Final setting2 with coverpage

Project Report Protected and Vertical, Hi-Tech farming Mixed Vegetables and Strawberry.

Sl. # Topics Page # 01 About Sultanpalle 01-01 02 Climate 02-04 03 Estimate 05-05 04 Basic Infrastructure 06-06 05 Part-1 Commercial Project 08-08 Commercial project CEA-Strawberry, Investment breakup 09-09 Commercial Project CEA-Broccoli / Purple Cabbage 10-10 Polyhouse Layout 11-11 Strawberry Vertical Tower 12-12 Strawberry Vertical farming internal layout 13-13 Crop cycle plan / Schedule Strawberry, Broccoli, Purple cabbage. 14-21 Financial Analysis Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) 15-15 Strawberry, Broccoli, Purple cabbage. 16-16 Cost of the Project 17-17 Project Profitability Statement 18-18 Balance Sheet 19-19 Projected Cashflow Statement 20-20 Net Present Value (NPV) 21-21 Internal Rate of Returns (IRR) 22-22 Return on Investment (RoI) Yield and Summary of Sales 23-23 Strawberry, Broccoli, Purple cabbage 24-24 06 Vertical Farming (Strawberry) 25-26 Introduction to strawberry 26-27 Strawberry production overview 28-29 Essential elements to grow strawberry 30-30 Strawberry varieties 31-31 Planting material and propagation 32-32 Plant caring, Harvest and Post harvesting process 33-33 Artificial pollination in protected farming, Strawberry Marketing overview of the strawberry 34-36 07 Food processing / Value addition 37-40 Equipment for food processing / Value addition 41-41 Food processing line system 08 Nutrition and Health benefits of the Strawberry 42-42 43-43 09 Commercial project-2, NVPH Cucumber 44-44 NVPH-Cucumber, Investment break-up 45-45 Polyhouse layout 46-46 Cucumber trough layout Trough details Crop cycle plan / Schedule. NVPH-Cucumber

Financial Analysis 48-48 NVPH-Cucumber 49-49 Cost of the Project 50-50 Project Profitability Statement 51-51 Balance Sheet 52-52 Projected Cashflow Statement 53-53 Net Present Value (NPV) 54-54 Internal Rate of Returns (IRR) 55-55 Return on Investment (RoI) Yield and Summary of Sales 56-56 NVPH-Cucumber 58-58 10 SWOT Analysis 59-59 11 Part-2, Charity Project Investment break-up 60-60 Tower model and Mixed model, Vegetables 61-61 Vegetable Planting plan details 62-62 Tower model and Mixed model, Vegetables 63-63 Polyhouse Layout 64-64 Mixed Vegetable weld mesh Tower Plan 65-87 Mixed Vegetable weld mesh Tower layout in the NVPH Mixed Vegetable Tri-layer pole Plan 88-88 Mixed Vegetable Tri-layer pole / Air-pots layout in the NVPH 89-89 89-89 12 Brief information about the Vegetables 90-90 90-92 13 Lighting 92-92 Light and Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR) 93-93 Photosynthetic Photon Flux (PPF) 94-94 Photosynthetic Photon Flux Density (PPFD) 95-95 Yield Photon Flux (YPF) 95-97 Day Light Integral (DLI) 97-97 Photosynthetically Photon Efficiency (PPE) 98-98 Kelvin Scale 99-100 PPFD requirements to grow plants Color spectrum details 101-101 Brief Information on Lumens/LUX 102-103 Converting PPFD to LUX / Vise-versa 104-104 Types of grow lights 105-105 106-106 14 Water 107-107 Irrigation and Types 108-108 The drip irrigation system 109-109 Irrigation water losses 109-109 Irrigation water Parameters Understanding water analysis parameters Electrical conductivity (EC) and Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) Alkalinity Hardness Sodium Adsorption Rate (SAR)

Ways to improving water quality 110-110 Calculation of the irrigation water 111-111 15 Nutrients 112-112 Nutrients and their characteristics 113-113 16 The plant nutrient uptake and pH 114-115 17 Interaction between nutrients 116-116 18 Relative proportions of plant nutrients 117-119 Nutrients and their functions 120-127 Fertilizers 128-128 Chelated Micronutrients 129-131 Criteria for evaluation of fertilizers for fertigation 131-131 Solubility specification of some commercial fertilizers 131-131 Compatibility of some commercial fertilizers 132-132 Precipitation of some commercial fertilizers 132-132 Chart : Mixing compatibility of some commercial fertilizers 133-133 The Soil 134-134 Humus 135-136 Soil formation 137-137 Physical properties of the soil 138-138 Fertilizer application and measurement 138-138 Quantitative application of the fertilizers 139-140 Bio fertilizers and Controls 141-142 Bio fertilizers 143-143 Bio controls 144-145 Biological insecticides /pesticides (Pathogens) Other natural methods of pest and disease control 146-146 Pheromone traps 147-147 Sticky traps 147-147 Solar light insect trap Protected farming 148-148 Low tunnel farming 149-149 Walk-in Tunnel 150-150 Wire rope net 151-151 Shade net house 152-155 Naturally Ventilated polyhouse (NVPH) and Retractable polyhouse 156-156 Other components of the NVPH/CEA 157-157 Retractable polyhouse 158-158 Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA); FAN-PAD polyhouse 159-161 Specification of the Fan and PAD (CEA) Polyhouse 162-162 Polyhouse layout 163-165 List of essential devices and things for the farming 166-166 Points to remember for better farming 167-167 Soilless potting mix / growing media 168-170 Preparation of the cocopeat for the perfect potting mix / growing media

ABOUT SULTANPALLE, Sultanpalle village is located in Shamshabad mandal of Rangareddy district in Telangana, India. It is situated 13km away from sub-district headquarter Shamshabad (tehsildar office) and 31km away from district headquarter Hyderabad. As per 2009 stats, Sultanpally is the gram panchayat of Sultanpalle village. The total geographical area of village is 414 hectares (4.14 SQKM). Sultanpalle has a total population of 1,261 peoples, out of which male population is 662 while female population is 599. Literacy rate of sultanpalle village is 46.87% out of which 51.21% males and 42.07% females are literate. There are about 282 houses in sultanpalle village. Pincode of sultanpalle village locality is 501218. Hyderabad is nearest metro to sultanpalle for all major economic activities, which is approximately 31km away. Sultanpalle is surrounded by Maheswaram Mandal towards South , Moinabad Mandal towards west , Rajendranagar Mandal towards North , Kothur Mandal towards South. Hyderabad , Farooqnagar , Singapur , Sangareddy are the nearby Cities to Sultanpally. Sultanpally is situated at an altitude of 561 meters (1840+ Feet), ASL. It is located at (GPS Decimal coordination) Longitude: 17.2680597, Latitude: 78.3034336, (GPS Time coordination) N 17o16’5” and E78o18’10”. TOPOGRAPHY The Total area of Sultanpalle is 414 hectares(4.14 sq km). The nonagricultural area in this locality is 25 hectares. The barren uncultivable area is 19 hectares. The waste land in this locality is 7 hectares. The unirrigated land is 325 hectares. AGRONOMY INFO. Sultanpalle comes under Sothern Plateau n Hills Agro-climatic Zones, per Telangana agro-climatic zones , Southern Telangana Zone(STZ), It has red clayey soils (22.3%), red gravelly loam (16.5%) and alluvio-colluvial soils (14.4% of the area). As a whole, the zone is dominated by different textured red soils with varied depths to an extent of 54.8 per cent and is followed by alluvio-colluvial soils and calcareous soils (11.2%). Predominant crops in this zone include sorghum, cotton, rice, red gram, sesame maize, castor, safflower, groundnut and Vegetables. UNIVERSITIES / CENTRAL N STATE INSTITUTES AND CENTRES ETC… PJTSA, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad; RAR, Palem; ARS, Kampasagar, ARS, Tandur; RRC-ARI / MRS / ARI-Mainfarm /AICRP-Forage crops and utilization / MANAGE /NAARM / IIRR / IIMR / DSR: Rajendranagar; CRIDA / ATARI: Santoshnagar; MRC: Hanumanngar; CIMAP: Boduppal; CFTRI: Habisguda; CoE: Jedimetla; KVK (HRF): Hayathnagar; REACHING SULTANPALLE AIR: RGIA-Hyderabad (HYD), 12+ KM; RAIL: Umdanagar(UR) 12+ KM; Budvel(BDVL),18+KM; Secundrabad(SC) 38+ KM; Hyderabad Deccan, Nampally (HYB) 34+ KM; ROAD: Hyderabad (31+ KM), Shamshabad (12+ KM). NH7 and NH44; 1

CLIMATE Sultanpalle comes under Sothern Plateau n Hills, Agro-climatic Zones, per Telangana agro-climatic zones , it is Southern Telangana Zone(STZ). Month Temperature Rain (mm) / Humidity Wind Sun Hours UV (Celsius) (Days) (Cloud) Max / Avg (Days) January 7 February Day / Night 0/(0) (%) (Km/Hr) 363 (31) 7 March 29 /19 0/(0) 49 (18) 15.6 / 11.5 336 (28) 9 April 32/21 0/(0) 36 (10) 16.6 / 12.1 372 (31) 9 May 37/24 0/(0) 26 (03) 15.5 / 10.5 358 (30) 7 June 40/28 0/(0) 26 (08) 17.3 / 12.0 362 (31) 6 July 40/30 167.3 /(8) 32 (20) 21.0 / 15.9 252 (22) 7 August 34/26 369.1 / (16) 62 (61) 23.9 / 19.5 143 (15) 6 September 30/24 147.4 /(8) 80 (75) 24.3 / 20.3 231 (23) 6 October 29/23 116.2 / (2) 74 (61) 21.1 / 16.9 206 (28) 6 November 30/23 34 / (1) 82 (66) 21.2 / 16.4 324 (31) 5 December 30/22 47.2 /(2) 71 (36) 210 (28) 6 29/20 0 / (0) 75 (59) 13.8 / 9.9 349 (31) 29/18 52 (18) 15.1 / 11.4 13.7 /10.3 ANNUAL TEMPERATURE CHART 2

ANNUAL RAINFALL CHART ANNUAL HUMIDITY CHART ANNUAL SUN HOURS AND DAYS CHART 3

ANNUAL WIND SPEED CHART ANNUAL UV RADIATION CHART 4

Project area Total 3.0 Acre 2128 Sqm Method of cultivation 8208 Sqm Protected cultivation / Semi protected cultivation. 2000 Sqm Details of an area Vertical farming 3/6 layers, Single layer, Vertical trellis/ utilization Pandal system a) Controlled Environment Agriculture (Fan-Pad) Farming method b) NVPH Polyhouses ( 3 Ea) c) Cold storage, Packaging room, control room, Store and office Organic / Inorganic (Soilless) Irrigation method Drip irrigation Water requirement 100,000-200,000 Ltrs/Day Water quality required Reverse osmosis (RO) water with TDS <200 PPM Technology a) Hydroponic (Dutch-bucket) / Soilless ( In Upvc troughs, HDPE troughs, HDPE/LDPE growbags. b) Smart Agriculture (Sensor based, IoT enabled automated system) Power requirement Electricity board / Dept., : 150 KW service line Power usage: 200-400 units/day Power backup: Solar power system with 180 KVA / Genset. Vegetables a) French beans, Cluster beans, Eggplant, Chilli. b) Cauliflower, Cabbage, Kohlrabi. Fruit c) Carrot, Beetroot, Radish, Potato, Onion, Shallot, Project setup time Project lifespan Elephant foot yam, Garlic, Turmeric and Ginger. d) Spinach, Fenugreek, Roselle, Dill, Amaranthus , Malabar spinach, Drumstick leaves e) Ridge gourd, Bitter gourd, Bottle gourd, Ivy gourd, Ash gourd, Chayote, Pumpkin, Mangalore sambar cucumber, Drumstick, Curry leaves f) Cucumber, Tomato Strawberry 90 – 150 days 20+ years (With every 3 years Poly-film replacement, Painting and small maintenance) Project Investment +/- 8.2 crores, INR (Including consultancy) FYI: This estimate is prepared without considering any subsidies. 5

Basic Infrastructure (For the entire project) Cold storage L/S 2,000,000.00 1,000,000,00 Packaging house L/S L/S 800,000.00 Store 1,000,000.00 L/S R.O Plant 01 800,000.00 01 L/S Screw press L/S 800,000.00 01 L/S Dewatering system L/S 1,800,000.00 01 L/S 1,800,000.00 Substrate Mixing 01 Total-2 L/S 500,000.00 Machine L/S 800,000.00 1,000,000.00 250 KVA Genset 12,300,000.00 1,230,000.00 20 KVA 13,530,000.00 Boiler and Tanks S.S. Tank storage Agri equipment Consultancy-2 10% (+GST Excluded) 6

PART-1 COMMERCIAL PROJECT 7

COMMERCIAL PROJECT-1(A) CEA-STRAWBERRY 0.5 Acre (28 x 76= 2128 SQM) Effective Area: 28x72 = 2016 SQM (91.84 x 236.16 = 21,688.93 Sqft) Rows: 14 (@ 2.0 mtrs); Plant density: 66,080; Trough density: 472 (@ 1x1 Ft), Troughs/Row= 10, Trough density= 10*14=140, Trough length (72 Mtr/ 236 Ft) Total columns= 49 (@ 1.5 mtr spacing), Total troughs/line: 24 (@ 3 Mtr length) Connector: 24 x 10x14 = 3360 (3500), End cap: 2x10x14= 336 (350) Items Qty Rate Amount Polyhouse 2,128 Sqm 2,853.00 6,071,184.00 Irrigation L/S L/S 1,400,000.00 Automation L/S L/S M/S Pipe (50x50x3 mm (4.25 Kg/Mtr)) 15,618.75 Kg L/S 800,000.00 M/S Pipe (25x25x2,9mm (1.89 Kg/Mtr)) 13,140.00 Kg L/S 2,000,000.00 Troughs (3 mtr / 11520 RMT) 3840 Ea. 1,700,000.00 Connectors 3840 Ea. 1550.52 5,953,996.80 Endcap 320 Ea. 210.98 Substrate (600 M3) 318,000 Kg 255.58 810,178.56 Cocopeat: 180,000 Kgs (10.8L @6 Kg) 13.32 81,788.16 Perlite: 12,000 Kgs (10.5L @ 35/Kg) L/S Vermiculite: 30,000 Kgs (18L @ 150/Kg) 72000 18 4,235,760.00 Fertilizers 2800 Sqm 80 Seedlings L/S 800,000.00 Weed mat L/S 1,296,000.00 Packaging material Misc. 160,000.00 Installation 10,000,00.00 1,000,000.00 Consultancy 12% 1,000,000.00 27,308,907.52 (INVESTMENT) SUB TOTAL 3,277,068.90 30,585,976.42 Crop cycles 1 cycle /Year Planting season: August 3rd week – February 2nd week Yield per crop cycle 50,000 Kgs GROSS INCOME: 50,000 Kgs x 250 RS/Kg 12,500,000.00 Recurring expenses ( One crop cycle / Year) 3,750,000.00 1. Seedlings: 70000/Cycle: 1,100,000.00 2. Fertilizers: 500,000.00 3. Utility and Misc.: 150,000.00 4. Substrate: 500,000.00 5. Poly film replacement: 100,000.00 6. Labour 600,000.00 7. Packaging Material 800,000.00 Net income 8,750,000.00 RoI 4th year BCR (Benefit-Cost Ratio) 1: 3.1 ** While calculating, Recurring charges for the first year, don’t consider #1, #2, #4 and #7 from the Recurring charges. 8

COMMERCIAL PROJECT-1(B) CEA- Broccoli / Purple Cabbage 0.5 Acre (28 x 76= 2128 SQM) Effective Area: 28x72 = 2016 SQM (91.84 x 236.16 = 21,688.93 Sqft) Rows: 14 (@ 2.0 mtrs); Plant density: 21,980; Trough density: 157 (@ 1.5 Ft), Troughs/Row= 10, Trough density= 10*14=140, Trough length (72 Mtr/ 236 Ft) Total columns= 49 (@ 1.5 mtr spacing), Total troughs/line: 24 (@ 3 Mtr length) Connector: 24 x 10x14 = 3360 (3500), End cap: 2x10x14= 336 (350) Items Qty Rate Amount Crop cycles 2cycle /6 month Planting season: 01 3rd week, Feb - 2nd week, May Planting season: 02 3rd week, May – 2nd week, Aug Plant density Yield Per Plant (Broccoli 0.400 – 0.900Gms) 21,980 Yield Per Plant (Purple Cabbage 0.500 – 1200 Gms) Yield Planting season1 (Broccoli) 11,000 KGs Yield Planting season2 (Purple cabbage) 21,000 Kgs Gross income (Broccoli): 10,000 Kgs x 80 Rs 800,000.00 Gross income (Purple Cabbage): 21,000 Kgs x 40 Rs 840,000.00 Total Gross income 1,640,000.00 Recurring expenses ( 2 Crop cycles) 563,000.00 Labour 100,000.00 Seedlings 23000 No. x 3Rs. x 2 Crop Cycle 138,000.00 fertilizers 300,000.00 Utility and Misc. 025,000.00 Net income 1,077,000.00 BCR (Benefit-Cost Ratio) 1:1.9 ** While calculating, consider all from the Recurring charges. 9

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STRAWBERRY, BROCCOLI and PURPLE CABBAGE CROP CYCLE PLAN / SCHEDULE Ye Months / Days ar 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11 12th 1 3 4 6 7 9 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2222 33 3 3 3 5 0 5 0 5 0 0 2 3 5 6 8 9 1 2 4578 01 3 4 6 5 0 5 0 5 0 5 0 5 0505 05 0 5 0 1st SB BC PC 2nd SB BC PC 3rd SB BC PC 4th SB BC PC 5th SB BC PC 6th SB BC PC 7th SB BC PC 8th SB BC PC 9th SB BC PC 10th SB BC PC 11th SB BC PC 12th SB BC PC SB: Strawberry; BC: Broccoli; PC: Purple cabbage; Crop growing phase Harvesting Transplanting of seedlings Replacement of substrate 13

FINANCIAL ANALYSIS, Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA), Strawberry, Broccoli and Purple Cabbage. 14

COST OF THE PROJECT Amount in Lakhs COST OF THE PROJECT MEANS OF FINANCE Polyhouse and other 232.13 Promoters Contribution 284.90 structural work Installation and other civil 10.00 works Miscellaneous 10.00 Consultancy charges 32.77 TOTAL 284.90 TOTAL 284.90 Note: Cost of land is not included in the above calculations 15

PROJECT PROFITABILITY STATEMENT YEARS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 TOTAL 142.20 142.20 142.20 142.20 142.20 142.20 142.20 142.20 142.20 142.20 142.20 142.20 1706.40 INCOME Gross Receipts from Sale of Strawberry, Broccoli & Purple Cabbage TOTAL 142.20 142.20 142.20 142.20 142.20 142.20 142.20 142.20 142.20 142.20 142.20 142.20 1706.40 EXPENDITURE 14.34 12.38 12.38 12.38 12.38 12.38 12.38 12.38 12.38 12.38 12.38 12.38 150.52 Cost of Seedlings Labour Charges 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 84.00 16 Utility & Maintenance 1.75 1.75 1.75 1.75 1.75 1.75 1.75 1.75 1.75 1.75 1.75 1.75 21.00 Fertilizers 11.00 8.00 8.00 8.00 8.00 8.00 8.00 8.00 8.00 8.00 8.00 8.00 99.00 Replacement Charges 6.00 6.00 6.00 6.00 6.00 6.00 6.00 6.00 6.00 6.00 6.00 66.00 Packing Materials 10.00 8.00 8.00 8.00 8.00 8.00 8.00 8.00 8.00 8.00 8.00 8.00 98.00 Depreciation 14.25 14.25 14.25 14.25 14.25 14.25 14.25 14.25 14.25 14.25 14.25 14.25 170.94 Income Tax 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 Surplus 83.87 84.83 84.83 84.83 84.83 84.83 84.83 84.83 84.83 84.83 84.83 84.83 1016.94 TOTAL 142.20 142.20 142.20 142.20 142.20 142.20 142.20 142.20 142.20 142.20 142.20 142.20 1706.40 Note: Selling price and cost of expenses are considered at the same rate for the entire cycle without providing any escalations

BALANCE SHEET 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 YEARS CAPITAL AND LIABILITIES Capital 343.76 378.59 413.41 448.24 483.06 517.89 552.71 587.54 622.36 657.19 692.01 726.84 TOTAL 343.76 378.59 413.41 448.24 483.06 517.89 552.71 587.54 622.36 657.19 692.01 726.84 17 PROPERTIES AND ASSETS Fixed Assets 270.65 256.41 242.16 227.92 213.67 199.43 185.18 170.94 156.69 142.45 128.20 113.96 Deposits & Advances 0.00 50.00 100.00 150.00 200.00 250.00 300.00 350.00 400.00 450.00 500.00 550.00 Sundry Debtors 50.00 50.00 50.00 50.00 50.00 50.00 50.00 50.00 50.00 50.00 50.00 50.00 Closing Balance 23.11 22.18 21.25 20.32 19.39 18.46 17.53 16.60 15.67 14.74 13.81 12.88 TOTAL 343.76 378.59 413.41 448.24 483.06 517.89 552.71 587.54 622.36 657.19 692.01 726.84

PROJECTED CASH FLOW STATEMENT YEARS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 SOURCES OF FUNDS Opening Balance 83.87 23.11 22.18 21.25 20.32 19.39 18.46 17.53 16.60 15.67 14.74 13.81 Surplus 84.83 84.83 84.83 84.83 84.83 84.83 84.83 84.83 84.83 84.83 84.83 Depreciation 14.24 14.24 14.24 14.24 14.24 14.24 14.24 14.24 14.24 14.24 14.24 14.24 Promoters 284.90 18 Contribution 383.01 122.18 121.25 120.32 119.39 118.46 117.53 116.60 115.67 114.74 113.81 112.88 TOTAL APPLICATION OF FUNDS Fixed Assets 284.90 Deposits & Advances 50.00 50.00 50.00 50.00 50.00 50.00 50.00 50.00 50.00 50.00 50.00 Increase in Debtors 50.00 Drawings by Promoters 25.00 50.00 50.00 50.00 50.00 50.00 50.00 50.00 50.00 50.00 50.00 50.00 Closing Balance 23.11 22.18 21.25 20.32 19.39 18.46 17.53 16.60 15.67 14.74 13.81 12.88 TOTAL 383.01 122.18 121.25 120.32 119.39 118.46 117.53 116.60 115.67 114.74 113.81 112.88

NET PRESENT VALUE (NPV) Discounting Rate 12% YEAR INVESTMENT CASH INFLOW 0 284.90 0.00 1 0.00 2 0.00 98.11 3 0.00 99.07 4 0.00 99.07 5 0.00 99.07 6 0.00 99.07 7 0.00 99.07 8 0.00 99.07 9 0.00 99.07 10 0.00 99.07 11 0.00 99.07 12 0.00 99.07 99.07 TOTAL 284.90 1187.88 Discounted Cash profit ₹ 612.82 NPV ₹ 327.92 19

INTERNAL RATE OF RETURN (IRR) YEAR CASH PROFIT 0 -284.90 1 98.11 2 99.07 3 99.07 4 99.07 5 99.07 6 99.07 7 99.07 8 99.07 9 99.07 10 99.07 11 99.07 12 99.07 TOTAL 902.98 IRR 34% 20

RETURN ON INVESTMENT (ROI) 284.90 1187.88 Total Investment 12 Total Cash Profit 316.95% No of Years 12.63% ROI ANNULAISED ROI BY CONSIDERING THE TIME FACTOR OF 12 YEARS 21

YIELD & SUMMARY OF SALES Years 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 STRAWBERRY Yield of the strawberry 50000 50000 50000 50000 50000 50000 50000 50000 50000 50000 50000 50000 A (Single crop / Annum) Aug-Feb Sales at 250.00/Kg 0.0025 0.0025 0.0025 0.0025 0.0025 0.0025 0.0025 0.0025 0.0025 0.0025 0.0025 0.0025 B (Average sales price 125.00 125.00 125.00 125.00 125.00 125.00 125.00 125.00 125.00 125.00 125.00 125.00 250.00 – 400.00 Rs/Kg) C Sale Value of Fresh, Strawberry In Lakhs (A x B) BROCCOLI 11000 11000 11000 11000 11000 11000 11000 11000 11000 11000 11000 11000 Yield of the Broccoli 22 D (One crop cycle/year) Jun-Aug E Sales at 80.00 Rs./Kg 0.0008 0.0008 0.0008 0.0008 0.0008 0.0008 0.0008 0.0008 0.0008 0.0008 0.0008 0.0008 (Avg. 100-150 Rs./Kg) 8.80 8.80 8.80 8.80 8.80 8.80 8.80 8.80 8.80 8.80 8.80 8.80 F Sale Value of Fresh, Broccoli In Lakhs (Dx E) PURPLE CABBAGE 21000 21000 21000 21000 21000 21000 21000 21000 21000 21000 21000 21000 Yield of the P.Cabbage G (One crop cycle/year) Mar-May H Sales at 40.00 Rs./Kg 0.0004 0.0004 0.0004 0.0004 0.0004 0.0004 0.0004 0.0004 0.0004 0.0004 0.0004 0.0004 (Avg. 40-80 Rs./Kg) 8.40 8.40 8.40 8.40 8.40 8.40 8.40 8.40 8.40 8.40 8.40 8.40 I Sale Value of Fresh, Purple Cabbage In Lakhs (Gx H) Total Sale Value (C+F+I) 142.20 142.20 142.20 142.20 142.20 142.20 142.20 142.20 142.20 142.20 142.20 142.20

VERTICAL FARMING Vertical farming is the practice of growing crops in vertically stacked layers. It often incorporates Controlled Environment Agriculture, which aims to optimize plant growth, and Soil /soilless farming techniques such as Hydroponics, Aquaponics and Aeroponics. The modern concept of vertical farming was proposed in 1999 by Dickson Despommier, professor of Public and Environmental Health at Columbia University. Current applications of vertical farming coupled with other state-of-the-art technologies, such as specialized LED lights, RO water, CEA, ICM, INM, IPM and IoT have resulted in over multi times the crop yield than one receives through traditional open field farming methods. The main advantage of utilizing vertical farming technologies is the increased multifold crop yield that comes with a smaller unit area of land requirement. The increased ability to cultivate a larger/same variety of crops at once because crops do not share the same plots of land while growing is another sought-after advantage. Additionally, crops are resistant to weather disruptions because of their placement indoors, meaning less crops lost to extreme or unexpected weather occurrences. Lastly, because of its limited land usage, vertical farming is less disruptive to the native plants and animals, leading to further conservation of the local flora and fauna. 23

INTRODUCTION TO STRAWBERRY Strawberry is (Fragaria × ananassa) is a widely grown hybrid species of the genus Fragaria, collectively known as the strawberries, which are cultivated worldwide for their fruit. The fruit is widely appreciated for its characteristic aroma, bright red color, juicy texture, and sweetness. The strawberry is not, from a botanical point of view, a berry. Technically, it is an aggregate accessory fruit, meaning that the fleshy part is derived not from the plant's ovaries but from the receptacle that holds the ovaries. Each apparent \"seed\" (achene) on the outside of the fruit is actually one of the ovaries of the flower, with a seed inside it. It is consumed in large quantities, either fresh, freeze dried or in such prepared foods as jam, juice, pies, ice-cream, chocolates. Artificial strawberry flavorings and aromas are also widely used in products such as candy, soap, lip gloss, perfume, and many others. The garden strawberry was first bred in Brittany, France, in the 1750s via a cross of Fragaria virginiana from eastern North America and Fragaria chiloensis, which was brought from Chile by Amédée-François Frézier in 1714. Cultivars of (Fragaria × ananassa) have replaced, in commercial production, the woodland strawberry (Fragaria vesca), which was the first strawberry species cultivated in the early 17th century. Strawberry cultivars vary widely in size, color, flavor, shape, degree of fertility, season of ripening, liability to disease and constitution of plant. On average, a strawberry has about 200 seeds on its external membrane. Some vary in foliage, and some vary materially in the relative development of their sexual organs. In most cases, the flowers appear hermaphroditic in structure, but function as either male or female. For purposes of commercial production, plants are propagated from runners and, in general, distributed as either bare root plants or plugs. Cultivation follows one of two general models annual plasticulture, or a perennial system of matted rows or mounds. Greenhouses produce a small amount of strawberries during the off season. 24

STRAWBERRY PRODUCTION OVERVIEW In 2017, world production of strawberries was 9.22 million tonnes, led by China with 40% of the total, and the United States with 15.7%. TOP PRODUCING COUNTRIES OF STRAWBERRY 2017 (Tonnes) Sl. # Country Production Share(%) 01 China 3,801,865 40.3 02 United States of America 1,420,570 03 Mexico 468,248 15.72 04 Egypt 464,958 7.1 05 Turkey 415,150 06 Spain 366,161 4.44 07 Russia 197,523 4.33 08 Poland 196,972 3.90 09 South Korea 196,122 2.13 10 Japan 159,000 2.12 11 Germany 143,221 2.11 12 Morocco 136,856 1.72 1.55 Total 9,220,000+ 1.47 Source: atlasbig.com, FAO,UN. SCENARIO IN INDIA Strawberry (Fragaria sp.) is a native of temperate regions, but varieties are available which can be cultivated in sub. Tropical climate. In India apart from Haryana, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Even in plains of Bihar, Telangana, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh etc… many farmers cultivated this exotic fruit successfully. TOP PRODUCING STATES IN INDIA, STRAWBERRY 2017-18 (000 Tonnes) Sl.# State Production Share 1 3.11 58.02 2 Haryana 1.08 20.15 3 0.85 15.86 4 Mizoram 0.14 2.61 5 0.08 1.49 6 Meghalaya 0.05 0.93 7 0.05 0.93 Kerala 5.36 Madhya Pradesh Himachal Pradesh Tamil Nadu Source: National Horticulture Board (NHB) 25

TOP PRODUCING STATES IN INDIA, STRAWBERRY 2017-18 (000 Tonnes) ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS TO GROW STRAWBERRY IN POLYHOUSE SUBSTRATE: One of the most important factors in growing strawberries is the substrate. Strawberries require good root zone aeration. Therefore, it is recommended that strawberries be grown in a substrate that can provide at least 15 percent porosity in the root zone with rich organic content (2%+) and good air influx in the root zone area. ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL The recommended environmental parameters for growing strawberries include: Temperature: Day: 18ºC-25ºC, Night: 10ºC-12ºC. Low night temperatures increase the flavor of strawberries. During flowering 14ºC-18ºC temperature increases overall productivity. Humidity: Maintaining the proper relative humidity is critical for growing strawberries. Low humidity affects calcium uptake, causing tipburn which affects photosynthesis and fruit quality. One need to maintain at least 60- 75 percent air relative humidity. EC and pH: When grown on soilless media, optimal pH value is around 5.7, and optimal EC values of the drip water in soilless cultivation systems are 1.5 to 1.7 dS / m. Hence, the optimal EC values of the drain in soilless cultivation systems are: 1.6 to 1.8 dS / m. Water: Strawberry requires average of 300 to 450 mm (12-18 inches) of irrigation water over the growing season with pH 5.5-6.8, EC: < 0.7 mS/cm and average TDS of 450 mg/L. Every plant requires 250-700 ml/day of water with 2-4 LPH 12/16 mm drip line. Other parameters of water to consider: Sodium absorption ratio: <30; Chloride content 130 mg/L; Boron: <0.7 mg/L; Nitrate: <5 mg/L; Bicarbonate: <1.5 meq/L Co2 : 400-900 PPM, 650-800 ppm, Elevating the CO2 concentration to 650 ppm and to 950 ppm resulted in higher fruit dry matter, fructose, glucose and total sugar contents, and low citric- and malic-acid contents. 26

Light: A minimum daily light integral (DLI) of 17 mol m-2 d-1 is recommended for strawberry plant runner growth and fruit production. 20 mol m-2 d-1 is considered the optimum DLI level. Studies of strawberries grown inside greenhouses have shown a maximum photosynthetic capacity and saturation point under 800-1,200 µmol m-2 s-1. PHOTOPERIODIC AND SUPPLEMENTAL LIGHTING Strawberry plants require a minimum DLI of 17 mol m-2 d-1 to maintain good fruit production and runner growth. In order to enhance growth and production, supplemental lighting is recommended when the optimum DLI levels cannot be achieved with natural light. FLOWER INDUCTION Another important use of supplemental lighting is for flower induction. Early flowering of a crop can be an advantage for harvest timing. Strawberries are available in a large variety of cultivars that can be grouped by photoperiodic response: short-day, long- day and day-neutral cultivars. To promote early flowering photoperiodic lighting can be applied to facultative (day-neutral cultivars with early flowering response during short days or long days) or obligate short-day and BLOSSOM REMOVAL During the first growing season, remove flowers of June-bearing strawberries as soon as they appear. Removing the flowers promotes root and runner development, thereby insuring a large crop the following year. HARVESTING Generally, berries ripen within 28 to 30 days (as few as 20 days under optimum conditions) after first bloom. The time between first bloom and full bloom can be 11 to 12 days. A great increase in the number of ripe fruit occurs over the first 4 to 6 days of harvest. Berries are harvested every other day under normal temperatures for about 6 to 7 pickings. Avoid picking the fruit when plants are wet. Keep harvested berries out of the sun and place them under refrigeration as soon as possible. Pick berries when they are fully colored for optimal size and flavor. Berries do not improve in quality after picking. FOR OPEN FIELD CULTIVATION Strawberry thrives best in temperate climate. It can be grown in sub-tropical conditions and plains from sea level to 1500 mm above ASL within a temperature range of 15-25°C and for flowering the temperature must be in the range of 14-18°C. Strawberry requires average of 300 to 450 mm (12-18 inches) of long-day cultivars. Studies have shown that 8 weeks of treatment (8-hour photoperiod to simulate short-day plants and a 16-hour photoperiod to simulate long-day plants) are enough to trigger flowering in strawberry cultivars. Photoperiodic lighting differs from regular supplemental lighting because the light intensity requirement to trigger flowering can be achieved with 2 µmol m- 2s-1 of light radiation. Specific lamps have been designed for photoperiodic lighting in order to save energy consumption. irrigation water over the growing season with TDS up to450 mg/L. Strawberry requires a well-drained medium loam soil, rich in organic matter (Over 2%). The soil should be slightly acidic with pH from 5.7 to 6.5. At higher pH root formation is poor, cannot stand water stagnation or alkalinity. 27

STRAWBERRY VARIETIES STRAWBERRY CULTIVARS Strawberries come in a wide assortment of commercially available cultivars. Differences between cultivars may include the ability to produce vigorous plants, degree of fertility, disease resistance (mainly to red stele and Verticillium root rots), fruit ripening date, berry freezing quality, firmness, berry size, color, shape, and flavor. Many cultivars have been developed at the University of California (Davis campus) by Driscoll Strawberry Associates Inc. (Watsonville, California), the US Department of Agriculture, Agriculture and Agri- Food Canada, and the UK's East Malling Research Station. Almost all of them are cultivars of Fragaria× ananassa. But some are Fragaria vesca and yet others are Fragaria chiloensis. Strawberry cultivars are of three types. They can be either June-bearing (Short day), Ever-bearing (Long day), and Day-neutral (day neutral) JUNE-BEARING (SHORT DAY) STRAWBERRY VARIETY: Any list of strawberry varieties will probably contain more June- bearing strawberry varieties than any other. June bearers are tremendously popular and common. They typically produce the largest strawberries, and do so over a period of two to three weeks, on average. Most June bearing strawberry varieties produce a harvest around the month of June, hence the name. However, strawberry varieties are further classified into Early Season,Midseason, and Late Season. By selecting strawberry plant varieties that produce during different parts of the season, you can prolong your harvest and enjoy fresh strawberries for an extended period of time. June bearing strawberries are most often of the Garden Strawberry variety (Fragaria x ananassa). June bearing strawberries are often planted using the matted row system. For reference, each of the June bearing strawberry types generally sets fruit for a total of 10 to 14 days. Early Season strawberry varieties usually begin fruiting in late spring. Early Midseason strawberry varieties begin fruiting about 5 days after Early Season varieties. Midseason strawberry varieties begin producing approximately 8 days after Early Season varieties. Late Midseason strawberry varieties begin fruiting about 10 days after Early Season varieties, and Late Season strawberry varieties begin their berry production about 14 days after the Early Season varieties. 28

EVERBEARING (LONG DAY) STRAWBERRY VARIETY Everbearing strawberries aren’t really “everbearing.” They generally produce two harvests per year: one in the spring and another in the late summer or fall. Under ideal conditions, it is possible for some everbearing varieties to produce three berry harvests. Most everbearing strawberry types are also Fragaria x ananassa hybrids, but some are of the species Fragaria vesca. In general, everbearing varieties put out less runners than the June bearing varieties, as most of the plants productive energy is directed toward producing multiple strawberry harvests. These are suitable for home garden rather commercial. DAY-NEUTRAL STRAWBERRY VARIETY Day neutral strawberry plants are unique. Unlike June bearing varieties, day neutral strawberries will produce a good yield in the first year they are planted. They flower and set strawberries whenever the temperature is between 12 and 29 degrees. The drawback to day neutral strawberry plants is that they produce smaller strawberries than do the June bearing and everbearing strawberry varieties. Their fruit is usually small to medium in size, rarely exceeding one inch. Day neutral strawberry varieties are often planted using the hill system or in locations where space is limited. FYI: In India June bearing (Short day) and Day neutral types are grown commercially. June bearing (Short day) type needs lesser day length (less than 12 hours) and 15C temperature to flower induction/blooming. Ever bearing (Long Day) type of strawberry requires longer day length (More than 12 hours) and moderate temperature ranges between 14-18C for flower induction/bloom. Day neutral type are relatively intensive to day length. In general, the average photo period for floral induction/bloom is 8-12 hours for all the types of strawberry and temperature requirement is between 14-18C. There are number of varieties, few which are grown in India are: Brilliance, Beauty, Sweet Ann, Winter Dawn, Festival, Nabia, Chandler, Camarosa, Winter Star, Sweet Charlie, Rania, Albion, Amiga, Capri, Flamina, Flavia, Vertona, Kemila, Margherita, Marisol, Mellisa, Vivara, Shaked, Ventena, Vp, Peles,Petaluma, Rociera, Rotemi, SA, Selva, San Andreas, Sweet Sensation, Florida Beauty, Murano, Royal Sovereign, Srinagar, Dilpasand, Torrey, Toiga, Solana, Bangalore, Pusa Early Dwarf, Katrain Sweet, Florida-90, Missionary, Blackmore, Klonmore & Klondike. Antana , Ofra, Gorella, Brighten, Catispill , Elaranthra, Belrubi etc….. 29

PLANTING MATERIAL AND PROPAGATION Propagation of strawberry is done in several ways. Using Vegetative propagation (Mother / Frigo plants, Fresh Plants, Runners, Seeds, Division of crowns of old plants) and Tissue cultured plants. Commercially Mother / Frigo plants, Fresh Plants, Runners and Tissue culture are very much in practice. Most growers procure Mother / Frigo plants and facilitate runner growth, once they get enough numbers of runners they use the same for transplantation. Each plant gives 10-20 Runners on an average. Tissue culture is widely practiced for commercial propagation of virus and nematode free planting materials for large scale cultivations. Plant parts that are mostly used for tissue culture are meristem and meristematic callus, anthers and other reproductive parts and young immature embryos. Method of planting Strawberry Planting Season / Time in INDIA Area / State Planting Season / Months Maharashtra August -November North East November to January North India September – January South India November-January and July-August 30

PLANT CARING, HARVEST, POST HARVESTING PROCESS Fertilizers and pest controls: Macro and Micronutrients plays a vital role in strawberry production. Nitrogen, Potash, Boron, Calcium, Magnesium, Zinc, Iron are very important. Regular spray of micronutrients at every 10-15 days interval is recommended. Humic acid, seaweed, NPK consortia, Bio fertilisers, Bio agents should be provided through drip irrigation and spraying at 10-15 days interval is recommended. Strawberry is easily suspectable to fungus and other diseases. Usage of Sticky traps, bio controls is highly recommended. Spraying of bio fungicide with bio controls at 7-10 days is mandatory. Harvest and Post Harvesting procedures Flower induction/Blooming begins right after 35-50 days of transplantation, Fruit formation begins thereafter and ready to harvest with in 20-30 days when Colour of berries change 50-75%. The Harvest will continue for at least 4+ months. Fruit should be plucked in the morning hours at every 2-3 days intervals. Plucked fruits must be collected in small trays/baskets and temporarily stored in the shaded area. The fruit once sorted, graded and packed in plastic Punnets (Boxes) and secondary packing (Outers) should be immediately delivered to the market Precooling: of strawberries at 1-4°C within two hours of harvesting is necessary for the preservation of fruit quality. For distant markets, fruits must be kept at the same temperature in reefer vehicles. Strawberries can be stored up to 10-15 days in cold storages. Grading: Based on weight, size and Colour strawberry is graded as following Sl. # Grading Weight 01 > 35 Gms 02 Jumbo 25-35 Gms 03 First 15-25 Gms 04 Second < 15 Gms Third PACKING Generally strawberry is packed Punnet in plastic Square, rectangle or heart shaped plastic containers called Punnets. Each punnet is filled with 200- 250 gms of Strawberry. Later placed in corrugated fiber trays/ ventilated cardboard boxes called Outer Outer 31

ARTIFICIAL POLLINATION IN PROTECTED FARMING STRAWBERRY A strawberry flower has 5 white petals, 20- 25 yellow anthers in a ring shape, and 400 pistils. As such, the flower of a strawberry has both male and female reproductive organs, hence, they’re known as hermaphroditic. The male part of the flower is called Anthers carrying pollens. Female parts of the flower are Pistils, around 400 pistils are present in one flower and each needs to be pollinated properly to have a greater shaped, sweet, coloured and quality fruit. Natural pollination: In an open field farming, with the help of rain and wind, pollen can be moved from the male (Anthers) to the female (Pistils) parts of the flower. Bees, butterflies, hoverflies, and beetles can also pollinate the flowers. Artificial pollination: In the protected farming, pollination need s to be done artificially, as bees can’t be comfortable in the polyhouse due to unfavorable conditions. The Artificial pollination is done, in many ways as following. Forced air pollination: Strawberry flowers are pollinated by Leaf air blowers, that vibrates the flowers to shed pollen from anthers onto pistils. Hand pollination: Using paint brush, gently rubbing the brush towards inside (Anthers to pistils) on the flower, makes anthers to spread on pistils properly resulting good pollination. Vibrators: An alternative way to pollinate strawberry flowers is using a tool to vibrate the flower at a high frequency. An electric pollinator is an effective tool for small scale greenhouse operation. A few seconds of vibration can be applied for individual flower clusters. When you apply this method, flowers (anthers) need to be dry so that pollen will disperse more evenly. Use of leaf blowers may be effective but careful use is recommended to avoid mechanical damage to plant stem and leaves. Pollination time and indices: The right time of the pollination is within the 1-4 days flower’s full bloom. After the female pistils are pollinated by male Anthers, they develop into the strawberry ovule, or achene, and the 5-petal flower wither and falls self. The achene, which grows into sweet, delicious fruit. You can see the achene or seeds on the outside of the strawberry, each of which is actually an individual fruit, 32

MARKETING OVERVIEW OF THE STRAWBERRY Though the strawberry is cultivated in India, the volume doesn’t cater the complete demand. India stands on 123rd place in importing the strawberry. Top importing countries are Argentina, Iran, Netherland, Thailand, Srilanka, USA and brazil. Total import of strawberry 2019 accounts $ 45.85 K with the volume 16.20 Metric Ton. India too, export the strawberry to Bhutan, Malaysia, Canada, Seychelles, Singapore, USA, China, Hongkong, UAE etc… India stands on 78th place in Exporting the strawberry. Total export of strawberry 2019 accounts $ 9.74 K with the volume 11.20 Metric Ton. There is a huge demand of strawberry. The wholesale prices of the berry ranges from 100.00 INR to 400 INR. There is a huge demand for organic/ Naturally grown strawberry, such produce fetches premium price ranges between 250.00 to 500.00 INR / KG. The shelf life of strawberry is very short, thus it’s good to process it and make some value- added products ie., Refer following pictures (L-R): Jam, Ice-cream, Flavored milk, freeze dried powder, Freeze dried sliced fruit, Yogurt, Syrup, Wine body wash, Moisturizer and Soap. The value-added products of the strawberry too bring great profitability VALUE-ADDED PRODUCTS 33

EQUIPMENTS FOR FOOD PROCESSING / VALUE ADDITION Blanching After vegetables/Fruits have been washed clean, they must undergo blanching (heating) in hot water at 88° C (190° F) for two to five minutes or with steam in a conveyor at 100° C (212° F) for one- half to one minute. Blanching inactivates natural enzymes that would cause discoloration and off- flavours and aromas. It also serves to reduce the number of microorganisms and to render vegetables limp for easy packing into containers. For some vegetables, such as spinach, snap beans, and collards, the blanching step also serves to remove harsh flavours. Cooling After blanching the vegetables must go through rapid cooling in either cold water or cold air for better quality retention. The vegetables are then ready for the various food-processing methods Dewatering After Blanching and Cooling, Dewatering is done to remove surface water from materials, This prevents Blistering, lessen frying period and Oil consumption. Dewatering can also maintain initial color and nutrient contents Dehydrated Drying Drying is probably the oldest method of preserving foods. The removal of water from vegetables is accomplished primarily by applying heat, whether it be through the radiant energy of the sun or through air heated by electrical energy. A major advantage of removing water is a reduction in volume and weight, which aids in storage and transportation of the dried products Modern drying techniques are very sophisticated. Many machines are available to perform tunnel drying, vacuum drying, drum drying, spray drying, and freeze-drying. Although freeze- drying produces a food of outstanding quality, the cost is high, and it has not been used widely in vegetable products 34

Freezing Frozen foods have outstanding quality and nutritive value. Indeed, some frozen vegetables, such as green peas and sweet corn, may be superior in flavour to fresh produce. The high quality of frozen foods is mainly due to the development of a technology known as the individually quick-frozen (IQF) method. IQF is a method that does not allow large ice crystals to form in vegetable cells. Also, since each piece is individually frozen, particles do not cohere, and the final product is not frozen into a solid block. Various freezing techniques are commonly used in the preservation of vegetables. These include blast freezing, plate freezing, belt-tunnel freezing, fluidized-bed freezing, cryogenic freezing, and dehydrofreezing. The choice of method depends on the quality of end product desired, the kind of vegetable to be frozen, capital limitations, and whether or not the products are to be stored as bulk or as individual retail packages. Freeze-drying technology refers to the method of dehydrating frozen fruits and vegetables under a vacuum. In the process, the moisture part of the foods takes a gaseous form directly from a solid state without going through the in-between liquid state. This technology is a very complicated scientific process and became popular when NASA used it to create freeze-dried ice cream for its astronauts. Now, the technology is being used for drying and preserving a significant number of food products including fruits, vegetables, and meats, amongst others. Interestingly, the size and shape of the dried products remain similar to original frozen material and provide excellent stability. Freeze- drying technology brings in several benefits, some of the key ones being. The foods become very light once the water gets removed from them. It makes portability quite easier for a large volume of foods and leads to cheaper transportation costs. Freeze-dried foods retain most of their taste, size, shape and nutritional value. The foods reconstitute to their actual state when kept in water. Refrigeration isn’t required for freeze-dried foods, since they’re shelf stable at room temperature and can remain intact for months or even years. Low water activity virtually removes microbiological hazards. Almost any kind of ingredient or food can be freeze-dried regardless of its solid or liquid state. 35

Vacuum Frying is a method of frying where the eatable is deep- fried in oil in vacuum or near-vacuum condition.The frying occurs in a low pressure, therefore the vegetable or the fruit can be cooked in oil at a lower temperature as compared to those snacks fried in normal pressure.The vegetable or the fruit is put in an airtight vessel where oil is heated. The vessel is then depressurized using a pump to generate near vacuum condition. The vegetable or the fruit is then deep-fried for a specified amount of time. Once the deep frying is complete, the vessel is again re-pressurized quickly. The oil required to remove the moisture content from vegetable or the fruit is less. Every piece of vegetable or fruit is more evenly fried throughout. It is widely used for preparing deep- fried snacks in India in recent times. Vacuum fried stuffs are of good quality, crispy, tasty, uniform fried, retains flavor and nutrients, requires less oil and no additives thus are very healthy over conventional frying. Retort Processing / Packing. Retorting is heating of low acid foods prone to microbial spoilage in hermetically sealed containers to extend their shelf life. The goal of retort processing is to obtain commercial sterilization by application of heat. Retorts sterilize food after it is sealed in a container by steam or other heating methods. Typically, the sterilization temperatures vary from 230°F/110°C to 275°F/135°C. A typical retort-able plastic container is made of an oxygen barrier layer such as ethylene vinyl chloride (EVOH) or polyvinylidene chloride (PVdC) sandwiched between two polypropylene layers. Flexible retort-able pouches are laminated structures that must provide excellent barrier properties for long shelf life, seal integrity, puncture resistance and must withstand rigorous thermal processing. 36

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NUTRITIONAL AND HEALTH BENEFITS OF THE STRAWBERRY FRUIT The nutritive value of a serving (147 g) of edible strawberries. Energy 45 cal Vitamin A 45 IU 94 mg Protein 1.0 g Vitamin C 540 mcg 29.38 mcg Fat 0.0 g Niacin (Vitamin B3) 540 mcg 0.6 mg Carbohydrate 11 g Folate 1.16 mg 0.2 mg Dietary fiber 2.0 g Manganese 0 mg Calcium 23.2 mg Iron Magnesium 16.6 mg Selenium Potassium 170 mg Zinc Phosphorous 31.5 mg Sodium Source: US Food and Drug Administration, 2009 41

COMMERCIAL PROJECT-2 NVPH-CUCUMBER 0.5+ Acre (36x76 = 2736 SQM) Effective Area: 32 x 72 = 2,304 SQM (104.96 x 236.16 = 24,787.35 Sqft) Rows= 72/2 =36, Trough density: 104/1.4= 74X2=148, Plant density: 140x36 = 5328 Items Qty Rate Amount Polyhouse 2736 Sqm 1100.00 3,009,600.00 Air circulation fans 24 L/S 216,000.00 Irrigation L/S L/S 800,000.00 Automation L/S L/S 600,000.00 HDPE Horticulture soilless Troughs 523,303.20 Twines etc… 1512 RMT 346.10 100,000.00 Substrate (200 M3) L/S L/S Cocopeat: 80,000Kgs (4.8L @6 Kg) 1,666,200.00 Perlite: 12,000 Kgs (3.15L @ 35/Kg) Vermiculite: 30,000 Kgs (6L @ 150/Kg) L/S 80 400,000.00 Fertilizers L/S 100,000.00 Seed n Others 2800 Sqm 160,000.00 Weed mat 200,000.00 Misc L/S 200,000.00 Installation 7,975,103.20 12% 957,012.36 Consultancy (INVESTMENT) SUB TOTAL 8,932,115.56 Crop cycles: 3 times/Year Cropping period / Cycles Cycle-1: 2nd week, July - 2nd week, October Cycle-2: 3rd week, October - 2nd week, February Cycle-3: 2nd week, March - 2nd week, July Yield per cycle: 25,000 Kgs/Crop Cycle Gross income 22,50,000.00 25,000Kgs x 3 Cycles x 30 Rs/Kg. Recurring expenses (3 cycles) 975,000.00 1. Labour 200,000.00 2. Seedlings 6000 No. x 7 Rs. x 3 Crop Cycle 125,000.00 3. fertilizers 300,000.00 4. Utility and Misc 5. Poly-film replacement 50,000.00 6. Packaging Material 100,000.00 200,000,00 Net income 1,275,000.00 RoI 7th year BCR (Benefit-Cost Ratio) 1:1.3 ** While calculating, Recurring charges for the first year, don’t consider #2 and #3 from the Recurring charges. 42

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CUCUMBER, CROP CYCLE PLAN / SCHEDULE Ye Months / Days ar 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11 12th 1 3 4 6 7 9 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2222 33 3 3 3 5 0 5 0 5 0 0 2 3 5 6 8 9 1 2 4578 01 3 4 6 5 0 5 0 5 0 5 0 5 0505 05 0 5 0 1st EC EC EC 2nd EC EC EC 3rd EC EC EC 4th EC EC EC 5th EC EC EC 6th EC EC EC 7th EC EC EC 8th EC EC EC 9th EC EC EC 10th EC EC EC 11th EC EC EC 12th EC EC EC EC : English Cucumber Crop growing phase Harvesting Transplanting of seedlings Replacement of substrate 46