Around this time, their work came to the notice of people and they began asking for saffron farming training. “We were flooded with requests. So we decided to pursue both – cultivation and training — under Shaya Enterprises,” she adds. Akshay and Divya set up a 400 sq ft saffron production unit in Nagpur in 2023.
Divya says about 200 to 250kg of bulbs can be planted in trays over 150 sq ft. The saffron bulbs are put in vertically stacked trays near which grow lights are put up to replicate sunlight.
Saffron bulbs are put in the lab in August. Bulbs develop buds, which grow into flowers under optimum lighting, humidity and temperature. They are ready for harvest in three months, by the first week of November.
“We started with around 750 kg bulbs bought for Rs7.5 lakh at (Rs1000 per kg) and put them in the lab in August. The saffron yield after three months was 4.3 kg, which we sold at Rs630 per gram,” Divya says.
This resulted in revenues of Rs27 lakh. “We also offer training in saffron farming, where we offer three packages to learners. The rates start from Rs7000 and go up to Rs15000 depending on the services chosen,” Divya points out.
The couple takes two to four batches of five participants each per month. On average, the income from training is around Rs12 to Rs13 lakh, taking the total revenues to Rs40 lakh per year.
Divya explains that after harvesting saffron, the bulbs are transferred to a soil medium in the lab. “We have replicated Kashmir’s soil, which is essential for bulb multiplication. The bulbs are placed in soil trays in November, and each seed or bulb produces four to five daughter seeds, which are ready for plantation by July,” she says.
The new bulbs are planted in August and harvested again in November. As the number of seeds increases each year, indoor farmers can either expand their cultivation or sell the extra bulbs to other growers.
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