Polyhouse Farming: In recent years, agriculture in India has been undergoing a quiet revolution, and polyhouse farming is at the heart of this change. Also known as greenhouse farming, polyhouse cultivation allows farmers to grow crops in a controlled environment, using modern techniques to improve yield and quality. The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare is actively promoting this method as a sustainable solution for modern farming challenges.

What is Polyhouse Farming?

Polyhouse farming involves creating a protective structure over crops using materials such as polyethylene sheets. This controlled environment shields crops from adverse weather conditions like excessive heat, heavy rains, and humidity fluctuations. It allows farmers to monitor and regulate critical factors such as temperature, humidity, and light, ensuring optimal conditions for plant growth. This precise control leads to higher-quality produce, better yields, and reduced crop losses due to unpredictable weather.

Year-Round Cultivation of High-Value Crops

One of the significant advantages of polyhouse farming is the ability to grow a wide variety of crops throughout the year. Farmers can cultivate vegetables, fruits, flowers, and even medicinal plants, regardless of the season. This flexibility not only ensures consistent supply but also allows farmers to explore high-value crops, increasing their potential income. For instance, delicate flowers or exotic vegetables that are otherwise difficult to grow in open fields can thrive under polyhouse conditions.

Meeting Market and Export Standards

Quality and quantity go hand in hand in polyhouse farming. With the right techniques, farmers can produce crops with uniform size, color, and taste, meeting the demands of modern markets and consumers. This is particularly important for exports, where strict quality standards must be met. By adopting polyhouse methods, small and medium-scale farmers can compete with larger producers, enhancing their market opportunities and income stability.

Government Support and Financial Assistance

Central government offers strong support for polyhouse (protected) farming through major schemes providing subsidies, technical assistance, and credit. These include the National Horticulture Board (NHB), National Horticulture Mission (NHM), and Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH). State programs often complement these schemes, significantly reducing setup costs and encouraging farmers to adopt modern techniques.

Major Central Schemes for Polyhouse Farming:

• National Horticulture Board (NHB): Offers up to 50% subsidy on total project cost for commercial horticulture, including polyhouses, capped at Rs 56 lakh per project. Subsidy is credit-linked and back-ended, applicable for project areas above 2,500 sq m (reduced to 1,000 sq m in North Eastern states).
• National Horticulture Mission (NHM): Provides a 50% subsidy under MIDH for polyhouse construction and irrigation systems. Rates may vary by state, with enhanced support for North East and hilly regions.
• Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH): Combines NHB and NHM provisions, supporting greenhouses, planting materials, equipment, and protected cultivation structures.
• Assistance for Protected Cultivation Scheme: Offers financial aid for mulching, drip irrigation, and related technologies, at around Rs 32,000–36,800 per hectare.
• Other Initiatives: Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) and bank-led schemes like Cent Poly House facilitate group investments and easier access to loans.

Subsidy Pattern & Farmer Categories:

• General Category Farmers: Usually eligible for 50% subsidy, sometimes up to 75% depending on state programs.
• SC/ST Farmers: May receive subsidies up to 95% in some states (e.g., Telangana, Haryana).

Project Requirements:

• Projects must be credit-linked, with bank-sanctioned loans before subsidy disbursement.
• Submission of a detailed project report (DPR), land documents, identity proof, and sometimes technical training certificates is required.
• Typical project sizes range from 2,000–4,000 sq m, with a maximum NHB subsidy limit of Rs 56 lakh.

Targeted Crops and Returns:

High-value vegetables such as capsicum, cucumber, and tomato, flowers like rose, gerbera, orchid, and chrysanthemum, and exotic horticulture crops are ideal for polyhouses. Investment recovery is usually possible within 2–3 years due to faster crop cycles and higher profitability.

Ensuring Financial Security and Sustainability

Beyond productivity, polyhouse farming offers farmers long-term financial security. Controlled cultivation reduces the risk of crop failure and enables steady production, which translates into reliable earnings. Moreover, it encourages sustainable farming practices by reducing dependency on chemical pesticides and excessive water use. Many polyhouse systems now incorporate drip irrigation, soil sensors, and automated climate control, combining efficiency with sustainability.

Polyhouse farming represents a modern approach to agriculture that aligns with the needs of both farmers and consumers. It empowers farmers with technology, safeguards crops against unpredictable weather, and ensures a stable, profitable, and environmentally friendly agricultural system. For Indian agriculture, polyhouse farming is not just an option, it is the future.

For more details on government schemes, subsidies, and application procedures, farmers should check the official websites of the National Horticulture Board (NHB), National Horticulture Mission (NHM), and MIDH.