Brinjal or eggplant or aubergine are delicate, tropical perennial plant cultivated as vegetable in various part of world for its fruit i.e egg-shaped, shining purple skin with white flesh and a spongy texture inside.
The cultivation and production of brinjal is mostly cost effective all over the world and is practiced very differently. Brinjal is considered to be perennial but are grown annually around our nation. However, Brinjal plants cannot survive freezing temperatures and conditions. They mostly require a temperature of 21 to 25 degree Celsius. Hence, India most production completes before the winter months. This particular factor is also responsible for keeping our country in the top ranks as the maximum states especially West Bengal only gets fewer winter months.
In Brinjal Farming pollination also plays an important role. As brinjal is a self –pollinating plant which means a fruit is only possible after successful pollination. Farmers also have to look after the whole pollination process very efficiently. This was the information enough for a beginner to start his/ her own brinjal farm. The article also discusses about why West Bengal is considered as the largest producer of brinjal in India and also how much a farmer profits from Brinjal Farming there.
Brinjal farming in West Bengal
There are almost 13 different varieties of brinjal cultivated in India. Keeping up the position of no. 1 in Brinjal Farming and production West Bengal surely has some effective methods and benefits. So let’s get in to the details.
In West Bengal, the brinjal can be grown round the year, the main sowing being done during July to August. Eggplant seeds germinate in 7 to 14 days, depending on the heat, moisture provided, and moisture content and age of the seed as discussed above. Seedlings with leaves can be transplanted into field with 1m plant to plant distance after two to three weeks of germination. In about 30 days weeds are been plucked and after around more 40 days, farmers cultivate the brinjal crop in an open field with the help of transplanting method.
Brinjal crop is yielded after a period of around 175 days from sowing. Around 8.4% of total brinjal production is done by the state of West Bengal. Therefore, the profits and the average cost come out as a big question which needs to be discussed thoroughly.
Average cost for Brinjal Farming:
In West Bengal, every year the yield of brinjal crop varies from around 8 to 20 tons, completely depending upon the variety of hybrid seeds used by the farmer. The selection of seeds depends upon various soil types, region and area and also the different climatic conditions. Accordingly a farmer selects a suitable variety for high yield of brinjal crop. For 1 acre of land a farmer in West Bengal has to spend roughly around 32,500 rupees.
Profit in Brinjal Farming in 1 acre of land
In all parts of West Bengal the market selling price of brinjal for every quintal depends upon the availability. A farmer can yield 10,000 kg from 1 acre of land after every 4 yields from the farm. The total selling price as seen last year showed average sum of 2, 00,000 rupees per acre. Summing up the profit to around 1, 67,500 rupees.
Conclusion: Therefore, in West Bengal a farmer can earn a profit of 1.6 to 1.8 lakhs per acre. As per last year credentials West Bengal was nominated as the no. 1 producer of Brinjal because of its both mass market availability and the profit earned by the state farmers.
