Water-smart farming for Gounder
Aclosed greenhouse will allow Sandhiya Gounder to grow more produce and harvest more over time by 50 per cent.
Ms Gounder, 30, is one of the five who have been given a grant to develop her idea on hydroponics under the Youth Entrepreneurship Scheme (YES).
“If you are an entrepreneur you must have heard the many reasons to not go into business, because it is too risky, but why not?
“Hydroponics is growing plants in water using hydro-culture and we do not use soil,” Ms Gounder said.
The use of hydroponics for farming is a widely used notion in agriculture as it reduces the used of land and increase the rate harvest over time.
“I aim to have a higher production rate once I start my greenhouse project, but I believe that the startup would be effective and beneficial to my community,” said Ms Gounder.
“I believe that a greenhouse will enable me to grow seasonal and off-season crops which will be export worthy.
Having a Masters in Arts in Governance and Public Policies, she is contemplating some challenges but refuses to let that stop her from achieving her goals.
She stressed the importance of attending the Ministry of Agriculture’s information sessions which help youth, and the need to take advantage of the opportunities that are available as entrepreneurs.
Under the YES programme she aims to increase her knowledge on hydroponics and initiate her proposed project in her community, for local use and plans on exporting her produce.