Planning polyhouse farming in Mehkar? Mehkar is a town in Buldhana district, Maharashtra, home to about 45,000 people (GeoNames)[1][2], about 340 km from Pune. This guide works from Mehkar's own monthly climate to suggest the protected structure, the crops to start with, and the months each crop is likely to do well.
Climate for polyhouse farming in Mehkar
May is the hottest month in Mehkar, with average daily highs of about 42°C. January has the coolest nights, averaging 13°C.[3] The area gets about 873 mm of rain a year, most of it in June to September, peaking in July at about 235 mm. Average humidity stays at 75% or more in July to September, which raises the risk of leaf disease and slows evaporative cooling. Mehkar sits about 538 m above sea level.[2] On the Köppen–Geiger climate map, Mehkar falls in the tropical savanna (dry winter) zone (Aw).[4]
Mehkar climate by month
Month
Avg high (°C)
Avg low (°C)
Humidity (%)
Rain (mm)
Jan
29.4
12.6
39
7
Feb
33.3
16.1
30
5
Mar
37.0
20.0
26
17
Apr
40.8
24.4
22
8
May
42.0
27.1
28
14
Jun
35.0
24.8
60
155
Jul
30.4
22.6
78
235
Aug
29.0
21.9
84
202
Sep
29.2
21.4
83
162
Oct
29.3
18.7
74
51
Nov
28.8
15.3
64
14
Dec
28.6
12.7
49
3
Area averages (a grid cell of about 50 km) for 2001–2025, from NASA POWER, centred on Mehkar. Rainfall and night temperatures at your plot can differ, especially near hills and the coast.[3]
Advantages of protected cultivation in Mehkar
1
ఏడాది పొడవునా పంటలు
Under cover, chilli pepper can be grown for the whole year in Mehkar, so you can supply buyers every week instead of one open-field season.
2
మెరుగైన దిగుబడి మరియు ధర
Plants grow without rain, hail and wind damage, so yields are higher and more even, and clean, graded produce sells at a better price, especially off-season.
3
తక్కువ నీరు
Drip irrigation under cover uses less water than flood irrigation, and the roof keeps July's 235 mm of rain off the crop and the soil.
4
Less pesticides
Insect net on vents and doors keeps out most pests, and controlled ventilation helps with leaf disease in the humid months (July to September), so you spray less often.
5
సబ్సిడీకి అర్హం
Polyhouse, shade net and nethouse projects in Maharashtra can apply for Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) assistance through the state horticulture department.[5]
Which polyhouse suits Mehkar?
For polyhouse farming in Mehkar, the structure decides which months you can crop and what it costs to run. The heat in Mehkar comes with dry air. In April to May, average highs reach 42°C while average humidity is only about 25%. In that dry air, wet pads can bring a 42°C May afternoon down to roughly 30°C inside a Fan & Pad polyhouse, which keeps herbs and vine crops going; lettuce will still struggle in the hottest weeks. For vine crops such as capsicum and cucumber, a naturally ventilated polyhouse with a shade screen works from July to January and costs less to run.
Plan for heavy rain in July (about 235 mm): raise the plinth, size the gutters for that month and keep drains away from the nutrient tank. Sunlight peaks in May at about 7.3 kWh per m² a day, so add a shade screen for leafy greens in the brightest months. A nethouse, the lowest-cost option, can grow hardy crops in October to February, when it is mild and fairly dry.
Crops for Mehkar
Based on Mehkar's climate, the crops with the longest growing windows are chilli pepper (all year), capsicum (11 months) and tomato (11 months). Chilli pepper fits all year with Fan & Pad cooling. These are the crops we would plan first for polyhouse farming in Mehkar.
Months each crop suits in Mehkar
పంట
సహజ వెంటిలేషన్ పాలీహౌస్
With Fan & Pad cooling
క్యాప్సికమ్
Jul–Jan
Jun–Apr
టమాటా
Jul–Jan
Jun–Apr
దోసకాయ
Feb and Jul–Nov
Feb–Nov
Chilli pepper
Jul–Jan
All year
వంకాయ
Jul–Nov
Feb–Nov
లెట్యూస్
Difficult
Jul–Apr
బ్రోకలీ
Difficult
Nov–Feb
స్ట్రాబెర్రీ
Difficult
Nov–Jan
గులాబీ
Difficult
Sep–Mar
గెర్బెరా
Difficult
Jul–Mar
కార్నేషన్
Difficult
Nov–Feb
చామంతి
Difficult
Sep–Mar
ఆంథూరియం
Aug–Oct
Feb–Oct
ఆర్కిడ్లు
Aug–Oct
Feb–Oct
లిలియం
Difficult
Nov–Feb
Kryzen planning estimate from the monthly averages above and each crop's usual day and night temperature range. Variety, soil or substrate temperature and shading change the result, so confirm with a trial.
₹7,415Spending per person per month, urban Maharashtra, 2023–24[6]
340 kmto Pune, the nearest metro (straight line)
Urban households in Maharashtra spent an average of ₹7,415 per person per month in 2023–24, above the all-India urban average of ₹7,078.[6] Local demand in Mehkar may be small for exotic greens, so plan where the rest of the harvest goes.
Polyhouse farming in Mehkar with Kryzen
We have built 95 projects in Maharashtra so far (see our project map (కొత్త ట్యాబ్లో తెరుచుకుంటుంది)). Mehkar is about 130 km in a straight line from our Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar warehouse, our nearest site.
Towns near Mehkar
We also plan and build farms in these towns near Mehkar:
Map: LGD 2024 boundaries via bharatlas, CC BY 4.0. For illustration only.
Polyhouse farming in Mehkar: FAQs
Can a polyhouse farm run all year in Mehkar?
Yes, with the right structure. For Mehkar we would plan a Fan & Pad polyhouse for leafy greens. Even then, lettuce is hard to grow in May to June, so plan another crop for those months.
Which polyhouse is best for Mehkar?
With May highs of about 42°C and 28% average humidity in that month, we would start with a Fan & Pad polyhouse for leafy greens.
Which crops should I grow in a polyhouse in Mehkar?
Going by the monthly climate, chilli pepper, capsicum and tomato have the longest growing windows. Confirm prices and volumes with buyers before you plant.
Is polyhouse farming profitable in Mehkar?
It can be, if the crop, the structure and the buyers match. In Mehkar, chilli pepper and capsicum have the longest seasons under cover. Confirm prices and volumes with buyers first; our Detailed Project Report works out the cost, yield and returns for your plot.
Does Kryzen build polyhouses in Mehkar?
Yes. Our nearest site is our Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar warehouse, about 130 km away, and we have built 95 projects in Maharashtra.
Is there a subsidy for polyhouse or hydroponic farms in Maharashtra?
Yes. Protected cultivation projects in Maharashtra can apply for Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) assistance through the state horticulture department. Check the current rate and area limit when you apply.
Discuss your Mehkar farm project
Share your plot location, water test and crop targets. We will suggest the right structure and growing system, and send an itemised quotation.
A computer engineer turned hydroponic farmer from a multigenerational farming family in Satara. Sudhir founded Kryzen in 2019, and the team has since built 350+ protected and hydroponic farms across India.
