Success Story: This young farmer of Himachal Pradesh did wonders by cultivating saffron in a room
Success Story: A forward-thinking farmer from Himachal Pradesh’s Solan district, Gaurav Sabharwal, has given traditional farming a new lease of life. In Solan, sometimes referred to as Mushroom City, mushroom farming is common; nevertheless, Gaurav Sabharwal has established a new standard by growing saffron inside. He claims that while there is now a huge demand for saffron in India, the majority of it is imported from Iran because of a lack of availability. In 2022, seeing this possibility, he began small-scale aeroponic saffron-growing practices.
He now uses aeroponic technology to grow saffron in a 300 square foot space, and he makes lakhs of rupees a year from this enterprise. In the next years, he hopes to grow this horticulture to 1000 square feet. In light of this, let’s learn more about the remarkable agricultural career of forward-thinking farmer Gaurav Sabharwal today:
Aeroponic technology discovery
Gaurav Sabharwal, a forward-thinking farmer, has not had an easy path. He was initially connected to the shoe industry, but he had financial difficulties after the death of his father. In order to support his family and get out of the financial bind, he began searching for a successful company. He conducted a study and learned about aeroponic technologies throughout this period. He discovered that this approach might be used to cultivate important crops like saffron in addition to producing more in less area. For him, this revelation was like a fresh start.
It is well known that aeroponics is a contemporary agricultural technique that grows plants without the need for soil. This method involves spraying the plants with nutrient-rich water while their roots are suspended in midair.
Saffron cultivation begins
In 2022, forward-thinking farmer Gaurav Sabharwal began growing saffron inside using aeroponic technology as a small-scale trial. This experiment paid off, and in 2023 he began growing Kashmiri saffron inside in 300 square feet using aeroponic technology. He purchased saffron bulbs (seeds) from Kashmir for this purpose. Although aeroponics has a significant initial cost, Gaurav began using it by taking out a loan under the Prime Minister Employment Generation Program (PMEGP).
Aeroponic technology advantages
The ability to produce more in less area is the main benefit of aeroponic technology. According to forward-thinking farmer Gaurav Sabharwal, starting a 300-square-foot aeroponic farm costs around Rs 7-8 lakh. The full setup cost is recouped in three to four years, despite the first year’s poor output. This farming turns out to be quite successful after this.
Environmental control and temperature
For the growth of saffron, temperature and environmental control are crucial. According to forward-thinking farmer Gaurav Sabharwal, saffron cultivation utilizing aeroponic technology requires a temperature that is consistent with the summer months of August through November in Kashmir. In other words, saffron is grown between 8 and 23 degrees. He has set up temperature control in his indoor farm to achieve this.
The market and demand for saffron
In India, there is a strong demand for saffron but a limited supply. Iran supplies 94% of India’s saffron, which makes it very costly. According to progressive farmer Gaurav Sabharwal, saffron sells for roughly Rs 2.5 lakh per kilogram in wholesale, but he sells it for around Rs 5 lakh per kilogram in retail. For him, this has turned out to be a highly lucrative venture.
Future strategies
Gaurav Sabharwal, a forward-thinking farmer, intends to grow saffron inside in an area of 1000 square feet. He hopes that more farmers will use this technique to grow saffron and boost their revenue. According to him, farmers may make extra money by selling the saffron bulbs to other farmers in five to six years once they learn how to prepare them.
