Planning polyhouse farming in Pen? Pen is a small town in Raigad district, Maharashtra, home to about 38,000 people (GeoNames)[1][2], about 40 km from Mumbai. Below we use the town's monthly temperatures, humidity and rainfall to work out which structure fits, which crops to grow and in which months, before you spend on construction.
Climate for polyhouse farming in Pen
April is the hottest month in Pen, with average daily highs of about 37°C. January has the coolest nights, averaging 16°C.[3] The area gets about 2,463 mm of rain a year, most of it in June to October, peaking in July at about 792 mm. Average humidity stays at 75% or more in June to October, which raises the risk of leaf disease and slows evaporative cooling. Pen sits about 18 m above sea level.[2] On the Köppen–Geiger climate map, Pen falls in the tropical monsoon zone (Am).[4]
Pen climate by month
Month
Avg high (°C)
Avg low (°C)
Humidity (%)
Rain (mm)
Jan
30.6
16.0
55
1
Feb
33.3
17.9
49
1
Mar
36.0
20.6
49
5
Apr
37.4
23.0
56
4
May
36.0
25.3
63
30
Jun
30.8
25.7
81
542
Jul
28.1
24.9
89
792
Aug
27.6
24.2
90
576
Sep
28.4
23.6
89
366
Oct
30.4
22.0
78
122
Nov
30.1
19.2
70
19
Dec
29.9
17.0
63
5
Area averages (a grid cell of about 50 km) for 2001–2025, from NASA POWER, centred on Pen. Rainfall and night temperatures at your plot can differ, especially near hills and the coast.[3]
Advantages of protected cultivation in Pen
1
ఏడాది పొడవునా పంటలు
Under cover, capsicum can be grown for the whole year in Pen, 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 792 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 (June to October), 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 Pen?
For polyhouse farming in Pen, the structure decides which months you can crop and what it costs to run. Average highs stay at 33°C or more in February to May, with moderate humidity of about 54%. In that dry air, wet pads can bring a 37°C April afternoon down to roughly 32°C inside a Fan & Pad polyhouse, which keeps herbs and vine crops going; lettuce will still struggle in the hottest weeks. Capsicum, cucumber and tomato do well in a naturally ventilated polyhouse with a shade screen. If you want one structure, decide by crop: greens all year point to Fan & Pad; vine crops point to a naturally ventilated house.
Plan for heavy rain in July (about 792 mm): raise the plinth, size the gutters for that month and keep drains away from the nutrient tank. Sunlight peaks in April at about 7.1 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 November to February, when it is mild and fairly dry.
Crops for Pen
Based on Pen's climate, the crops with the longest growing windows are capsicum (all year), cucumber (all year) and chilli pepper (all year). Capsicum fits all year with Fan & Pad cooling. Strawberry and lilium are hard to time here, so we would leave them out of the first season. These are the crops we would plan first for polyhouse farming in Pen.
Months each crop suits in Pen
పంట
సహజ వెంటిలేషన్ పాలీహౌస్
With Fan & Pad cooling
క్యాప్సికమ్
Jun–Jan
All year
టమాటా
Jul–Jan
Jul–May
దోసకాయ
Jun–Feb
All year
Chilli pepper
Jun–Jan
All year
వంకాయ
Jun–Jan
All year
లెట్యూస్
Aug
Aug–Mar
బ్రోకలీ
Difficult
Jan
స్ట్రాబెర్రీ
Difficult
Difficult
గులాబీ
Difficult
Nov–Mar
గెర్బెరా
Difficult
Oct–Mar
కార్నేషన్
Difficult
Dec–Jan
చామంతి
Difficult
Nov–Mar
ఆంథూరియం
Jul–Sep and Dec
All year
ఆర్కిడ్లు
Jul–Sep and Dec
All year
లిలియం
Difficult
Jan
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]
40 kmto Mumbai, 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 Pen may be small for exotic greens, so plan where the rest of the harvest goes. Panvel, about 30 km away, is the nearest larger market on our list. For premium vegetable and flower buyers, Mumbai is within a day's delivery, about 40 km away.
Polyhouse farming in Pen with Kryzen
We have built 95 projects in Maharashtra so far (see our project map (కొత్త ట్యాబ్లో తెరుచుకుంటుంది)). Pen is about 70 km in a straight line from our Pune (PCMC) warehouse, our nearest site.
Towns near Pen
We also plan and build farms in these towns near Pen:
Map: LGD 2024 boundaries via bharatlas, CC BY 4.0. For illustration only.
Polyhouse farming in Pen: FAQs
Can a polyhouse farm run all year in Pen?
Yes, with the right structure. For Pen we would plan Fan & Pad cooling for leafy greens and a naturally ventilated polyhouse for vine crops. Even then, lettuce is hard to grow in April to July, so plan another crop for those months.
Which polyhouse is best for Pen?
With April highs of about 37°C and 56% average humidity in that month, we would start with Fan & Pad cooling for leafy greens and a naturally ventilated polyhouse for vine crops.
Which crops should I grow in a polyhouse in Pen?
Going by the monthly climate, capsicum, cucumber and chilli pepper have the longest growing windows. Confirm prices and volumes with buyers before you plant.
Is polyhouse farming profitable in Pen?
It can be, if the crop, the structure and the buyers match. In Pen, capsicum and cucumber 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 Pen?
Yes. Our nearest site is our Pune (PCMC) warehouse, about 70 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 Pen 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.
