Civil services trainers take up hydroponic farming in Kerala; retail lettuce at Rs450 per kg

Ashwathy P Krishnan and her friend Jisha VV from Kerala were running a civil services coaching academy when COVID-19 struck. While classes shifted online, the duo found virtual classes unsatisfying.

Ashwathy, a B.Tech graduate, had always been drawn to plants and gardening, while Jisha, who holds a master’s in social work, comes from a farming family. 

“When we considered a new project, we wanted it to be in agriculture, but with a modern twist. Farming isn’t a viable business model unless you innovate and adopt technology,” Ashwathy tells 30Stades.

That idea eventually grew into Greencopia Farms, a hydroponic setup where crops are cultivated without soil. The friends have leased a small plot in Ernakulam to grow 15 varieties of lettuce, kale, herbs like celery, and microgreens. 

From classrooms to crops

The plan to venture into farming had been on their minds long before the pandemic. But running a coaching institute left them with no time for execution. After the industry declined due to COVID-19, they returned to the idea with fresh energy.

The farm was built on a leased 1,400 sq ft plot. They set it up using a loan of Rs16 lakh under the government’s Agri Infrastructure Fund (AIF), which provides a 30 percent subsidy. 

Also Read: This former royal of Odisha grows exotic vegetables using hydroponics; annual turnover at Rs30 lakh

For the two friends, it was important to treat farming not just as a livelihood opportunity but as a structured business. “Otherwise, the costs, risks, and effort outweigh the returns,” Ashwathy observes. 

Greencopia focuses on leafy crops, which are delicate, high-value, and suited for hydroponics.

Seeds are procured from vendors who import hybrids from Israel, a hub for advanced hydroponic research. Germination varies with some lettuce seeds sprouting in two days, while celery takes up to two weeks. 

After sprouting, they introduce nutrients to strengthen the roots before transplanting.

Exotic crops often weigh less, but their market value is higher. The crop cycle lasts four to six weeks, with weekly harvests. The average farm yields are 40 to 60 kg of greens per week. A single bed can produce about 15 kg. 

Selling the produce

“In Kochi, lettuce usually arrives from Ooty, Munnar, or Bangalore. Priced at around Rs 100 per kg, these imports are often grown with heavy pesticide use. Growing lettuce without holes or pest damage is nearly impossible in open fields,” Ashwathy says.

Greencopia’s produce, by contrast, is pesticide-free and hyper-local. “So customers are willing to pay the higher rates,” she adds. 

Direct buyers buy at Rs 450 per kg, while restaurants and distributors pay around Rs 390 per kg. The farm also sells ready-to-eat salad mixes, combining multiple lettuce varieties with herbs and microgreens.

Also Read: Five microgreens entrepreneurs who started in 100 sq ft and now earn lakhs monthly 

“Our customers are mostly people who care about healthy living. They know the value of clean food, and many visit the farm to see how it’s grown,” she adds.

Building the system

The farm combines three approaches: precision farming, protection farming, and vertical farming. Together, they allow Greencopia to maximise output in a small area while shielding crops from external threats.

Also Read: How this Maharashtra engineer became a hydroponics fodder millionaire

Precision farming ensures crops are grown in the right controlled conditions, especially those that thrive in lower temperatures. Protection farming safeguards plants from pests, infections, and climate fluctuations. Vertical farming stacks crops in multiple tiers, saving space and boosting yield.

“The backbone of the farm is the Nutrient Film Technique (NFT). In this system, plants sit in net pots with oasis cubes, a biodegradable and inert medium,” says Ashwathy.

A thin film of nutrient-rich water flows through channels, nourishing the roots. “We also use a trough system for resilient greens like spinach and amaranthus. They aren’t high-value crops, but to make them pesticide-free, we grow them inside. The troughs are made from UPVC sheets and filled with coco peat and nutrient solution,” she shares.

It may be noted that over 95 percent of Greencopia’s crops, however, rely on NFT systems. Each NFT unit has its own reservoir, with plants of the same age grouped together. Some beds are single-tier while others are double or triple, depending on the reservoir. Altogether, there are 10 such reservoirs at the farm.

Why hydroponics 

Traditional farming, in her view, ties farmers to the land, with no guarantee of output. Yields fluctuate depending on weather, pests, seasons, and market demand. One bad factor can wipe out the harvest despite the farmer's hard work.

Hydroponics, by contrast, offers control. Plants grow in water channels instead of soil, with roots receiving nutrients directly. The water is recycled, minimising waste.

“I never wanted to disturb the ecosystem. Here, we don’t interfere with soil microbes or anything. We reuse the same water, adding nutrients only as needed,” she explains.

Also Read: Seven techies who engineered farming success stories

Automation also played a role in their decision. “In cities, one man-hour costs a lot. Even if we hired someone, one person wouldn’t be enough, and we’d still need to supervise. Automation helps reduce dependence on constant human labour,” the agripreneur notes. 

Challenges

Despite the high-tech setup, hydroponics is far from effortless. “People think it’s just push-button farming,” Ashwathy says with a smile. “But it’s not. The weekly cleaning is actually messier than ploughing a field. Every time we harvest, we have to stabilise the system again,” she notes.

Labour and care remain crucial. And profits are not guaranteed. Some crops fetch high returns; others fail due to pests or lack of demand. “There have been times when we just had to give away produce to friends and family because we couldn’t keep it,” the woman farmer says.

For Ashwathy and Jisha, the toughest setback came during a recent monsoon. Unexpected waterlogging led to a fungal infection inside the polyhouse. 

“In a protected farm, if one pest or microbe gets in, it’s a feast for them. It just explodes. The only solution was to pause the operations, fumigate, sterilise, and restart. The process added to our costs, but we refused to quit. That’s farming. Anything can happen anytime. The key is not shutting down completely, but being willing to start over,” Ashwathy reflects. 

Growing through struggles

Many hydroponic farms shut down within the first few years due to high costs, unpredictable yields, and a lack of knowledge in managing such setups. Greencopia, however, continues to stand strong because of careful planning, adoption of technology, and a commitment to learning from every challenge, allowing it to maintain consistent yields and a loyal customer base. Supplying only within Kochi for now because of the crops’ delicate nature, the farm is seeing a steadily growing customer base and repeat orders. 

“The first years of any business are full of struggles. But staying resilient and learning from setbacks has kept us going. We aim to expand carefully, proving that hydroponic farming can be both sustainable and profitable,” Ashwathy signs off.

(Chandhini R is a Kerala-based journalist specialising in human interest, entertainment, and art and culture stories)

Also Read: Kerala brothers build one of India's largest hydroponic farms; export to Dubai and Qatar

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