Born in a household of conventional farmers, Srikanth Bollapally lived in poverty as a toddler. He determined to take a distinct route and began rising flowers. As we speak, with a farmland of over 50 acres, he’s incomes crores yearly.
Srikanth Bollapally’s days at the moment are full of the glow of success. Residing in Bengaluru, this flower farmer resides the dream he cherished in his youth.
At 40, Srikanth is reaping important earnings from his floriculture enterprise. He cultivates 12 styles of flowers throughout his 40-acre farmland close to Doddaballapura, Bengaluru.
With clients from all throughout the nation, Srikanth earns a turnover of Rs 70 crore in a yr, working with a group of greater than 200 folks from throughout rural Karnataka.
Nevertheless, whereas these numbers appear staggering, the street to success for Srikanth was not a mattress of roses.
“I labored for Rs 1,000 per 30 days as a result of I wanted the cash. It was dedication and persistence that led me to the place I’m in the present day,” Srikanth shares in a dialog with The Higher India.
So, how did a younger Srikanth forge his technique to success, and how are you going to enter the floriculture trade? Right here’s his story.
Farming in his blood
Born and raised in a household of farmers within the Nizamabad district of Telangana, Srikanth describes his concept of labor to be simply farming.
“In my head, there was no different career for me. Farming felt like an apparent option to me,” he says.
Nevertheless, farming didn’t profit the household a lot.
“We have been drowning in poverty and debt. There have been so many challenges with the career and really much less earnings. I wished to get educated however I used to be in school 10 when my dad and mom advised me that they’ll not fund my schooling,” he shares.
Stricken with poverty, he needed to work to help the household earnings. “I used to be 16 and needed to begin working. I received a chance to work with a relative in Bengaluru. We had heard that floriculture was gaining momentum there and I made a decision to affix the relative,” he says.
In 1995, Srikanth moved to Bengaluru with goals of doing one thing. “Nevertheless, the cash that I used to be being paid was little or no. It was solely a thousand rupees a month, however I had little selection,” he says.
After working for a yr, Srikanth outfitted himself with the tips of the commerce, studying all the pieces from cultivation, harvesting, advertising, and even export of the flowers.
“I might clearly see that there was immense potential within the enterprise and I made a decision to take a leap of religion and do one thing of my very own. Again then, with no monetary help and little or no financial savings, I began to supply flowers from farmers and commerce them,” he says.
In 1997, he opened a small flower store within the metropolis. “I did that for greater than a decade and was making affordable earnings. Nevertheless, I had an urge to do extra. I knew there was immense potential should you knew the fitting flowers to develop,” he shares.
Wanting to start out his farm, Srikanth determined to start out rising his personal flowers. “I had lots of contacts within the trade, together with consumers and different floriculturists. White the thought of shopping for my very own land and beginning a farm was alluring, it got here with its personal set of challenges,” he says.
A multi-crore flower empire
The primary problem that he was introduced with was funding. “The per acre funding in a flower farm is rather more than a conventional farm. For the reason that funding is excessive, the dangers are excessive too,” he explains.
Whereas Srikanth had some financial savings, he additionally turned to the federal government for help. “The federal government offers lots of help to people like me. I drew up a plan and approached the Nationwide Horticulture Board to get loans and subsidies,” he shares.
Accumulating loans from the federal government and investing all his financial savings into shopping for his first piece of land. He began with 10 acres and has now grown to 52 acres of farmland.
Speaking in regards to the different difficulties that he confronted whereas organising the farm, he says, “Farming does include a bunch of dangers, particularly with adjustments in local weather circumstances. As a younger man within the enterprise, it was very tough for me to garner the belief of buyers and banks. As soon as that was executed, issues grew to become simpler.”
Srikanth grows 12 styles of flowers in his 52-acre farmland. These flowers embody Roses, Gerbera, Carnations, Gypsophila amongst others which can be grown organically in greenhouses and polyhouses.
“We attempt to be as natural and sustainable as attainable whereas cultivating our flowers. All of the waste that’s produced as soon as the flowers are able to be shipped is used to make vermicompost which is in flip used to fertilise the plant,” he informs.
Being within the trade for many years, Srikanth has realized a couple of classes that he carries and shares with everybody.
“There’s a basic development within the society, particularly within the youth, to not turn into farmers. That is largely due to the concept there aren’t any earnings. Nevertheless, should you play your playing cards proper, there’s some huge cash to be made on this trade,” he shares.
“For all those that are desirous to enter the trade, it’s a nice time to be right here. Nevertheless, in case you are in it for fast earnings and subsidies, then this won’t be the fitting selection. The artwork of rising flowers requires lots of persistence and onerous work. It’s important to get your arms soiled and be vigilant along with your flowers, water them, management pests and so forth. When you’ve got the dedication, nothing is not possible, all you want is religion and persistence,” he provides.
Srikanth’s clients vary from wholesalers, retailers, marriage ceremony planners and others unfold all throughout the nation.
Trying again at his journey up to now, he says, “I wished to review additional as a younger man however life appeared to produce other plans. At one level, there was no planning. I used to be simply following the trail in entrance of me and labored onerous, these are the one two issues I did,” he notes.
(Edited by Padmashree Pande)
