A five-day exposure-cum-training programme on greenhouse farming was organised at Pune by a non-government organisation Nestham from June 26 to 30.
The training-cum-exposure visit on hitech farming (greenhouse cultivation) and marketing strategies was organised with the support of Agriculture Technology Management Agency (ATMA) of Krishna District.
About 30 farmers from G. Kondur, Mylavaram, Kanchikacharla, Machilipatnam, Thotalavallur mandals of Krishna District were selected, where most of them cultivate vegetables, flowers and other horticulture crops with the aim of promoting hi-tech farming in greenhouses.
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Nestam Director V. Suresh contacted the Abhinava Farmers Club in Pune where most farmers grow vegetables in greenhouses and also pursue high-technology dairy farming. Farmers of Krishna Distinct gained insights about greenhouse farming nuances, high technology methods for the cultivation of vegetables, cut flowers like jarbara, carnation, glass and other export varieties of flowers from Dynaneswar Bodiki.
They also learned about cultivation of tomato, brinjal, capsicum, cherry tomato, cauliflower, ladyfinger and other premier varieties of vegetables.
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Fool-proof methods
The farmers were also witness to the marketing strategies of the Abhinava Club members, who are following the demand and supply method for the cultivation of the vegetables.
The club members do a survey of housing societies, hotels, and other potential places for vegetable marketing and then decide the plantation of the vegetables and calculate the production to meet the demand from urban households.
The Krishna farmers interacted with their Maharashtra counterparts on the viability and sustainability of the greenhouse concept.
They are earning Rs.8 lakh to Rs.10 lakh per acre in Pune with lesser inputs of water and labour as they use drip irrigation methods.