Business Idea for clove cultivation
Business Idea: Cloves are mostly used as a spice, but they have also been used in Ayurvedic medicines since ancient times. Cloves have a warming effect, so they are widely used during the winter season. A decoction of cloves is given to people suffering from colds and flu. It also provides relief from the symptoms of colds and fevers. This plant lives for approximately 80 to 100 years and begins bearing fruit in 6 to 7 years.
How to cultivate cloves
Clove cultivation is not a difficult task, farmers can easily prepare it by getting some information –
1.Field preparation – For clove cultivation, it is first necessary to prepare the field, it is mainly cultivated in tropical climate, the temperature between 25 degree Celsius to 35 degree Celsius is better for its cultivation and sandy loam soil is very suitable for it. You should cultivate it in such fields where there is no water logging, because if there is water logging then the plants get spoiled. Normal rainfall is required for its cultivation, too much sun and extreme cold are harmful for these plants. In India, it is cultivated on a large scale in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Kanyakumari and some parts of Karnataka.
2.Preparing the Plants – To cultivate cloves, the plants must be prepared after the field is ready. To prepare clove plants, you can grow them through seeds or cuttings. After sowing the seeds, a nursery is prepared and when they reach about 25 to 30 centimeters, they are planted in the fields. When planting them in the fields, you should maintain a distance of at least 6 to 7 meters between the plants so that the plants can grow easily. The young plants also need shade to protect them from the strong sunlight, so betel nut or coconut trees are also planted between them to provide shade. Clove trees take 7 to 9 years to fully develop.
3.Irrigation- After planting the trees in clove cultivation, irrigation of the plants is also required. The first irrigation is done immediately after planting the plants and if you have planted your plants in the rainy season then irrigate them only when required, they should not be given excessive water and if you have planted them in the summer season then you must water them every week and in winter irrigate them in 15 to 20 days.
4.Nutrient Management – In clove cultivation, after irrigation, it is necessary to provide nutrients to the plants for which fertilizer has to be given. Initially, after planting the tree, you have to provide less fertilizer because while preparing the pit, manure and cow dung are already added in each pit. As your plant grows, you should also provide more amount of fertilizer in it and after providing fertilizer, irrigate the plants.
5.Harvesting clove fruits – In clove cultivation, when the plant is ready and starts bearing fruits, then the fruits are harvested. Clove plants are ready to bear fruits in about 6 to 7 years on average. Clove fruits appear like clusters in the plants, which turn pink in color, when they start appearing dark in color, then you should pluck them, when they are plucked they are about 2 cm long and after drying the cloves are ready for use. Of course, it takes a long time for the clove tree to bear fruits, but once production starts, it can bear fruits for more than 100 years.
6.Cost and Earnings – Clove cultivation has low costs and high earnings. It is also called ‘black gold’ because it is always in high demand in the market. Due to its medicinal properties, it is always in demand in the market. It sells for ₹800 to ₹1500 per kg and a fully grown clove tree gives about 2 to 3 kg of dry cloves in a season. If you cultivate it on one acre and plant 100 trees, you can easily earn around ₹2.30 lakh to ₹3 lakh in a year.
Conclusion
Nowadays, people are increasingly turning towards cash crops instead of traditional farming. In such a situation, clove cultivation can be a guarantee of a secure future. Although, clove tree takes some time to bear fruit and it requires patience, but if you are ready to invest for a long time, then its cultivation can be a much better option for you and you can generate good income from it.
