Col. Sujan Mohanty, Founder, Orchids n More, Bhubaneshwar, Odisha, discusses about commercial orchids cultivation and its challenges.
Seeing the biodiversity and musical world of nature always mesmerise us, especially when we are living in the hustle and buzzle of the city life. The vision of Orchids n More in Bhubaneshwar is to inspire, enable, and engage people to adapt productive and quality farming, and the mission is to enable economic growth using innovative technology and process-driven production as when there is a process there will be discipline and success.
After serving in army for 22 years, I wanted to venture into agriculture. We had no land, no knowledge of agriculture being a civil engineer, and limited financial backup being retired from army. As destiny would have it, some land of my friend’s mother, which was in the outskirts of Bhubaneshwar was leased out to us for our farm. We went out to meet people, visited Agriculture Universities, met experienced farmers, subject experts and travelled to different parts of the country to find out what farming activity could be carried out. People were ready to help with technology and knowledge. While doing research, we found orchids as one of the ten most beautiful flowers in the world, which we felt would suit our place. Orchids are tropical flowers, and to our luck, Odisha is a tropical state. For production of orchids, a few important parameters need to be checked if available in the geographic zone, where orchid plantation is planned. First one is the humidity followed by temperature, light intensity, and water quality. Ideal humidity in the atmosphere should be 50 to 75%, temperature at 16 to 300 C, 25 to 30 K lux light is required for orchids, and water should be generally turbidity free with pH value less than 7 which is slightly acidic in nature. In Odisha, the temperature exceeds the tolerance limit during summers, shooting even up to almost 480 C inside the polyhouse. But plants get used to the vagaries of weather and adjust with minor modifications in the operational process.
What motivated us the most is the high shelf life of orchids; it can stay fresh for 30 to 45 days also if preserved correctly at home or office. We also had to decide whether we should go for a polyhouse or net house. The local farmers in Odisha were using shade net house only as orchids prefer rain water, which is slightly acidic. However, two crucial factors (Media and incessant rain for a prolonged period) made us think otherwise and we adopted the more expensive alternative; that is the Poly House. Here in Odish, coconut husk is available in abundance and we chose that as the media for planting orchids. The rainfall here in our part of the country is comparatively more and it continues for three to four months. What tickled our mind is; if the coconut husk media remains totally wet and soggy for four months, there is every likelihood of snails, fungal/bacterial attacks and disintegration of the husk quite fast leading to lots of problems in future. And we never regret this decision though we spent a few Lacs Rupees more as all the Net Houses in which the orchids were grown got shut down one by one in last few years.
After due deliberation for almost a year, we finally decided to take a plunge and started the process of applying for subsidy in September 2017, simultaneously, we began to understand how things had to move, the documentations required, and to get farmers’ registration. We realised we will get a subsidy of approximately 50% from the government, and the formal sanction came in March 2018. We started the work on ground on 01st April, 2018. The ground clearance done, weeds removed, water sump construction started, the Poly House erector from Pune started his work. Thousands of short concrete poles installed on ground in regular intervals and the beds were made. Lastly the coconut husk duly sterilised was placed on the beds. It was like a Project on a war footing with lots of interlinked activities. This gave us an opportunity to interact with the local villagers, our immediate neighbours and we employed them for the infrastructure setting up task. We had to teach them how the orchids should be planted, how to maintain specified gaps between the plants in a row and how to maintain row to row distance and how to secure the plants to the thin ropes tied on top of the beds. By July 2018, the plantation was done and the Project was complete. It took less than 04 months to complete the project on ground.
We faced many challenges during this journey. First, when the construction activity of the poly house had just started, thousands and lakhs of black insects started moving from the jungle and crawled into our Poly house, the sight was similar to watching a horror movie. Second; there was a torrential rainfall in Bhubaneshwar in July 2018, immediately after the completion of the Project. At that time self and my wife were in Delhi. The side wall of the polyhouse caved in, and water gushed in as the drainage system was not done properly on one side. The wild life sanctuary being next to our farm house, the Third challenge was, frequent visits of wild animals to our farm house. One fine day, while plucking the dry leaves from orchid beds, one of our boys was about to pluck the tail of a snake lying on the bed. Another day, a herd of elephants came inside the farmhouse, the solar fencing around the Poly house was the saviour. Fourth and the biggest challenge was on 03rd May, 2019, when Cyclone Fani with a gusting speed of 185 Kms totally blew off the Poly film in addition to twisting of the tubular poles of the Poly house. At that time, the blooming had just started and it took almost two months’ time to get back to normalcy. Fifth challenge was marketing. In floriculture, when one tries to explore the market physically before one starts the Project or before the product is ready for sale, the whole seller or buyer always asks to see the product to fix the price. But it was never available. So, perforce, one has to literally wait till the product is ready before one can start some serious marketing. We did not have much idea about how the flowers were going to bloom. During the first bloom, the flowers were small, and when we contacted the retailers, they outrightly rejected saying the flowers were too small. We did not know what to do, with so much of investment and not finding a single buyer was a big jolt. However, we never lost hope and started moving from one florist to the other. Finally, one florist helped us by buying the flowers though at a lower cost, and then, there was no looking back.
Transportation of orchids from the farm to the nearest market was again difficult. I had to use my own car, and we had to do everything by ourselves. In addition, there was attack of sporadic diseases, pests, insects, fungal infections and bacteria affecting the plants. Then came the mother of all challenges, the outbreak of pandemic Covid. The selling of flowers totally stopped as there was 100% lockdown with no functions or parties. Another major problem was retaining the man power. Initially, it was like a floating population. No one was clicking for a prolonged period. They leave once you train them, Then the entire process starts afresh.
To prevent snakes, we used carbolic acid in bottles with holes on top which deterred the snakes. We put up solar fencing to ward of elephants and other wild animals. We assembled and created a concrete vibrator for casting of the Poles for orchid beds when we started doing our second polyhouse. After fixing the poles in the polyhouse, the machine was lying idle for few weeks. Then, we modified it to meet our requirement to sieve vermicompost.
Slowly with the passing of time, the orchid plants started becoming mature. The growth of the orchids started improving from good to better. During covid, when the sales was very low, my wife, who had the skills to make bouquets and flower arrangements, taught couple of our staff to make bouquets, and we started selling them in Bhubaneshwar. We also started an Apiary with Government subsidy. and now we have 70 bee boxes and getting about 200 to 300 Kgs of honey. We also ventured into growing organic turmeric and foliage plants that people use during marriages and functions. Various Agriculture Universities started approaching us for exposure visits and to conduct structured training capsules for their students. We organise internship training for 7 to 14 days duration. In addition to standard Agriculture training, I also conduct few Army exposure training for the Agriculture students including organising story telling by the students about Param Veer Chakra award winners, both living and posthumous. We create a platform in which the students get hands on experience on how to stitch nets, how to prepare soil mix for potted plants, how to lay mushroom beds etc. In alignment with a drive for Zeo pollution and clean energy, we purchased an electric auto which is a zero-pollution initiative.
How did you manage to overcome the situation when no sales were done during the pandemic?
Initially, when the orchids were in the budding stage, we started doing controlled pinching the buds (Removal of new buds from the plants) so that the plants are not deprived of the much needed nutrients, at the same time ensuring better blooming of flowers for future. During the lockdown time, police permission was given to farmers for their day-to-day activities. We thought of distributing our orchids to Covid warriors as a small token of our gratitude and appreciation for what they were doing during the difficult times. Thus, we managed to gift our orchids to police officials, doctors, medicine shops, nursing homes, traffic police manning the movement on the road and within our known network. We never destroyed a single orchid grown in our farmhouse. This is how we got the goodwill of people and blessings of God. When Covid situation improved and the restrictions were not very stringent, we clicked back to the business mode and started delivering the flowers to people’s homes. Our marketing pitch was, “Colourful orchids at your home will bring in the much-needed bliss and glitter at your home”. And that really worked.
What are the key factors influencing the successful and commercial orchid cultivation?
Perseverance is the key factor. Challenges will be there in everything. Right from day-to-day management of orchids, covid, attack by elephants, sporadic attacks by pests and insects. Each minute is a challenge in everyone’s life. We should be prepared to face them and be proactive to prevent mitigate the problems. We need to keep thinking ahead of time.
We have to be humane in nature. Customers are our Gods. People who are working for us are our associates. We have to give them the kind of respect, life style, and look after them with the limited resources what we have. We help our men with their medical expenses if they fall sick and also, they are covered under accident insurance.
Our firm is a partnership firm, and we collaboratively take a decision, which is considered apt and justified for the organisation. Quality, integrity and ethical approach is never compromised in Orchids n More.
What are the most profitable orchid species for commercial cultivation, and why is it so?
The growers cultivate Phalaenopsis, Cattleya, Vanda and many other varieties based on the climatic condition at their place of growing. We have been growing Dendrobium in our kind of climatic condition and they are doing pretty good. It all depends on how beautiful the flowers are that someone has to offer, its vase life and cost of production. Dendrobium is a hardy plant that goes for a reasonably good price. The commercial viability depends on how is the marketing done and which is our client base. The customer base should be a combination of wholesalers, retail shops and the end customers. We are planning to set our foot in Dubai to sell our orchids. So, we are increasing the volume, working out on the logistics and looking at probable connects and opportunity to get a foothold in Dubai.
How do environmental factors such as temperature and humidity affect orchid cultivation?
Humidity and Temperature are very important aspects in orchid cultivation. High humidity and moderate temperature are ideal for growing orchids. That is why, these orchids cannot be grown in and around Delhi or Punjab or Rajasthan in a commercial mode. We have fogging system in our Polyhouse in addition to sprinklers, and misting system is also there below the beds to keep root zone humidified. To control the temperature, the fan pad system is the best option, but may not be commercially viable.
What are the best practices for orchid propagation and nursery management in commercial settings? How can we manage pests and disease issues in commercial production?
Keikis are small offshoots of orchids with roots which growing on the branches of the mother orchid plants when they are under stress. We can do a propagation to a small extent using them, but we cannot have a mass scale propagation using this technique. Controlled prophylactic application of pesticide to tackle issues such as bacterial & fungal attacks is a better option. Any symptoms of attack due to mites, thrips, grasshoppers and caterpillars must be dealt immediately.
How do orchid growers maintain consistent quality and blooming cycle in commercial production? How can issues related to transportation and distribution be addressed?
Technical innovation and standard operating procedures have to be followed along with discipline and observation every day. For any problem, we have to reach out to the experts and get advice from them. We have to explain to the labours about any changes in the protocol. They should be instructed about overwatering the plants as it kills the orchid plants. De-weeding and removal of grass should be carried out periodically. Transporting orchid flowers is the easiest thing as they are hardy plants. We have transported our orchids by train to Pune, Bangalore, Mumbai and Delhi and by bus to Kolkata and Jamshedpur. We are also using electric auto for local transport. Even after 36 hours of transportation, the flowers remain fresh.
How do orchid growers optimise greenhouse or growing spaces for maximum productivity? What are the financial considerations involved in starting and maintaining the commercial orchid farm?
The orchids will grow at an elevated platform, and we should work on the space between the benches, space for labours to apply pesticide and fertiliser, pluck flowers, and remove the yellow leaves. When we want to go for vertical growth, there is limited scope. We can erect poles and horizontal bars, and on top of the benches, we can have a few potted plants. We cannot have layers like in hydroponics as adequate light is not going to fall on all plants. The subsidy of 50% we get from government is there, we can employ 3 labours for a 2500 sq. m farm, and expenses such as electricity, lease, labour, pesticide, fertiliser, water supply will work out to approximately Rs.70,000/ per month. The revenue generation per month is around Rs. 1.2 to 2 lakhs. During off seasons, it reduces drastically. When the volume increases the operational cost is likely to come down. The breakeven point we could achieve in 5 years, and if we if we can increase the margin, we can do it in a lesser time frame.
Seeing the biodiversity and musical world of nature always mesmerise us, especially when we are living in the hustle and buzzle of the city life. The vision of Orchids n More in Bhubaneshwar is to inspire, enable, and engage people to adapt productive and quality farming, and the mission is to enable economic growth using innovative technology and process-driven production as when there is a process there will be discipline and success.
After serving in army for 22 years, I wanted to venture into agriculture. We had no land, no knowledge of agriculture being a civil engineer, and limited financial backup being retired from army. As destiny would have it, some land of my friend’s mother, which was in the outskirts of Bhubaneshwar was leased out to us for our farm. We went out to meet people, visited Agriculture Universities, met experienced farmers, subject experts and travelled to different parts of the country to find out what farming activity could be carried out. People were ready to help with technology and knowledge. While doing research, we found orchids as one of the ten most beautiful flowers in the world, which we felt would suit our place. Orchids are tropical flowers, and to our luck, Odisha is a tropical state. For production of orchids, a few important parameters need to be checked if available in the geographic zone, where orchid plantation is planned. First one is the humidity followed by temperature, light intensity, and water quality. Ideal humidity in the atmosphere should be 50 to 75%, temperature at 16 to 300 C, 25 to 30 K lux light is required for orchids, and water should be generally turbidity free with pH value less than 7 which is slightly acidic in nature. In Odisha, the temperature exceeds the tolerance limit during summers, shooting even up to almost 480 C inside the polyhouse. But plants get used to the vagaries of weather and adjust with minor modifications in the operational process.
What motivated us the most is the high shelf life of orchids; it can stay fresh for 30 to 45 days also if preserved correctly at home or office. We also had to decide whether we should go for a polyhouse or net house. The local farmers in Odisha were using shade net house only as orchids prefer rain water, which is slightly acidic. However, two crucial factors (Media and incessant rain for a prolonged period) made us think otherwise and we adopted the more expensive alternative; that is the Poly House. Here in Odish, coconut husk is available in abundance and we chose that as the media for planting orchids. The rainfall here in our part of the country is comparatively more and it continues for three to four months. What tickled our mind is; if the coconut husk media remains totally wet and soggy for four months, there is every likelihood of snails, fungal/bacterial attacks and disintegration of the husk quite fast leading to lots of problems in future. And we never regret this decision though we spent a few Lacs Rupees more as all the Net Houses in which the orchids were grown got shut down one by one in last few years.
After due deliberation for almost a year, we finally decided to take a plunge and started the process of applying for subsidy in September 2017, simultaneously, we began to understand how things had to move, the documentations required, and to get farmers’ registration. We realised we will get a subsidy of approximately 50% from the government, and the formal sanction came in March 2018. We started the work on ground on 01st April, 2018. The ground clearance done, weeds removed, water sump construction started, the Poly House erector from Pune started his work. Thousands of short concrete poles installed on ground in regular intervals and the beds were made. Lastly the coconut husk duly sterilised was placed on the beds. It was like a Project on a war footing with lots of interlinked activities. This gave us an opportunity to interact with the local villagers, our immediate neighbours and we employed them for the infrastructure setting up task. We had to teach them how the orchids should be planted, how to maintain specified gaps between the plants in a row and how to maintain row to row distance and how to secure the plants to the thin ropes tied on top of the beds. By July 2018, the plantation was done and the Project was complete. It took less than 04 months to complete the project on ground.
We faced many challenges during this journey. First, when the construction activity of the poly house had just started, thousands and lakhs of black insects started moving from the jungle and crawled into our Poly house, the sight was similar to watching a horror movie. Second; there was a torrential rainfall in Bhubaneshwar in July 2018, immediately after the completion of the Project. At that time self and my wife were in Delhi. The side wall of the polyhouse caved in, and water gushed in as the drainage system was not done properly on one side. The wild life sanctuary being next to our farm house, the Third challenge was, frequent visits of wild animals to our farm house. One fine day, while plucking the dry leaves from orchid beds, one of our boys was about to pluck the tail of a snake lying on the bed. Another day, a herd of elephants came inside the farmhouse, the solar fencing around the Poly house was the saviour. Fourth and the biggest challenge was on 03rd May, 2019, when Cyclone Fani with a gusting speed of 185 Kms totally blew off the Poly film in addition to twisting of the tubular poles of the Poly house. At that time, the blooming had just started and it took almost two months’ time to get back to normalcy. Fifth challenge was marketing. In floriculture, when one tries to explore the market physically before one starts the Project or before the product is ready for sale, the whole seller or buyer always asks to see the product to fix the price. But it was never available. So, perforce, one has to literally wait till the product is ready before one can start some serious marketing. We did not have much idea about how the flowers were going to bloom. During the first bloom, the flowers were small, and when we contacted the retailers, they outrightly rejected saying the flowers were too small. We did not know what to do, with so much of investment and not finding a single buyer was a big jolt. However, we never lost hope and started moving from one florist to the other. Finally, one florist helped us by buying the flowers though at a lower cost, and then, there was no looking back.
Transportation of orchids from the farm to the nearest market was again difficult. I had to use my own car, and we had to do everything by ourselves. In addition, there was attack of sporadic diseases, pests, insects, fungal infections and bacteria affecting the plants. Then came the mother of all challenges, the outbreak of pandemic Covid. The selling of flowers totally stopped as there was 100% lockdown with no functions or parties. Another major problem was retaining the man power. Initially, it was like a floating population. No one was clicking for a prolonged period. They leave once you train them, Then the entire process starts afresh.
To prevent snakes, we used carbolic acid in bottles with holes on top which deterred the snakes. We put up solar fencing to ward of elephants and other wild animals. We assembled and created a concrete vibrator for casting of the Poles for orchid beds when we started doing our second polyhouse. After fixing the poles in the polyhouse, the machine was lying idle for few weeks. Then, we modified it to meet our requirement to sieve vermicompost.
Slowly with the passing of time, the orchid plants started becoming mature. The growth of the orchids started improving from good to better. During covid, when the sales was very low, my wife, who had the skills to make bouquets and flower arrangements, taught couple of our staff to make bouquets, and we started selling them in Bhubaneshwar. We also started an Apiary with Government subsidy. and now we have 70 bee boxes and getting about 200 to 300 Kgs of honey. We also ventured into growing organic turmeric and foliage plants that people use during marriages and functions. Various Agriculture Universities started approaching us for exposure visits and to conduct structured training capsules for their students. We organise internship training for 7 to 14 days duration. In addition to standard Agriculture training, I also conduct few Army exposure training for the Agriculture students including organising story telling by the students about Param Veer Chakra award winners, both living and posthumous. We create a platform in which the students get hands on experience on how to stitch nets, how to prepare soil mix for potted plants, how to lay mushroom beds etc. In alignment with a drive for Zeo pollution and clean energy, we purchased an electric auto which is a zero-pollution initiative.
How did you manage to overcome the situation when no sales were done during the pandemic?
Initially, when the orchids were in the budding stage, we started doing controlled pinching the buds (Removal of new buds from the plants) so that the plants are not deprived of the much needed nutrients, at the same time ensuring better blooming of flowers for future. During the lockdown time, police permission was given to farmers for their day-to-day activities. We thought of distributing our orchids to Covid warriors as a small token of our gratitude and appreciation for what they were doing during the difficult times. Thus, we managed to gift our orchids to police officials, doctors, medicine shops, nursing homes, traffic police manning the movement on the road and within our known network. We never destroyed a single orchid grown in our farmhouse. This is how we got the goodwill of people and blessings of God. When Covid situation improved and the restrictions were not very stringent, we clicked back to the business mode and started delivering the flowers to people’s homes. Our marketing pitch was, “Colourful orchids at your home will bring in the much-needed bliss and glitter at your home”. And that really worked.
What are the key factors influencing the successful and commercial orchid cultivation?
Perseverance is the key factor. Challenges will be there in everything. Right from day-to-day management of orchids, covid, attack by elephants, sporadic attacks by pests and insects. Each minute is a challenge in everyone’s life. We should be prepared to face them and be proactive to prevent mitigate the problems. We need to keep thinking ahead of time.
We have to be humane in nature. Customers are our Gods. People who are working for us are our associates. We have to give them the kind of respect, life style, and look after them with the limited resources what we have. We help our men with their medical expenses if they fall sick and also, they are covered under accident insurance.
Our firm is a partnership firm, and we collaboratively take a decision, which is considered apt and justified for the organisation. Quality, integrity and ethical approach is never compromised in Orchids n More.
What are the most profitable orchid species for commercial cultivation, and why is it so?
The growers cultivate Phalaenopsis, Cattleya, Vanda and many other varieties based on the climatic condition at their place of growing. We have been growing Dendrobium in our kind of climatic condition and they are doing pretty good. It all depends on how beautiful the flowers are that someone has to offer, its vase life and cost of production. Dendrobium is a hardy plant that goes for a reasonably good price. The commercial viability depends on how is the marketing done and which is our client base. The customer base should be a combination of wholesalers, retail shops and the end customers. We are planning to set our foot in Dubai to sell our orchids. So, we are increasing the volume, working out on the logistics and looking at probable connects and opportunity to get a foothold in Dubai.
How do environmental factors such as temperature and humidity affect orchid cultivation?
Humidity and Temperature are very important aspects in orchid cultivation. High humidity and moderate temperature are ideal for growing orchids. That is why, these orchids cannot be grown in and around Delhi or Punjab or Rajasthan in a commercial mode. We have fogging system in our Polyhouse in addition to sprinklers, and misting system is also there below the beds to keep root zone humidified. To control the temperature, the fan pad system is the best option, but may not be commercially viable.
What are the best practices for orchid propagation and nursery management in commercial settings? How can we manage pests and disease issues in commercial production?
Keikis are small offshoots of orchids with roots which growing on the branches of the mother orchid plants when they are under stress. We can do a propagation to a small extent using them, but we cannot have a mass scale propagation using this technique. Controlled prophylactic application of pesticide to tackle issues such as bacterial & fungal attacks is a better option. Any symptoms of attack due to mites, thrips, grasshoppers and caterpillars must be dealt immediately.
How do orchid growers maintain consistent quality and blooming cycle in commercial production? How can issues related to transportation and distribution be addressed?
Technical innovation and standard operating procedures have to be followed along with discipline and observation every day. For any problem, we have to reach out to the experts and get advice from them. We have to explain to the labours about any changes in the protocol. They should be instructed about overwatering the plants as it kills the orchid plants. De-weeding and removal of grass should be carried out periodically. Transporting orchid flowers is the easiest thing as they are hardy plants. We have transported our orchids by train to Pune, Bangalore, Mumbai and Delhi and by bus to Kolkata and Jamshedpur. We are also using electric auto for local transport. Even after 36 hours of transportation, the flowers remain fresh.
How do orchid growers optimise greenhouse or growing spaces for maximum productivity? What are the financial considerations involved in starting and maintaining the commercial orchid farm?
The orchids will grow at an elevated platform, and we should work on the space between the benches, space for labours to apply pesticide and fertiliser, pluck flowers, and remove the yellow leaves. When we want to go for vertical growth, there is limited scope. We can erect poles and horizontal bars, and on top of the benches, we can have a few potted plants. We cannot have layers like in hydroponics as adequate light is not going to fall on all plants. The subsidy of 50% we get from government is there, we can employ 3 labours for a 2500 sq. m farm, and expenses such as electricity, lease, labour, pesticide, fertiliser, water supply will work out to approximately Rs.70,000/ per month. The revenue generation per month is around Rs. 1.2 to 2 lakhs. During off seasons, it reduces drastically. When the volume increases the operational cost is likely to come down. The breakeven point we could achieve in 5 years, and if we if we can increase the margin, we can do it in a lesser time frame.
