January Sowing: Farmers Can Earn Record Profits with Early Vegetable Cultivation

• Early sowing of vegetables in January offers significant profit opportunities despite cold weather.
• District Horticulture Officer Dr. Puneet Kumar Pathak advises using 'low-tunnel' technique or polybags for early cucurbit crops.
• Okra, bottle gourd, and bitter gourd are recommended for early cultivation, maturing in 45-65 days.
• Initial market prices for early vegetables like okra (70-90 rupees/kg) and bottle gourd (30-40 rupees/piece) are very high.
• Farmers can earn 1.5 to 2 lakh rupees per acre from early cultivation, turning ridge gourd and cucumber into 'cash crops'.

Why It Matters: Early vegetable cultivation in January can lead to record-breaking profits for farmers due to high market demand.