Hydroponic Farming & Subsidy

Subsidy for Hydroponic Farming

Among technologies that can potentially influence the future of agriculture and seed industry,hydroponics is one of the most exciting. Hydroponics is basically soil-less cultivation where plants are grown without soil and by providing nutrients to water and roots are submerged in water to grow (soil-less growth of plants and without conventional soil). It uses artificial means to support and nutrient solutions to provide the required nutrition to plants. There are different   categories of hydroponics based on the solution used. -subsidy for Hydroponic Farming

In order to feed the world population rapidly, Hydroponics could be one of the go-to approaches because one  can grow plants rapidly, and in habitats that don’t normally support them for commercial units ( hydroponic) 1000 sqm or above is given by the National Horticulture Board. There is also provision for hi-tech horticulture project credit linked assistance programme by the NHB for 2500 sqm or above.

Advantages

India propose hydroponics as a solution that can change the way horticulture is done there. The advantages of hydroponics include but are not limited to the following:

• Requires no soil
• Enables for the reuse of water
• Provides greater control of nutrients to prevent over nourished crops
• Enables ease of harvesting
• Enables ease of pest management and food safety controls
• Increases food production stability, providing higher yields
• Provides off-season production when market prices are highest-Hydroponic Farming

How hydroponics is done

Hydroponics, is a subset of hydroculture, which is a method of growing plants without soil by using mineral nutrient solutions in a water solvent. Terrestrial plants may be grown with only their roots exposed to the mineral solution, or the roots may be supported by an inert medium, such as perlite or gravel. 

Is hydroponics profitable in India 

India is currently importing more than 85% of its exotic vegetables, creating a growth rate of  15-20% per year. Certainly hydroponics or CEA can help fuel this growth given the farming expertise that exists in India. When the land is already owned, capital costs per acre every 5 years are Rs 30.5 lakhs-Hydroponic Farming

How to get subsidy for Hydroponics

In India, the central and state government have subsidized the capital costs for farmers willing to invest in hydroponics. Exact subsidy applicable is different for each state. Recently Maharashtra government  has provided 50% subsidy to farmers to adopt hydroponics for growing animal fodder-Hydroponic Farming

Similarly subsidy is available for each state separately by National Horticulture board.(NHB)  In order to get the details of their respective states the farmer needs to go to NHB website and search for the subsidies and schemes available at their states and avail the same. 

Commercial Horticulture Development in protected cover on project mode

Crops eligible: a. Flowers: Anthurium, Orchids, Rose, Lilium, Chrysanthemum, Carnation and Gerbera. b. Vegetables: High value vegetables: Capsicum, Cucumber, Tomato Pattern of Assistance Credit linked back-ended subsidy @ 50% of the total project cost limited to Rs 56.00 lakh per project as per admissible cost norms for green houses, shade net house, plastic tunnel, anti bird /hail nets & cost of planting material etc.

Revenue potential

When the land is already owned, capital costs per acre every 5 years are Rs 30.5 lakhs. Operational costs, with tomatoes as the example crop, in 1 acre per year are Rs 9 lakhs and revenue typically averages around 33.5 lakhs. If the land is independently owned the profit potential of 15 lakhs per year is slightly less than if it were leased, averaging around 16.5 lakhs per year.

It’s important to note that in the first year a greenhouse is purchased, 80% depreciation is available under the Indian Income Tax Act to the buyer. 75% bank financing is available through agriculture loans and a 20% subsidy on greenhouses is available from National Horticulture Board (NHB). Thankfully, insurance is also available for portable greenhouses in India