Motivated by the emerging market for dehydrated flowers, Shivraj Nishad from Kanpur’s Shekhpur village embarked on a remarkable journey in 2019 that would alter his life and uplift the lives of many in his community. Leaving his job as a pharma executive, the 32-year-old post-grad from Lucknow’s Dr A P J Abdul Kalam Technical University initiated a small-scale venture focused on cultivating, harvesting, and dehydrating local flowers.
“I was earning only Rs 21,000, and the job involved frequent travel, keeping me away from home for days,” says Nishad. “I decided to return to farming, but rather than continue with traditional crops on the family’s half-acre plot, I chose to grow butterfly pea, which thrives well here. Returns from growing traditional crops were minimal, and the input costs were high.”
From traditional crops to dehydrated flowers
Nishad began his venture with just 10 kg of dehydrated flowers and now sells between 20 and 30 tonnes annually, mostly sourced from Shekhpur and neighbouring villages. These villagers were traditionally growing crops like paddy, wheat, and lentils.
Previously, the sale of fresh flowers wasn’t lucrative enough; if they couldn’t sell them, the flowers would either be brought back home or discarded into the river. Nishad convinced the farmers to grow these flowers and sell them to him. With his encouragement, the villagers took floriculture more seriously and now grow seven different varieties — Nishad purchases their entire harvest. The growers are paid promptly and no longer have to travel 15 km to the nearest mandi with their produce.
Initially, Nishad started with butterfly peas and has since expanded his product line to include rose, hibiscus, marigold, calendula, lemongrass, spearmint, tulsi, jasmine, chamomile, and ginger — all used for making teas, syrups, or preserves. “I earn around a lakh rupees a month,” says Nishad, with a turnover ranging between 20 to 30 tonnes annually.
He has established a small centre outside the village where farmers from the nearby area come to sell their harvested flowers twice a day — once in the morning and once in the evening. These fresh flowers are dehydrated within 12 to 15 hours.
The use of solar dryers was a key turning point in Nishad’s business venture. Initially, he dried flowers in an open environment, exposed to dust, bird droppings, and unpredictable weather conditions, which could damage the product. Eventually, he invested in a solar dryer costing Rs 60,000, which not only accelerated the dehydration process but also ensured that the product remained pure.
Solar dryers: A game-changer
The solar dryer, consisting of trays placed on a metal stand under a roof of polycarbonate sheets with a total area of about five square metres, is particularly valuable during the monsoon when flowers typically get wasted. With this setup, Nishad can dry two batches of flowers per day, compared to just one using open-air drying methods.
“Solar dryers have been a game-changer for us,” says Nishad. “They ensure the highest quality products by preventing dust, preserving colour and texture, protecting against rain, and maintaining overall product quality, which allows farmers to command premium prices in the market.”
India stands first in dry flower exports due to its wide availability of various plant species. Dried flowers are exported to the USA, Japan, Europe, and the Middle East. The export industry for dried flowers and plants from India is valued at around Rs 100 crore annually, with over 500 varieties being shipped to 20 countries.
“Nishad’s success has attracted the attention of numerous farmers from his region, leading over 100 farmers to collaborate by supplying raw materials, thereby improving their livelihoods. His story inspires other farmers to leverage the locally available farm produce, cater to the challenge of food loss/spoilage, and integrate innovative clean-energy-powered livelihood technology to improve their incomes via value addition,” says Divya Gaur, programme lead, Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW).
Inspiring farmers to embrace solar drying technology
Solar dryers enable farmers to efficiently dry perishable commodities like fruits, vegetables, flowers, and herbs. These dryers ensure the highest quality products by preventing dust, preserving colour and texture, protecting against rain, and maintaining overall product quality, which allows farmers to command premium prices in the market.
A study by CEEW estimates that India has the potential to deploy as many as 1.68 lakh solar dryers, impacting up to 34 lakh livelihoods. States like Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarat have the highest potential for these solutions.
Not only has Shivraj guided fellow villagers on the aspects of growing, harvesting, drying, and marketing their produce but also mentored farmers in states like Karnataka, Odisha, and Kerala — ones who came to know of his endeavours through social media.
“Farmers like Nishad, who are early adopters of solutions like solar dryers, can inspire millions across the country to embrace technologies like these to boost their incomes and become microentrepreneurs by selling quality dried products,” remarks Gaur.
Closer to home, Sonu Kumar (40) from a village in Raebareli, who grows chamomile and calendula on a five-acre plot, sells his entire produce to Nishad. “My village is 100 km from Kanpur, but he picks up my entire harvest, dehydrates it, and sells it. I receive a price ranging from Rs 300 to Rs 450 per kg,” says Sonu.
With rising demand, Nishad has invested in a larger solar dryer that he has custom-fabricated. “I would advise those looking for opportunities in the dehydration of farm produce to consider building their solar dryers. You can create a 500 kg capacity polyhouse solar dryer for Rs 60,000, whereas purchasing one in the market would cost around Rs 3 lakh,” he informs.
Soon, he plans to enter the e-commerce market with his brand, Blue Veda, which offers a range of 15 products. The significance of Nishad’s journey extends beyond mere entrepreneurship; his collaborative efforts have not only increased household incomes but have also fostered a spirit of community resilience and cooperation.
Edited by Pranita Bhat
