Teasel Gourd or Kantola farming in small holding, increases income

You must have also seen vegetable Teasel Gourd or Kantola which looks like bitter gourd in the market during monsoon. This seasonal vegetable is available only during the rainy season. It is a plant of the pumpkin family. Kantola is mainly cultivated in the mountainous regions of India. In our country it is also known as Kankoda, Kantola, Papora or Khekhsa. Apart from the Indian subcontinent, now Kantola cultivation has started all over the world.

Teasel Gourd or Kantola cultivation is also being encouraged in the country. At present, most of the farmers sell the remaining produce in the market for their own use or if there is excess yield. Presently Teasel Gourd or Kantola is being cultivated mostly in West Bengal, Odisha and North Eastern states.

Being a seasonal vegetable, it also fetches good price in the market. It is sold for up to Rs 200 per kg. High yielding variety Arka Bharat has been identified for commercial cultivation of Kantola. 

Teasel Gourd Variety Arka Bharath with high yield potential 

There is a lack of knowledge among the farmers about growing this vegetable, due to which they are not able to produce much of this beneficial vegetable. Very few farmers cultivate it on a small scale. Despite the huge demand of Kantola, its commercial cultivation was not being done on a large scale in Maharashtra and southern states due to lack of proper technology. Seeing its potential benefits, ICAR released its improved variety ‘Arka Bharat’. It germinates in January-February and bears fruit for about 6 months till April-August.

Popular improved variety 

CHES (ICAR-IIHR), Chetalli introduced and popularized the commercial cultivation of Kantola in Kodagu, Uttara Kannada and Dakshina Kannada districts of Karnataka. Around 45,000 plants of Arka Bharat variety were given to more than 250 farmers from Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Gujarat, Odisha and Maharashtra. Its demand is increasing day by day. Many farmers are making profit by growing Arka Bharat variety and their income has increased manifold.

Farmers who get benefits from Kantola cultivation 

Milind Kulkarni, a farmer from Rangari village in Aurangabad district of Maharashtra, is making good profits from Arka Bharat farming. His success has become an inspiration for others in the area. He planted 300 Kantola plants at a distance of 1.5*1.5 m in an area of 0.17 acres. Due to which he got about 1.5 tonnes of fruits. Milind sold them in the market at Rs 150-200 per kg, earning him around Rs 2,10,000 in 6 months.

Shankar Murthy, a B.Com pass out from Kuppalli village in Shivamogga district of Karnataka, started Kantola farming for the first time on a commercial scale. He planted 1000 plants of Arka Bharat variety of Kantola in half an acre of land. Due to this, he got about 3 thousand kg crop. It fetched good price as compared to other vegetables and he got good profit by selling it in the market at Rs.150-200 per kg. That’s why he is happy with Kantola farming.

Guruprasad M. Bhatt, a resident of Yellapura in Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka, planted 850 plants of Arka Bharat, from which he got about 4000 kg crop and sold it at Rs.80-150 per kg. Along with this, its pickle was made and sold in the markets of Goa. In fact, the value added products of Kantola are also in great demand.

Venkatesh, a resident of Kushal Nagar in Kodagu district of Karnataka, planted 750 plants of teal gourd (Arka Bharat), which yielded a crop of 750 kg. He earned an income of Rs 80,000 from its cultivation on only 0.25 acres of land. There is a huge demand for this vegetable in Kodagu district, which is now motivating the farmers here to cultivate it on a large scale.

Also Read: Teasel Gourd: Kantola cultivation is the best way to earn extra income, know where to get Kantola seeds and how to do farming

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