Technique, timetable, training: How Punjab’s farmers are earning millions from cabbage, cauliflower

While their crop yield is like two ends of a spectrum, they both have come out of the wheat-paddy cycle and are doing good in their own way by growing cash crops that not just requires maximum support price (MSP) but also sells more than half of the year.

Farmer Paramjit Singh in his cauliflower fields. (Express Photo)

While the majority of farmers in Punjab are growing traditional wheat and paddy, some progressive farmers have shifted to high-value vegetable farming. These farmers, both with large and small land holdings, are reaping significant profits. The return on investment from these crops often far exceeds what is earned from traditional crops.

With 8 acres devoted to cabbage and the remaining acres to cauliflower, Paramjit has perfected the art of crop rotation and timely sowing to maximize profits. He harvests between 85 to 140 quintals of cauliflower per acre, depending on the variety and sowing techniques. For cabbage, he manages to harvest about 200 quintals per acre. Despite fluctuating market conditions, Singh spends approximately Rs 25,000 per acre on input cost and cultivation.

“I’ve made a timetable for my crops. I grow cauliflower twice a year, from September to December and again from January to March-April. The September-November crop yields higher prices, often sold at Rs 70 per kg from mid October to mid November, as the market supply is low. However, when the bulk of the crop enters the market by December, the prices can crash to Rs 1 or 2 per kg,” Paramjit says, adding that by March his next crop matures and he then sells it for Rs 10 to Rs 12 per kg.

Growing cash crops that not just requires maximum support price (MSP) but also sells more than half of the year for the farmers. (Express Photo)

He sees variable prices for cabbage, earning between Rs 6 and Rs 20 per kg depending on the market. Last year, Paramjit earned Rs 14-15 lakh from 8 acres of cabbage, with cauliflower sales bringing in between Rs 1.5 and Rs 2 crore, depending on market fluctuations.

His methodical approach has paid off and he was also recognised for his expertise, winning state-level awards from Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana, thrice. “Farming needs precision. It’s all about being calculative and following a schedule to match demand and supply,” Paramjit says, adding that he has been guiding several farmers in his area and has also provided jobs to several others.

But it’s not just big landowners making millions as small landholders are also seeing substantial profits.

Nirmal Singh follows a carefully crafted seasonal approach. He begins his vegetable farming by preparing the nursery for cabbage, cauliflower, and brinjal in August. By September, the seedlings are planted in the field, and by November, they are ready to harvest. Nirmal plants cabbage again in January and harvests it by April. His brinjal crop continues until March, offering him a steady income.

For Nirmal, cabbage yields an impressive 350 to 400 quintals per acre, while cauliflower provides 300 quintals, and brinjal yields a similar amount.

For Nirmal, cabbage yields an impressive 350 to 400 quintals per acre, while cauliflower provides 300 quintals, and brinjal yields a similar amount. In total, Nirmal harvests around 1600 quintals of crops from 2.5 acres. The cost of growing these vegetables is reasonable — Rs 25,000 per acre for cabbage and Rs 40,000 per acre each for cauliflower and brinjal. His yield is more because his sowing technique which is on both side of the beds or ridges made in the fields.

“Last year, I sold my produce at an average Rs 2,000 per quintal, earning Rs 30 lakh from my 1,600 quintals after meeting expenses. Even though this year’s prices for cabbage and cauliflower was good in the beginning but than it has crashed, I still managed to sell 650 quintals of cabbage and cauliflower, earning around Rs 4.5 to Rs 5 lakh from the sale of 650 quintals so far. My brinjal crop is fetching Rs 20 to Rs 22 per kg, allowing me to continue harvesting a steady income,” says Nirmal.

Even in a market downturn, his income from vegetables continues to far outstrip what he earns from wheat and paddy.

Manjit Kaur, Agricultural Development Officer in Gurdaspur, says Nirmal Singh has proven the potential for farmers with even small land holdings to make substantial profits. “By diversifying into high-value vegetable farming, they can earn much more than from traditional crops. It’s not the size of the land that matters, but how you use it,” she says.

Kamaldeep Singh Matharu, Deputy Director of Training (Entomology) at Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Faridkot, says, “Through innovative methods, planning, and an understanding of the market, farmers are revolutionising agriculture in Punjab.”