Nendran banana block
A Nendran block is the most predictable way to start on idle land with water. Suckers go in after the first rains, the block is fed and propped through the season, and bunches come off in about eleven months. Demand is steady all year and rises sharply around Onam, so the produce moves through our own storefront as well as procurement buyers.
Land needed
0.25 acres+
First harvest
11 months
Indicative yield
12,000 kg/acre
Water need
High
Species covered
1
What gets planted
| Species | Soil pH | Harvest | Yield / acre | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nendran banana | 6–7.5 | 11 months | 12,000 kg | ₹38/kg |
The full crop cycle
Every stage below is tracked in the app: field staff close tasks with photos and a location, and a supervisor approves them before the cycle moves on.
- 1
Land preparation
Month 0–1Clearing, soil testing, ploughing, organic manure and compost application, drip or channel irrigation laid out, GPS pin and photos recorded.
- 2
Planting
Month 1–2Certified planting material set out at recommended spacing by the assigned SHG team, with a photo of every completed block.
- 3
Nursing & feeding
Month 2–4Weeding, mulching, organic top dressing, staking and irrigation on a fixed task calendar. Each task closes only with proof.
- 4
Pest & disease watch
Month 2–11Weekly scouting with photos. Only organic controls — neem, bio-pesticides, traps. An advisor is consulted for anything unusual.
- 5
Harvest
Month 11–12Graded picking, weight logged batch by batch against the crop cycle, each batch given a QR code that a buyer can trace.
- 6
Sale & settlement
Month 11–12Produce moves to our storefront and procurement buyers. Owner payout, SHG wages and produce credit are settled from the recorded weights.
Project report
Basis: 1 acre · about 1,000 plants · 12-month cycle
Setup cost (one-time)
₹78,000
Running cost / cycle
₹1,70,000
Expected sales / cycle
₹4,10,400
Farm margin / cycle
₹2,40,400
Cycles per year
1
After first cycle
₹1,62,400
Break-even
Month 11
Sales begin
Month 10
Setup cost
| Land clearing, pits & soil test | ₹25,000 |
| Tissue-culture / sword suckers | ₹18,000 |
| Drip irrigation (reusable) | ₹35,000 |
| Total | ₹78,000 |
Running cost per cycle
| Organic manure & bio-inputs | ₹45,000 |
| SHG field labour | ₹60,000 |
| Propping poles & bunch covers | ₹15,000 |
| Water & power | ₹8,000 |
| Organic pest control | ₹6,000 |
| Harvest & transport | ₹12,000 |
| Landowner lease (indicative) | ₹24,000 |
| Total | ₹1,70,000 |
Expected sales per cycle
| Nendran bunches (10% plant loss) | 10,800 kg × ₹38 | ₹4,10,400 |
Season scenarios (per cycle)
Weak: 25% lower yield and 15% lower price. Good: 10% higher on both.
Weak season
Sales ₹2,61,630
Margin ₹91,630
Expected
Sales ₹4,10,400
Margin ₹2,40,400
Good season
Sales ₹4,96,584
Margin ₹3,26,584
Key success factors
- Steady water through the dry months is the biggest yield driver.
- Onam-season harvest timing lifts the price by 20–40%.
- Ratoon (second) crop cuts setup cost almost to zero.
Main risks
- Wind damage in monsoon — propping is essential.
- Bunchy-top virus and pseudostem weevil.
- Market price swings of ₹25–55 per kg.
Final summary
A reliable one-year crop with strong local demand. Setup is modest and the drip system carries over, so the second cycle is clearly better than the first. Good fit for parcels with assured water.
What this means for you
For landowners
- Your land stays in your name. We work on it under a written lease or revenue-share agreement with a fixed tenure.
- Three ways to be paid: a fixed monthly lease per acre, a share of revenue, or produce credit you can spend in our store — or a mix.
- We carry the cost of planting material, labour, inputs and irrigation. You are not asked to invest.
- You see stage photos, task completions and harvest weights for your parcel in your dashboard.
- The land is returned cleared and soil-tested at the end of the tenure.
For SHG teams
- An empanelled SHG team is assigned to the parcel and owns the day-to-day field work.
- Work arrives as dated tasks on the phone, with the stage checklist for that crop.
- Every task closes with a photo and a GPS location; a supervisor approves or returns it with a note.
- Payment is per approved task or per stage, settled into the team account with a visible ledger.
- Tasks can be completed offline in the field and sync when the phone finds a network.
For bulk buyers
- Harvest dates are planned in advance, so bulk orders can be booked against a known window.
- Every batch carries a trace code linking it to the parcel, crop cycle and harvest date.
- Grown organically under supervised field records; quality grade is noted at collection.
- Hotels, institutions, retailers and Ayurveda makers can arrange scheduled pickups or delivery.
- Supply depends on weather and season; confirmed quantities are shared closer to harvest.
All figures on this page are indicative planning numbers drawn from our crop catalogue. Actual yield, timing and price depend on soil, weather and market. This is a private venture with no government affiliation, and nothing here is an offer of guaranteed returns.