I want a realistic view of suran economics. After the high seed corm cost, is elephant foot yam actually profitable per acre and what income range is normal?
3 Answers
Suran can be profitable but the economics are dominated by seed corm cost up front, so be realistic. Treat figures as ranges. You plant a large weight of seed corm per acre, and each corm multiplies several times by harvest, so a good crop can give a healthy multiplication and decent tonnage per acre. Income depends on the harvest rate, which swings seasonally; suran often sells better around certain festivals. Because seed corm is expensive, the first year margin can be thin, but if you save your own seed corm for following years your cost drops and profitability improves. The main risks are corm rot in poorly drained soil, acrid (unsellable) types, and price swings. Build your budget with local seed corm and selling rates from your KVK and mandi before scaling up.
Honestly my first year barely broke even because seed corm was so costly. From the second year, using my own seed, the profit was real. Drainage is critical, I lost corms to rot in a low patch.
Timing the sale to festival demand got me a better rate in Gorakhpur. When everyone dumps at once the price falls. Storing a part and selling around the festive season helped my returns.