Thinking about zucchini on a small plot close to a metro, is it worth it?
3 Answers
Zucchini can suit a small farmer near a city because it grows fast, starts bearing in about 40 to 50 days, and keeps producing for several weeks if you keep picking. The catch is demand: it sells mainly to hotels, restaurants, supermarkets and health-conscious city buyers, not the general mandi, so you need a buyer or aggregator before planting. Farm gate prices have ranged a lot, often around Rs 20 to 50 per kg, dropping when supply is high. It is genuinely worth it only if you have a steady outlet and can harvest every day or two, since fruit grows large and loses value quickly. Confirm local rates and buyers before scaling up.
Near Hyderabad I do green and yellow zucchini for a couple of cloud kitchens. The money is okay but you cannot skip a day of picking, the fruit becomes oversized and they reject it.
I added zucchini to my exotic basket for a Delhi aggregator. It is easy to grow but the price falls fast once others start, so I keep my area small and steady.