You don’t need an acre to do ginger farming and earn lakhs from it. Yes, a farmer in Kerala has transformed just seven cents of land into a profitable venture by cultivating ginger in grow bags. His method has garnered attention not only for its efficiency but also for its substantial returns, earning him Rs one lakh in a single season.
Bineesh Dominic, 38, who hails from Ambalavayal in Wayanad, decided to start growing ginger in grow bags after looking for an alternate solution to overcome the rising input costs while farming on land and increase the yield. He experimented with grow bags, a technique that maximises productivity in small spaces. “I wanted to find a way to farm sustainably and increase the yield by reducing the input costs. My years of experience in farming came in handy when I started the experiment. As ginger is a high-demand crop, the grow bag method seemed promising,” Bineesh told ‘Open Digest.’
Bineesh began with 1,500 grow bags in seven cents of land. “I planted them in grow bags filled with sand mixed with cocopeat and organic manure. After seven months, I could get nearly 2 kg of yield per bag. My total yield was around 3,000 kg which fetched me Rs. one lakh,” Bineesh said.
Bineesh, who usually cultivates ginger in 15 acres of land, has now decided to expand the grow bag farming this season. He will be planting ginger in grow bags in five acres of land while 10 acres will be dedicated to conventional ginger farming methods. He says grow bag cultivation of ginger has more advantages compared to conventional soil farming.
“‘We drastically reduced the quantity of fertilisers used for farming. Also, we can save the cost of weed removal. The most important advantage is when a pest or disease attack occurs. We can shift the affected crops to another location, preventing the spread of the disease or the pest. Also, it’s easier to treat the crops in grow bags for pest and disease attacks. The controlled environment of grow bags helps mitigate common issues like soil-borne diseases and nutrient depletion, which are prevalent in traditional methods. Regular organic fertilizer application and precise watering ensure optimal growth,” Bineesh added.
According to Bineesh, while one acre of ginger farming in soil produces 400 sacks of ginger, grow bags in one acre will yield 800 sacks of ginger. “This time, I am going to use more cocopeat for planting ginger in grow bags. One acre can hold around 24,000 grow bags of ginger, and the input cost for each grow bag will be around Rs 50,” he added.
“Farming is not just about hard work; it’s about smart work. Anyone can replicate this method with the right guidance,’ Bineesh said, adding that he plans to conduct workshops to share his knowledge. His success could mark the beginning of a new era of profitable and sustainable farming, even on limited land.
