Sonipat scholar turns farmer, earns Rs 50 lakh per year through lily farming

Prasad completed his doctorate in sociology at Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University in Hisar before teaching at National Law University between 2019 and 2021. Explaining his decision to change fields, he said that floriculture offered better financial prospects compared to academia. The lilies harvested on his farm are taken daily to Delhi’s Ghazipur Mandi, one of the largest flower markets in Asia, ensuring steady demand and strong returns. The crop cycle begins with sowing in August, with flowers ready by December, and harvesting continuing until April. From April to July, tomatoes are grown on six acres of the same land, while the remaining area is left vacant on rotation.

Economics of lily farming

The economics of lily farming are demanding, with an expenditure of nearly Rs 40 lakh per acre. Much of this cost comes from importing high‑quality bulbs from the Netherlands, along with expenses for transportation, packing, and cold storage. Despite the high investment, Prasad claims average sales of Rs 45 lakh per acre, yielding a net profit of about Rs 5 lakh per acre.

To support farmers in this costly enterprise, the Haryana government provides generous subsidies, covering up to 50-65 per cent of polyhouse construction costs and nearly 80 per cent of drip irrigation installation. These incentives, combined with Sonipat’s proximity to Delhi NCR, give local farmers a competitive edge, as they can supply flowers quickly and at lower costs compared to growers in Himachal Pradesh or southern states.

Prasad notes that lilies thrive in cool to moderate climates, ideally between 18 and 30 degree Celsius, and benefit from the region’s naturally sandy loam soil, which provides good drainage and root development. To maintain healthy blooms, light irrigation through drip systems is applied every two to three days, depending on humidity and season.

Officials from the horticulture department confirm that a couple of farmers in districts such as Sonipat, Panipat, Panchkula, and Jhajjar have expanded their lily farming areas significantly in recent years, some scaling up from a single acre to 10 acres.

“With strong market linkages to Delhi NCR, where flowers are supplied to hotels, event managers, government offices, multinational companies, and export houses serving destinations like Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Nepal, Bhutan, and Sri Lanka, lily farming has become one of the most lucrative agricultural ventures in Haryana,” says Prasad.

Arjun Singh Saini, who heads the Haryana horticulture department, says: “Our farmers are able to offer their produce at competitive prices compared to Himachal and southern states. Close proximity to the national capital is a huge advantage for our farmers.”