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College Dropout Turns Marigold Farmer, Sells 4 Crore Seedlings/Year

Kolaghat's Arup Kumar Ghosh took a Rs. 3,500 salaried job in the Gudimalkapur flower market to learn about the marigold business and later turned into a farmer.

By Ishita Ganguly
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marigold farmer Arup Ghosh

Kolaghat's marigold farmer Arup Kumar Ghosh

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A college dropout from the small town of Kolaghat in West Bengal dreamed of starting a flower business as his hometown is popular for its flower market. Growing up, Arup Kumar Ghosh has always wondered how the flower business worked because he had seen the flowers from his hometown sold all over the country.

From dumping college to getting involved in the flower business

After quitting his bachelor’s degree in financial accounting in 2010, Arup started visiting local flower markets to learn about the business.

In an exclusive interview with Startup Pedia, Kolaghat resident Arup shared his journey from being a college dropout to becoming a wholesale marigold seller.

When he learnt that Gudimalkapur in Hyderabad is one of India's largest wholesale flower markets, without hesitating, Arup left his hometown and went there. He took a Rs. 3,500 monthly salary job in the Gudimalkapur flower market.

"Though I came from a middle-class background, earning money was not the main objective for me," the flower farmer told Startup Pedia. "I took the low-pay job because, at the moment, I wanted to learn the ropes in the flower business."

Once he learned in detail about the flower business, Arup told his employer that he would return home and supply the marigold seeds and flowers that were coming from his town. Impressed with his business brain, his employer offered him a better salary package, a smartphone and a scooter. However, Arup Ghosh refused the offer and returned to Kolaghat as planned.

Back in Kolaghat, Arup started buying marigold flowers from the local market, packed them, and started supplying them to the Hyderabad Gudimalkapur flower market, as now he knew the big flower vendors.

Soon, he realised it would be more profitable if he cultivated his own marigold instead of buying from the market and selling. He learnt by then that Hyderabad and many other big cities had a demand for big-sized marigold flowers. 

Arup inherited vast areas of farmlands but unfortunately, those were not suitable for marigold or any sort of flower farming. So, he decided to start farming on leased land. 

He took two bighas of farmland on lease with the profits he made earlier from the marigold sales. His initial investment was Rs. 40,000 at Rs. 20,000 per bigha for six months.

“In 2011, I got at a rate which would be now around Rs. 50,000 - Rs. 60,000 per bigha in my area. Farm rentals vary from place to place and it also depends on the land,” Arup shared with Startup Pedia.

marigold farming
Kolaghat's Arup Kumar Ghosh working at his farm

Three major mistakes at the beginning of marigold farming

As he had no prior knowledge of farming, the marigold flowers produced on Arup’s farm initially were not of the quality or quantity he expected.

The Bengal marigold farmer started asking other flower farms and started keenly observing how flowers were cultivated. Gradually, Arup learnt why the marigold produce on his farm was not good in quantity and quality.

"I realised to have made a big blunder in land selection!" disclosed the Kolaghat farmer. "Marigold farming requires a little elevated land so that water is not clogged. If water gets clogged even for a day after the rains, the flowering plants will die."

Initially, Arup had taken a lease of a lowland for flower farming which was suitable for rice or other crops but unsuitable for flower farming.

Furthermore, he realised he did not know the right fertilisers and pesticides to apply to his crops. Also, he was unaware of the correct timings for the application. As a result, he was doing it all wrong!

Then, he was repeating marigold cultivation on his land which was also a mistake. After yielding one round of marigold flowers, some other flower crops or vegetables should be cultivated before cultivating marigold flowers again. Otherwise, the production decreases.

marigold farm
Arup's marigold farm

 A vacation to Bangkok paves a new path in marigold farming

To take a break from the strenuous farming life, Kolaghat’s Arup went to Bangkok with friends on a vacation. While seeing different places in the Thai capital, the flower farmer was mesmerised not by the city’s charm but by the marigold flowers!

"I noticed that Bangkok marigolds were much bigger and prettier in the shades than the Indian strains," the Marigold farmer shared in the interview with Startup Pedia.

He immediately started searching for the local farmers to know how they procured the seeds. Determined that he was, Arup found a local farmer who was ready to give him the full training about generating and processing Bangkok variety marigold seeds and growing the big gorgeous flowers. He stayed at the Bangkok Blossom Market and learned to produce the high-quality Tennis Ball marigold variety.

“The Bangkok marigolds are spongy in nature,” Arup told Startup Pedia. “While the Indian strains are such that if you grasp the flower in your palms, it would droop immediately. But the Bangkok marigolds won’t! After you release the grasp, the flower will regain its full composure because of its spongy velvety texture.”

After returning from Bangkok, marigold farmer Arup Kumar Ghosh was fully charged up. The 33-year-old flower cultivator brought with him 25 grams of seeds from the yellow and orange Tennis Ball marigold variety. He took five bighas of farmland on lease and started cultivating Bangkok-variety marigolds. 

Once the flowering occurred, Arup started generating more seeds from the flowers cultivated in his land. The Bangkok seeds produce better quality flowers that are bringing him more profits. The Bangkok marigold strain starts flowering on the 45th day.

"The exceptional quality spongy flowers brought orders from nursery owners all over the country," the flower farmer shared.

Arup started his AKG Nursery and Seeds and started supplying both marigold seeds and flowers at wholesale rates to Pune, Indore, Lucknow, Kanpur, Prayagraj, Delhi, Bullandshar, Ajmer, Jaipur, Hyderabad, Maharashtra, Rajkot, Ahmedabad, and places in Orissa.

The Kolaghat marigold farmer does the seeding, sampling and flowering himself. The rates of seeds and flowers vary according to the seasons. 

"Annually, I sell around 1,400 - 1,500 kgs of Thailand variety Kalkatti orange Marigold seed at Rs. 25,000 per kg," the college dropout turned farmer informed Startup Pedia.

Marigold farmer Arup sells 4 crores of marigold seedlings annually at the rate of Rs. 40,000 per 1 lakh seedlings. 

He produces orange, yellow, and red coloured marigolds at his farm. He also purchases rose and tuberose from Bangalore and sells those to Kolaghat and Howrah markets in West Bengal.

Prices of flowers keep changing depending on seasonal demands. Arup sold tuberose at Rs. 250-300 per kg in December 2024, while Marigold flowers for Rs. 130 - 140 per kg. Just after a month, that is in January 2025, he is selling Marigold flowers at Rs. 50 - 60 per kg. On the other hand, now he is selling tuberoses at Rs. 25 per kg. 

“The seeds and seedlings have more or less a fixed rate,” affirmed Kolaghat’s popular marigold farmer Arup Kumar Ghosh.

marigold farming
Marigold flowers at full bloom on Arup's farm

Minimum investment for marigold farming at today’s rate

Arup shared on today’s date, that taking one bigha land on lease would cost around Rs. 25,000 on a six-month basis. Then the farmer would have to buy cow dung, fertiliser, insecticide, seedlings etc. which would cost around Rs. 14,000 - Rs. 15,000. The variety of marigold Arup cultivates, starts flowering from the 45th day.

"From the 60th day, around 100 kg of flower is produced from one bigha land," Kolaghat's Arup Kumar Ghosh shared with Startup Pedia. If a farmer sells marigold flowers at Rs. 60 per kg, he would earn Rs. 6,000. Now, he would have to buy pesticides to protect flowers and keep production. So, even if he buys the pesticide for Rs. 2000, he would have Rs. 4000 in hand for the first marigold production in his land."

Tips for marigold farming from the Kolaghat farmer

Kolaghat’s popular marigold farmer, Arup Kumar Ghosh, shared some valuable tips for the readers of Startup Pedia who are interested in marigold farming.

  1. Prepare a bed of 2.6 feet by 12 feet. While preparing the soil for marigold farming make sure you make an elevated bed of 4 inches. Then level up the soil nicely.

  2. Make sure you have sun-dried the marigold seeds for at least 2 hours before putting them in the bed.

  3. After you have spread the seeds in the prepared soil bed, apply 7 - 8 kg of vermicompost and 7-8 gm Thimet 10g of insecticide.

  4. After that cover the soil nicely with jute wrappings or some cotton wrappings.

  5. Next, you have to spray water on the set-up daily.

  6. Make sure you don’t clog the land with water.

  7. During summer, the flowers germinate within 3 days. During winter, the flower germinates after 6-7 days. Keeping this in mind, you have to pull a portion of the wrapping from a corner and check if the flower has germinated. 

  8. If you find it has germinated which means you can see two leaves of the seedling, remove the wrapping after sunset that very day.

  9. Now that you have removed the wrapping, water the bed nicely again.

  10. Next, an application of an appropriate quantity of fungicide is required.

  11. Keep in mind, when the seedling has just sprouted it can die in too much heat during summertime and because of the mist during the winters. This is why when you have removed the wrappings from the bed, it is advisable to dig four bamboo, bordering the marigold bed.

  12. During summer attach a 75 mm net to the bamboo support in the daytime to protect the seedlings. Remember to remove the net during sunset. In winter, attach a thick polythene wrap to the bamboo support during the night to protect the marigold seedlings from the mist. Remove the wrapping in the morning. 

  13. You have to maintain this for 10 - 12 days. After that, the seedling grows and bears 6 leaves. You don’t need to cover the flower bed after that.

  14. Continue the watering, and other applications regularly.

Tennis Ball marigold
Arup's Bangkok variety Tennis Ball marigold

 

Marigold farmer Arup Kumar Ghosh advises the Indian youth to practice farming

The Marigold farmer from Kolaghat, Arup Kumar Ghosh is a proud flower cultivator. He suggested that the Indian youth should practice farming as India is an agriculture-based country.

“I have seen youngsters deeply depressed because of unemployment, but still, they would not opt for farming,” said the flower farmer disapprovingly. “India is basically an agricultural country. I am not saying you shouldn’t study. You should! But why should you be ashamed to become a farmer? If you are unemployed, at least try some sort of farming in your own capacity. I want to reach out to the youth on Startup Pedia's platform and tell them that Agriculture is our backbone. With technology, agricultural practices are becoming easier. You should proudly practice farming!

Marigold farmer
Kolaghat's marigold farmer, Arup Kumar Ghosh

What next?

Now farming on 73 bighas of land, the marigold farmer from West Bengal wants to experiment more with his marigolds. At present, he has a shop in Kolaghat flower market. Besides that, he supplies marigold flowers and seeds at wholesale rates to Kolaghat and Howrah markets locally as well as couriers the products to many places all over India.

He wants to supply more seeds and flowers to all parts of the country. Arup also wants to spread awareness about farming. He is confident that if the young generation takes a keen interest in agriculture, the current unemployment issue can be solved. Also, he believes that farming improves physical and mental health. 

“Any form of crop cultivation requires a lot of physical work,” the marigold farmer shared with Startup Pedia. “Even if you have labourers to work for you, still you would walk around the farmland to look at the production. This in itself will make you physically fit. Also, when you stay around flowers or vegetables, it is bound to make you happy! So, farming is good for your physical and mental health,” added Arup Ghosh smiling.

The West Bengal Marigold farmer wants to expand his flower business and also wants to spread awareness about the benefits of farming and wants to build more farmers in the country.

flower farmer
Flower farmer Arup at his marigold farm

 Also read: This Unemployed Engineer from Kerala Launched Healthy Food Startup Specializing in Sprouted Cashews, Now Earns Rs. 25 Lakhs Annually (startuppedia.in)

FAQ

How profitable is marigold farming?
West Bengal’s marigold farmer Arup Kumar Ghosh sells around 1,400 - 1,500 kgs of Thailand variety Kalkatti orange Marigold seed per year at Rs. 25,000 per kg. He sells 4 crores of marigold seedlings annually at the rate of Rs. 40,000 per 1 lakh seedling.
How is the Bangkok marigold different from the Indian variety?
Apart from its spongy texture, the Tennis Ball marigold is bigger in size and more attractive in appearance.
Is there competition in marigold farming?
As there is a huge demand for marigold flowers in India for festivals, and religious celebrations as well as for their aesthetic value, there is a good demand for the flowers. Arup Kumar Ghosh believes there is enough room for more farmers to join the sector.