Birsa Agriculture University's (BAU) horticulture department started growing roses through the polyhouse farming method, helping them rake in Rs 40,000 between February and April. The modern technique is soon gaining prominence. The roses were grown in a farm area measuring 600 sqm.
Horticulture department chairman Dr K K Jha and BAU research director Dr D K Singh Dron said the university soon plans to operate a commercial counter from where horticulture farm produce would be sold directly to customers or traders. "We sold horticulture produce worth Rs15 lakh last year. We are trying to start a commercial counter soon,"Jha said.
Over 50,000 mango saplings are being prepared on the university campus on demand of the National Horticulture Mission. These mango plants would be developed into various high-yielding varieties like Amrapali, Langra, Dudhia, Bambaia and Mallika as per the demands of farmers. "We are aware of the mango variants that grow well in Jharkhand," Jha said.
BAU has been successful in introducing varieties of capsicum, tomato and early season peas, giving small traders the opportunity to earn more. "Initially, we sold produce in the local market, but due to bumper production last year, vegetables were sold at roadside markets near CMPDI, from where one of the largest chair marketing companies offered us to sell our produce to them," Jha said adding that the experience encouraged them to make the produce available on the BAU campus.
Dron said the facility will be housed in the current infrastructure. "Though we sell vegetables to costumers and some of the traders, in the case of flowers, most of the produce is picked up from the university campus directly," Dron said, adding that flowers like jarbera and rose gives ten times the normal production under the polyhouse farming method.
Horticulture department chairman Dr K K Jha and BAU research director Dr D K Singh Dron said the university soon plans to operate a commercial counter from where horticulture farm produce would be sold directly to customers or traders. "We sold horticulture produce worth Rs15 lakh last year. We are trying to start a commercial counter soon,"Jha said.
Over 50,000 mango saplings are being prepared on the university campus on demand of the National Horticulture Mission. These mango plants would be developed into various high-yielding varieties like Amrapali, Langra, Dudhia, Bambaia and Mallika as per the demands of farmers. "We are aware of the mango variants that grow well in Jharkhand," Jha said.
BAU has been successful in introducing varieties of capsicum, tomato and early season peas, giving small traders the opportunity to earn more. "Initially, we sold produce in the local market, but due to bumper production last year, vegetables were sold at roadside markets near CMPDI, from where one of the largest chair marketing companies offered us to sell our produce to them," Jha said adding that the experience encouraged them to make the produce available on the BAU campus.
Dron said the facility will be housed in the current infrastructure. "Though we sell vegetables to costumers and some of the traders, in the case of flowers, most of the produce is picked up from the university campus directly," Dron said, adding that flowers like jarbera and rose gives ten times the normal production under the polyhouse farming method.