers for di-
versification from traditional ways of vegetable cultivation to the modern
methods. Under the new era of FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) in retail,
these kinds of models posses high potential for enhancing the income of
farmers opting for quality and offseason vegetable cultivation through
protected cultivation (Singh et al, 2012). Production of vegetable crops
under protected conditions provides high water and nutrient use efficiency
under varied agro climatic conditions of the country. This technology has
very good potential especially in peri-urban areas adjoining to the major
cities which is a fast growing markets of the country, since it can be prof-
itably used for growing high value vegetable crops like, tomato, cheery
tomato, colored peppers, parthenocarpic cucumber, healthy and virus free
seedlings in agri-entrepreneurial models (Singh et al., 2010). But protect-
ed cultivation technology requires careful planning, attention and details
about timing of production and moreover, harvest time to coincide with
high market prices, choice of varieties adopted to the off season environ-
ments, andable to produce economical yields of high quality produce, etc.
All kind of protected technologies may not be suitable and economical
to all group of Indian farmers, because of their very high initial basic cost
of fabrication, running and maintenance cost, but some protected technol-
ogies are not only low cost and simple but they are energy efficient and are
highly profitable under different Indian conditions and more specifically
for peri-urban areas, which can be adopted by Indian farmers for produc-
tion of diverse high value vegetable crops and nursery raising in profit-
able agri-business models (Singh et al., 2012). Some of the technologies
likelow-pressure drip irrigation and low cost nursery raising technology
are highly suitable for livelihood security even in tribal areas of the coun-
try. These two technologies have already been demonstrated successfully
and have proved their suitability, efficiency and profitability in tribal area
of Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and other states of the country.
Similarly these technologies can also be replicated in other parts of the
country among the small and marginal farmers. Protected vegetable cul-
tivation technology is highly relevant under the era of changing climatic
conditions and can be well adopted in big way under model vegetable farm
concept or in cluster approach in peri-urban areas of big cities for not only
