Bottle Gourd Farming and Cultivation- Calabash / Dudhi

Bottle gourd is a widely cultivated crop in India and the market is open in all states. From Kashmir to Kanyakumari and Gujarat to west Bengal, Bottlegourd is cultivated widely and consumed too. The market rates are usually between 10 to 50 rs per kg and may go a bit high but not lower than Rs 10 in any part of the country. The Lowest price range is usually in states like Punjab where bottle gourd is cultivated widely and there is an abundance of the produce

Bottle gourd is an easy-to-cultivate plant that grows vigorously and requires very less nutrients and resources. Full sun, sandy loam soil, and some fertilizer if the soil is not very nutrient rich are all it takes to grow bottle gourd. But when grown commercially, The plant requires trellises and the seeds have to be of good quality. Hybrid seeds are known to improve yield and resist a range of diseases. Moreover, trellises usually enable farmers to produce good-looking, quality fruits with the right shape. Good quality fruits usually get a slightly higher price than those deformed. Growing bottle gourd without trellises results in unevenly shaped fruits that are often decolored and dirty, which is not preferred in the market and fetches a lower price.

With trellises in place, farmers are required to invest more in the crop, to the tune of 25,000 rs per acre. If the price drops with an average yield, chances are farmers will go into a loss with bottle-gourd cultivation. this is the reason why farmers should choose high-yield varieties where they can compensate for their expenses on trellises with higher production.

Practices and basic requirements for Growing Bottle gourd

Bottle gourds require a certain temperature, soil condition, and irrigation requirements. They are not tolerant to frost and waterlogging. they can grow throughout the year in India and their yield is almost always the same. Monsoons may see a slightly lower yield but it’s not very significant. Profitability depends on two factors, the Yield and the price in the market. Let’s look into each of these factors in detail.

Average Profit and Yield per acre

Assuming that each plant has 10-12 fruits and each fruit weighs half a kilo, you could estimate that you would be able to cultivate approximately 50 Tonnes per acre from 10,000 plants. In reality, this is not possible at all. A very low number is 10 tonnes and that’s easily achievable from one acre of land and desi seeds which cost a lot lesser. Let’s assume that we only get 10 tonnes per acre and still have a moderate expense.

Expenses in the cultivation of Bottle Gourd

Land preparation2500
Cow manure and Basal Fertilizers4000
Mulching sheets15000
Drip Irrigation35000
Trellises25000
Fertilizers and pesticides8000
Labour (Row preparation, harvesting, etc)15000
Transportation5000
Miscellaneous5000
Total Expenses114,500

With a total Expense of 114500 rs per acre, which is on the higher side, you are looking at a crop for 4 months duration. with an average yield of 10 Tonnes, which is minimum, and a price of 10 Per kilo, you will be looking at a loss of 14,500 Rs, but if the price is increased to 15 per KG, you are looking at a moderate profit of 35,500rs per acre. But look at the table below if you had an increase in yield from 10 tonnes to 15 tonnes.

Varied price at 10 Tonnes yield

PriceTotal RevenueProfit
10100000-14500
1515000035500
2020000085500

Varied price with 15 Tonne yield

PriceTotal RevenueProfit
1015000035500
15225000110500
20300000185500

if the market rate is 15 Rs and the yield is roughly 15 tonnes, which is easily possible with hybrid seeds and proper maintenance, you would profit by approximately 1 Lakh rupees. A venture which can be attempted. Bottle gourd cultivation is profitable in India during most seasons.