Is a shade net or net house a good low-cost entry into protected farming?

Yes, a shade net or net house is widely regarded as the sensible low-cost way to enter protected cultivation, and it is a smart move before committing to an expensive polyhouse. It costs a fraction of a polyhouse per unit area, carries lower financial risk, and still teaches you the core skills, intensive crop management, drip and fertigation, pest and disease control in an enclosed space, and finding a market for quality produce. If you succeed under a net house, you have proof you can handle the management and sell the produce, which de-risks a later polyhouse investment. If you struggle, you have lost far less money than if you had built a polyhouse first. It also serves real purposes on its own, heat reduction, insect and virus exclusion, and nursery raising, so it is not just a trial run, it can be a permanent profitable structure. Subsidy is often available for shade and net houses too. For most cautious farmers this is the right first step. Confirm costs and subsidy with your district horticulture office and start with one crop you can sell.