The worship of Tulsi has special significance in Hinduism, which is why even today, in both rural and urban areas of India, there is a Tulsi plant in the courtyard of the house. Apart from religious beliefs, since Tulsi is a medicinal plant, it is beneficial for our body and the whole environment. That is why a large number of people in India cultivate Tulsi. The good thing is that basil is used in making various products, so its demand is high and people are earning money by cultivating it. If you are also searching the internet to get information related to earning money by cultivating basil, then your search will end on this article.
Steps To Start a Basil(Tulsi) Farming Business?
Tulsi is used more in the manufacture of perfumes and in the cosmetic industry. Tulsi of a species called Ocimum is grown for the production of oil. This species of basil is cultivated on a very large scale in our country. It is cultivated on a large scale in districts like Moradabad, Bareilly, Sitapur and Badaun of Uttar Pradesh and Munger district of Bihar state. Similarly, basil is used in many products. Therefore, doing business of cultivation of basil can give you excellent profits.
Market demand for basil
Tulsi is considered an Ayurvedic medicine. That is why you do not need to invest much to cultivate it. If we talk about the demand for Tulsi in the market, then it has a very good demand in the market. There is a Tulsi plant in every house. Apart from this, Tulsi is used in various types of medicines and also in worship. Talking about the present, in this time of Karona period, Tulsi is being used a lot in various medicines. Due to this, its demand in the market has increased a lot. Due to the high consumption of Tulsi, its market has also become very big. In such a situation, cultivating basil or doing business with basil can be very profitable. The demand for Tulsi often remains in the companies manufacturing Ayurvedic, Unani and Homeopathic medicines or products.
Cost of basil cultivation
If we talk about the cost or investment for cultivating basil, then it can cost you 15 to 20 thousand to cultivate basil in about 1 hectare of land. Thus the more hectares of farmland you have, the higher your will be your cost. Sometimes this cost may be more or less due to weeding, hoeing and irrigation system, but still, it will not go above 25,000.
Benefits of cultivating Basil
If you want, you can earn profit by selling basil seeds or you can also earn profit by selling basil oil. If you sow around 150 kg of seeds in about 1 hectare of land, you can get basil oil of around 200 kg. The price of basil seeds in the market is around ₹ 200 kg, while the price of basil oil in the market is around ₹ 800 per litre. In this way, as an estimate, you can earn around ₹ 2,00,000 to ₹ 2,50,000 in 1 year from the cultivation of Tulsi.
How to Cultivate Basil?
If you are doing basil cultivation as a business, then you should have complete information about how it is cultivated, so that you can produce more and more basil and earn more profit. Keeping the following things in mind, you can do advanced cultivation of Tulsi.
Required soil:-
Basil seeds or basil plant is cultivated in such a place, where there is friable soil or loamy soil and there is no waterlogging.
The right time for cultivation:-
You can cultivate Tulsi in 12 months of the year, but the right time for Tulsi cultivation is considered to be the rainy season. If you want, you can plant it in the second season also, but if it is cultivated in the second season, the leaves come less in it. The month of July is considered good for the cultivation of basil and if we talk about its sowing, then its seeds are sown between April and May and its seeds start sprouting only after 2 weeks after sowing. Talking about transplanting the same Tulsi plant, its transplantation is started in October or November.
Farm Preparation and sowing or plantation:-
For cultivating Tulsi, the field should be well ploughed with the help of a tractor first. After that, beds should be made in the field. Basil seeds are very small in size. That is why basil seeds can be mixed with sand or wood sawdust and put inside the soil. Water should be given immediately after putting basil seeds in the soil. Let us tell you that, if you are planting Tulsi plants in the field, then you should keep in mind that you should plant Tulsi plants at a distance of at least 50 cm from each other so that Tulsi plants grow big. But get the necessary space to spread.
Irrigation works:-
After planting Tulsi plants in the field, it is necessary to irrigate them with light water immediately. After irrigating once with light water, water has to be given again as per requirement at least twice a week. The person who cultivates Tulsi in the summer season should irrigate at least three to four times a week, while the person cultivating it in the rainy season should irrigate it once a week. According to many experts, when irrigating Tulsi should be stopped about 12 days before the harvesting of Tulsi.
Manures and Fertilizers:-
Let us tell you that the requirement of fertilizer for the Tulsi plant is very less. That is why you should apply fertilizer in the cultivation of basil within a limit. Tulsi seeds or Tulsi plants can be harmed or even burnt if you apply too much fertilizer. Never put too hot fertilizer in the Tulsi plant. If you want, you can add organic fertilizer to the Tulsi plant. As an organic fertilizer, you can add manure made from cow dung in the cultivation of basil. You have to apply this fertilizer at the time of plowing the field before planting basil plants.
Harvesting of Leaves:-
After planting basil seeds or basil plants in the field, after about 3 months, the basil crop becomes ready for harvesting for the first time. The basil crop is harvested in such a way that after cutting it, the stem grows again. When the leaves of the basil plant start turning green, then after seeing a bright sunny day, they should be started harvesting. If you do not harvest Tulsi plants at the right time, then doing so can reduce the amount of oil in Tulsi plants. That is why when basil plants start flowering, then you should start harvesting them. Apart from this, if the basil plant starts flowering, then you should start harvesting it.
Where to buy seeds for Basil cultivation?
You can buy seeds for planting basil plants from the agriculture shop located near your local area. Apart from this, if you want to cultivate any such variety of basil, whose seeds are not available near you, then you can order it from Amazon and other shopping websites. You will get 100 seeds of Tulsi plant around ₹ 150. Thus the more seeds you buy, the higher your will be your cost.
License for tulsi cultivation business
The general farmer does not have to take any license to cultivate basil, although if someone does contractual farming, then he has to take some license. Apart from this, if you want to sell ready-made basil in the market, then some documents are required for this like farmer’s Khatoni. You can get the details about this by visiting the office of the Farmers Welfare Department in your area.
Transportation cost of basil crop
You will need a tractor and a trolley to sell the finished Tulsi crop. If you are doing basil cultivation on a large scale, you can also hire a big truck to transport the finished crop. Transportation charges vary by distance and location.
Requirement of workers in Tulsi cultivation
If you are cultivating basil in one hectare, then you will need 2 more workers besides yourself. These workers can also be from your home or you can hire other labourers on daily wages. If you cultivate more hectares then the number of workers will double.
Marketing of Basil Farming Business
There is not much marketing of things related to agriculture. When you reach the mandi or the market with your ready crop, the customers themselves come to you, yet if you want to do marketing then you can contact the local shopkeepers, the brokers of the mandi. Marketing of Tulsi becomes very good through them and they easily sell your finished crop too.
Where to sell ready tulsi crop?
When the basil crop is ready, then if you want, you can sell the prepared basil crop in the market or by going to the market. There are such markets in almost every city or district, where products related to agriculture are bought and sold. Apart from this, if you have cultivated basil through contract farming, then you can directly give the finished crop to the company with which you have done your contact farming. Apart from this, you have to contact such companies or contact such people who buy Tulsi crops. Many Ayurvedic companies in India buy Tulsi crops. Many brokers deal directly with the farmers.
Risks in Tulsi Farming Business
There is a risk of weeds and insect moths in the cultivation of basil. For this, you should spray insecticide on Tulsi plants from time to time so that the insects cannot harm the Tulsi plant or Tulsi leaves. Apart from this, you should also take special care on its irrigation, so that its leaves do not dry up due to lack of water.
FAQ
Q: Which season is suitable for the cultivation of Tulsi?
Ans: 12 months can do, but the rainy season is considered best for this.
Q: How much investment is required for the cultivation of Tulsi in one hectare?
Ans: From ₹ 15,000 to around ₹ 20,000.
Q: Which soil is considered good for the cultivation of Tulsi?
Ans: For the cultivation of Tulsi, friable and loamy soil is considered good.
Q: Is it necessary to fertilize in Tulsi cultivation?
Ans: Yes, it is necessary to fertilize to protect from weeds and insects.
Q: Where to sell the finished Tulsi crop?
Ans: Can be sold to market, market, contract farming company or Ayurvedic, Unani or Homeopathic company.
Q: How much can I earn from Tulsi cultivation?
Ans: By cultivating one hectare of Tulsi, you can earn from ₹ 2,00,000 to ₹ 2,50,000 in a year. It also depends on how large a scale you are cultivating Tulsi.
Q: Can we put cow dung in Tulsi cultivation?
Ans: Yes absolutely.
Q: At what distance should Tulsi seeds or Tulsi plants be planted in the field?
Ans: At least 50 cm