Mentha Farming

in Bundelkhand
Yogesh Bandhu Arya
Utkarsh K Sinha

Centre for Contemporary Studies and

Research, Lucknow
Structure of the Study

5 Development Blocks
20 Villages
100 Household

Surveyed on purposive random

sampling method
Maim Source of Income of Farmers
Service
Others
11%
7%
Labourer
2%

Farming
80%

Farming Labourer Service Others

Mentha is rapidly taking place in the region

80 percent farmers in surveyed area are engaged in mentha farming
Crop Preference in Surveyed Area
Sugarcane/ 31.39
Others

Potato/ 17.64
Other
Vegetables 7.56
Oilseeds
33.38
Pulses
18.34

Coarsegrain 41.97

Wheat Mentha 36.28

Mentha

Mentha is the second most preferred crop in region

Sugarcane is significantly replaced by mentha in last three years
 Economic Profile of Mentha Farmers
Average Annual Income (figure in percentage)

Rs. 3.0 to 5.0 Lakh 3.6

Rs. 2.0 to 3.0 Lakh 13.6

Rs. 1.5 to 2.0 Lakh 16.4

Rs. 1.0 to 1.5 Lakh 27.3

Rs. 50,000 to 1,00,000 16.4

Less than Rs. 50,000 22.7

A Large number of low income farmers are engaged in mentha farming

Comparative Income from Different Crops in
Surveyed Area (per Acre)
Comparative Income from Different Crops (per Acre)

Minimum Maximum Average

Crop
Income Income Income

Mentha 9,500 1,50,000 35,812

Wheat 1,200 20,000 10,247

Coarsegrain 600 18,400 7,057

Pulses 1,050 20,000 7,994

Oilseeds 1,500 28,000 7,650

Potato/ Other
1,500 58,000 15,618
Vegetables

Sugarcane/Others 727 15,000 10,793

Vegetables and oilseed are thrust area, which can be produced

in alternative to Mentha
 Average Cost of Mentha Farming (per Acre)
Average Expenditure on Mentha Farming (per Acre)

Occasion of Other Total

Fertilizer Pesticide Labour
Expenditure Expanses Expenditure

At the Time of
445.65 498.00 720.15 532.31 2,196.11
Sowing
Upto First 17,43.5
639.16 430.00 4592.2 7,404.89
Cutting 4
From 1st to 2nd 11,70.2
540.67 500.00 1,926.35 4,137.24
Cutting 1
From 2nd to 3rd
506.67 00.00 1,100 2,168.18 3,775.85
Cutting

Total
17,514.09
Expenditure

In opposite to popular notion

Mentha requires high capital cost for production
Average Cost of Irrigation

Details of Irrigation (Rs./Acre)

Average Number of Average Cost of

Timing of Irrigation
Irrigation Irrigation
At the Time of
1 513.84/-
Sowing/Weeding

12 5066.92/-
Upto First Cutting

5 2396.99/-
From 1st to 2nd Cutting

4 2863.64/-
From 2nd to 3rd Cutting

Two 18 8,856/-
Total Number Cutting
of
Irrigation Three
Cutting 22 10,824/-

Average Cost per Irrigation

Rs. 492 to Rs. 603/-
per Acre
Average Production of Mentha (per Acre)

40 Litre
19%

25 Litre
5%

35 Litre 30 Litre
73% 3%

25 Litre 30 Litre 35 Litre 40 Litre

Average yield in term of oil is just 32 liters in three

cutting, while farmers are for only two cuttings, and
average price is just Rs. 450/- to 550/-. It means if we
include the actual water price it is not very profitable crop
Water Intensity of Mentha Production
 An average mentha crop requires, 18 to 22 times
watering (irrigation)
 1 time watering needs 8 to 10 hours of pumping the
water from electric pump
 A pump in hour exhales 20,000 to 25,000
water in a hour
It implies that 2 to 2.5 lakh litre water at time
That is 50 lakh litre per acre for 30 to 35 litre of mentha
oil (average production/acre)
In other words, production of 1 litter mentha requires 1
lakh to 1.25 lakh water, which is the main reason of
ground water depletion in Bundelkhand

Can we afford such huge ecological cost

 Crop Displaced by Mentha
Oilseeds
2%

Coarsegrain
1%

Sugarcane
93%

Pulses
1%

Wheat
3%

Sugarcane Oilseeds Coarsegrain Pulses Wheat

7% cultivated area of cereals and oilseeds is displaced by mentha Which

is a major potential threat for food security as well as environment
Crop Sown after Mentha
Wheat
39%

Oilseeds
0%

Corsegrain
1%

None Pulses
Others 0%
55% 5%

Wheat Pulses Corsegrain Oilseeds Others None

Since Mentha requires a long gestation period for 2 to 3 cutting,

Therefore, farmers are getting only one crop in whole year
 Farmer’s Response on Mentha Farming

Low Income High Cost Low Satisfied

16% 34% Productivity , 21 29%

Mentha farmers himself are not very satisfied, but they did not
have other better alternative so they are engaged in mentha
cropping. Therefore it our (government officials and department
as well as civil society organisations) duty to make aware
them about this crime
Ground Water Depletion in Surveyed Area
Water Level before Current Wells/Tube Ponds Hand
Village Name
last Three Years Water Level Wells Dried Dried Pump
Aaheta 30 25 4 0 12
Aandda 45 16 18 2 10
Amkhera 40 20 14 4 15
Bhitara 50 30 20 2 18
Chaki 30 18 5 4 16
Chiriya S. 60 30 4 3 18
Gohani 40 15 6 4 15
Hardoi G. 50 25 8 5 20
Harouli 40 20 7 4 12
Higuta 40 15 6 2 15
Kamsera 40 15 5 2 13
Mijhona 40 25 25 3 16
Ranwa 55 20 6 0 15
Rura 50 20 2 3 14
Saravan 30 12 3 4 12
Sihari 45 20 10 3 18
Vagra 35 20 10 4 15
Vohara 45 12 11 3 19
Average 42.5 26 9 3 15
Hope you will think and act positively
in this direction

Thank You
Yogesh Bandhu Arya
Utkarsh K Sinha
Centre for Contemporary Studies and Research, Lucknow