Spinach is a go-to vegetable for many people in our country. It is widely used in our cuisines all over the country. It can be cooked in various ways, such as in curries, soups, salads, or parathas. Spinach is an ancient vegetable native to central and western Asia. It was introduced to India and China via Nepal in 647 AD as the “Persian vegetable”. Farmers grow it and we consume it, this has been going on for centuries. It is important to appreciate this natural gift for its value in terms of nutrition. It is packed with vitamins A, C, K, folate, iron, and calcium with a bit of protein, fiber, and carbs.
But it is pertinent to note that a major portion of spinach consumption is only in the northern and eastern regions of India. This includes Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, and Assam. Less than half of the total production is consumed in southern and western regions. When it comes to urban India, it is often neglected. Consumers do not purchase spinach as they either do not like its taste or texture or find it boring or bland. Repeat consumers are low in urban India. The lack of awareness about spinach is huge in urban India and it may take some time before urban India starts considering spinach in their daily meal.
Spinach Farming Time
There is always a right time and a right place for things and this applies very well to farming. When it comes to spinach farming, it’s important to keep time in mind. When to sow your seeds, when to irrigate them and when to harvest all are very important to better profit. You can grow spinach throughout the year, the crops are more profitable during winter or when the temperature is below 25 degrees. They also do well in mild summers. You should do well as well to make impressive yields, so get an AC tractor to take care of your farming operation with ease.
In winter, when the cold is low, the plants grow faster and the leaves are considerably larger even with less care you can provide. If you are cultivating spinach during winter, opt for a well-drained soil or a raised bed. Without which it is very hard to prevent waterlogging or frost damage during the winter months. Though you will reap a good profit during winters due to high demand and low supply during these seasons. Still the investment involved is much lower during the winter months. On the contrary, during summer, the product is of lower quality, there are more pests and the overall effort in the cultivation of spinach is much more.
States And Cities Where Spinach Has A Good Market
Spinach Farming in Kerala: In Kerala, Kochi and Trivandrum market offer the best price and are some of the few markets in Kerala where spinach is sold. There is a small demand in major cities like Thrissur, and Kozhikode. If you are cultivating spinach near these areas, in not more than half an acre. The demand for these products is very mediocre in Kerala and selling them in local grocery shops may be challenging.
Spinach farming in Maharashtra: Mumbai and Nashik markets consume the largest production of spinach. If you are around this area or in a radius of 100 KM from these markets, it is a wonderful crop to grow. Nashik has one of the best weather for spinach farming. Large Scale production of spinach is possible in these areas. The highest market price of spinach in Maharashtra is Rs 2000.00 INR/Quintal as of 23 May ’22.
Is Spinach Farming Profitable?
While data does indicate that spinach farming can be very profitable, things can go wrong when done on a large scale. The production of spinach is easy and farmers, once they get to understand the crop, may be tempted to do it on a large scale. Unfortunately in the Indian market, the supply of spinach is very high. Selling a tonne of spinach in one go even in a metro is not advisable.
If you have a production of spinach in more than an acre, you may want to practice a bit of caution. Harvesting the spinach leaves in phases, finding more than one market, and offering the products to the retail market. It can increase your revenue and reduce loss of produce and revenue. It is often seen that when a large quantity of produce, even those which are consumed abundantly, hits the market in one go, prices tend to drop and farmers find it hard to break even with their expenses. The net profit of spinach farming per acre in India is Rs 1,58,500.
Conclusion
In conclusion, let us have a look at the harvest of spinach. Harvesting is done from the 30th day. Pick only tender and fresh leaves and stagger the picking as much as possible to ensure that you have just enough quantity to transport. 10-15 quintals per picking are advisable as you can continue picking for nearly 4- 5 weeks. A harvested mounted on your Sonalika Tractor can get the job done with ease! Provided that you did it right and stored it properly. As a result, you can get a profit and make your farm business a roaring success!
