Cucumber Farmer Success Stories

Trailblazer Farmer Endorses Belle

Gurmeet Singh is a trailblazing farmer from Azizpur, Mohali. Popular in his village for being a college graduate who turned to farming, he is associated with Nunhems for more than half a decade. He sows two cucumber varieties, namely, Don and Belle.

“Belle has a very high yield compared to other varieties. Once the seeds are set, there's no looking back.”

For two years, Gurmeet Singh has been harvesting Belle in 1.5 acres of his field. Known for vigorous growth and strong plant structure, Belle has a distinct dark green colour that grabs the attention of the onlookers. In most cases, if the picking cycle is delayed by a few days, the size of the seeds on the inside of the cucumber increases, explained Gurmeet Singh. This turns it bitter in taste. With Belle, however the size remains constant. He says, “traders sometimes break the cucumber in half to look at the size of the seed.

Belle has a consistent seed size; it naturally gets more attention. This also reduces bitterness making Belle popular amongst customers too.”

Its aesthetic appeal is complemented by succulent flavour & high yield. “Other cucumbers taste watery. Belle has a balanced sweet taste with a crispy texture,” says Gurmeet Singh. In every picking cycle, he managed to harvest up to 300 quintal cucumber. He says, “If proper care is taken, one can even get 350 to 400 quintals in each picking cycle.” Elated with the yield, he calls himself a fervent advocate of Belle.

GURMEET SINGH

Azizpur, Mohali | 98768 77190

This Seasoned Cucumber Farmer Vouches For Belle!

With more than 25 years of experience under his belt, Channegowda is a seasoned farmer hailing from Taladummanahalli, Karnataka. He has a 20 acres field wherein he harvests fruits & vegetables like mango, pomegranate, tomato, beans, lemon, and cucumber. Channegowda has a proven experience of 15 years in cultivating cucumber alone. Privy to all the tricks of the trade, his association with Nunhems was like a litmus test for Belle. Since 2020, he has been sowing seeds of Belle, a cucumber variety by Nunhems across 1.5 acres of his field.

Belle is a high-yielding seed, Channegowda mentioned. From the second picking, he managed to harvest up to 800 kg of fine quality cucumber periodically, which was 40% higher compared to the seeds that he has sown over the years. “Main advantage is the high harvest. Belle seed has longevity. While other seeds sustain up to 10 picking cycles in single sowing, Belle gives a consistent yield for up to 20 picking cycles”, he exclaimed.

Cucumber cultivation is often prone to inconsistent colour & bitterness. Belle, on the other hand, has an attractive dark green colour that stands out and bitterness isn’t a problem Channegowda has faced with Belle ever since the picking. He says, “Even the traders prefer Belle because of the consistent length, size, fruit quality, and sweet taste”.

Not just in the mandis, Belle has become popular in supermarket chains as well. Channegowda distributes Belle at the collection centers of Reliance Fresh, MORE, & Big Basket. Supermarkets too give the first preference to Belle, he proudly mentioned.

Belle is a high-yielding seed that is not affected by the weather. It has supreme fruit quality and unmatched longevity. This has generated higher profits for Channegowda. With the profit generated from the first picking of Belle, he saved enough to buy a car and expand his reach. Earlier, he was dependent on other modes of transportation. “Now, I am self-sufficient and able to expand my business”, he says. One can firmly say that Belle, the cucumber variety by Nunhems, has passed this litmus test!

CHANNEGOWDA

Taladummanahalli, Chikkaballapur, Karnataka | 98447 43869

Seegreen- Destined For A Higher Yield

Hailing from Tilghara village in Dhar, Manoj Patidar turned to farming in 2009. Since beginning, he has been using a gamut of seed varieties by Nunhems India. Known for treading new turfs, Manoj began polyhouse farming in 2018 and Nunhems was his obvious choice. Of the 8000 square metres polyhouse, he cultivates Seegreen, a cucumber seed variety across 3000 square metres.

“Seegreen has a very high yield. I was able to harvest 15-20% more cucumbers in every picking cycle compared to other varieties.”

Talking about the seed, he mentioned, “Seegreen has a very high resistance to viruses. Downy mildew is common in Cucumber but I haven’t encountered any major instances with Seegreen so far.” In addition to combating viruses effectively, the seed has an impressive longevity too. Compared to other varieties, it lasts for 25-30 days longer, explained Manoj.

Manoj says, “It has a high keeping-quality. Even if the cucumber is stored for a day or two, it doesn’t lose its shape or firmness.”  The longevity and higher production translated into greater profits for Manoj. Seegreen is known for its attractive dark green glossy colour and uniform taste. Consequently, it has a greater demand in the market.

Over the years, he has had similar success with other varieties like Infinity in Cucumber, Ojas & Preeti in Hot Pepper, Dev in Tomato, Madhuraja in Muskmelon, Madhuri in Watermelon, Lakshmi in Tomato. Manoj actively recommends Nunhems to his fellow farmers and is proud of his association.

MANOJ PATIDAR

Tilghara District, Dhar (MP) | 93407 02975