Aloe Vera is in great demand in the international as well as domestic market due to its medical and cosmetic uses. Aloe Vera has been used in Ayurveda since ancient times because of its healing and therapeutic properties.
Moreover, Aloe vera farming is gaining popularity as the profit per acre is much higher than normal agriculture crops and requires much less effort & maintenance. Its origin is believed to be in the dry regions of southern Europe, Asia, or Africa. Aloe Vera is commercially produced in India for the manufacture of medicines along with cosmetics.
Read further to understand the various cultivation practices of Aloe Vera.
Soil and Climate Requirements
Commercial cultivation of Aloe Vera can be done in dry areas as well as irrigated plains. It is being grown in many states like Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra at the commercial level. Its biggest feature is that it can be grown easily even in very little water and in semi-arid areas. The most suitable temperature for better cultivation of Aloe Vera is 20 -22°C. But this plant can survive tough conditions also.
Best Aloe Vera Varieties:
Some of the important Aloe Vera varieties are discussed below.
I.C. – 111271, I.C. – 111280, IC – 111269 and IC – 111273 can be commercially produced. The amount of allodyne found in these varieties ranges from 20 to 23%.
If you want to cultivate Aloe Vera on a large scale, it is right to choose a plant of about four months old, 20-25 cm in length. The specialty of the Aloe Vera plant is that it can be planted even after months of uprooting.
Fertilizer Requirement:
Aloe vera is cultivated on barren land & can give better yield in less manure. But for a good yield, while preparing the field, 10-15 tonnes of well-decomposed cow dung should be used per hectare, it increases the production qualitatively.
Irrigation and Pest control
Water is given after transplanting the plants. It is irrigated by drip irrigation or sprinkler. It requires three to four irrigations in a year. For pest control, weeds should be removed from the field from time to time. Water should not be allowed to stagnate around the plants.
Aloe Vera Farming Profit Analysis:
The cultivation of Aloe Vera requires little investment and provides high returns. A farmer can plant almost 60 thousand plants of aloe vera in 1 acre of land & the cost of production of Aloe Vera for 1 acre of land is around Rs 1.8 – 2 lakhs.
From each plant of Aloe Vera around 3.5 kg of leaves can be obtained and on an average, the leaves from one plant are sold at Rs 15- 18. This way the farmer can easily earn a profit of up to Rs 8-10 lakhs i.e. almost 5 times the cost of production.
Hope you find this article helpful & knowledgeable! Let us know in the comments below what kind of crop cultivation guides you want to read more about.
