You may be a soldier, a doctor, a contractor, an engineer, a journalist or a politician, but one thing that you surely will be at least three times a day is hungry. To satisfy your hunger, you need food and it is the farmers that bring the food to our plates. Farming is one of the oldest businesses in the world. It was there even before people saw it as a business. Farming used to be a way of living and almost every family did some or other kind of farming before the industrial revolution. The common perception of farming is that it is not a money-making business.

Talking of India specifically, it is an agricultural country with more than 150 million farmers who have their own land. Apart from this, there are millions who do farming on someone else’s land. But this article is not about knowing the farming set up in India. We are here to change your perception of farming. To say in clear and bold, ‘Farming can be a money-making business.’ Yes, you read it right. Profit is directly proportional to the increase in demand. If we take the case of wheat, it is clear that the demand for wheat is huge across the country and even in other countries of the world. But the reason that the cost of wheat is not much is that the supply of the grain is several times higher than the demand. So what’s the crack? Simple. Grow something whose demand is higher than supply. We’ve compiled a list of 7 such crops that can give you immense profit.

Ginseng

Ginseng crops

Ginseng crops are basically grown for their medicinal values. The slow-growing roots of ginseng are used for medicinal purposes in Asia and parts of North America. The two main types of Ginseng that are grown are: Panax ginseng (Korean ginseng) and Panax quinquefolius (American ginseng). Several studies have found that use of ginseng has positive effects on memory. It is also known to be helpful in dealing with fatigue and menopause. While it is a time taking crop that takes nearly six years after planting before it is ready to be harvested, the profit that you can book from growing Ginseng is as much as $200,000.

Mushrooms

Mushroom Crops

The demand for mushrooms has gone surprisingly up during the past few years due to people becoming more aware of its benefits. Growing mushrooms might not be an ideal style of farming, especially if you are a farmer from the Indian subcontinent. But it is one of the most profitable crops. Mushrooms generally sell for $20 to $40 per kg. To make it more convenient, they can be grown in just 4 to 5 weeks. You can earn more with less investment through mushroom farming. 

Lavender

Lavender cropping

It seems like one can find lavender only in the movie scenes these days. It is a rarely found crop. Lavender doesn’t find a place in your everyday meal but the demand for it is surely more than the behaviour of the market. If you want to cut competition and earn more, growing lavender might be a great idea. The great thing about lavender is that they can be sold as fresh flowers and even when they dry. Lavender is also used to make lavender oil and the demand for it is huge. You can earn over $12,000 just by growing lavender plants on one acre of land.

Saffron

Saffron

Saffron is a rare crop that grows in colder regions like Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh etc. Looking at the agriculture sector, saffron is easily the most expensive crop in the world. The cost of saffron is over Rs. 1 lakh per kg. Saffron is used in sweet dishes and beverages to add a unique flavour. The reason behind the high price of saffron is that it is made out of the stigma from the crocus plant. Over a lakh flowers are needed to produce nearly a kg of saffron. You can easily become a millionaire by growing saffron for just a few years.

Wasabi

Wasabi crops, grow wasabi,

Wasabi became a known name after the popularity of Sushi. However, it’s not 100% pure wasabi that you get with Sushi. The reason? The high price of Wasabi. One needs to pay $50 for merely a 100-gram stem. While wholesale markets sell wasabi for $150 to $200 per kg, retailers can make huge benefits by selling it for $300 per kg. It is a time taking crop and takes 15 months to 2 years to grow harvest-ready. If you have a freshwater stream nearby, you can easily grow Wasabi and make huge benefits. 

Bamboo

Bamboo crops, bamboo, bamboo images, bamboo wallpaper

Bamboo is not just used as a natural flagpole. From Bamboo furniture to showpieces and toys, the demand for bamboo is only going to go up. From creating fences to make houses and decoratives, there is a vast array of applications of bamboo. Moreover, it is one of the fastest-growing plants and can grow in almost any weather condition. Moreover, bamboo can be grown in a small area. Nowadays, you can sell small bamboo just after planting them in pots. Even a bamboo planted in a pot sells for Rs.100 to Rs.150. You can certainly make huge benefits from bamboo.

Medicinal Marijuana

Medical Marijuana

Growing Marijuana is illegal in some parts of the world. Marijuana faces a ban in different parts of the world. However, some countries allow growing marijuana but just for medicinal purposes. The high demand is difficult to be met with such a limited production due to the bans. This is why growing marijuana can be a really profitable business. If we take the case of the US, individuals are allowed to grow just six to 12 plants and they can use it for medicinal purposes only. The sale is prohibited. However, there are some countries like Peru, Canada, Colombia, Jamaica, Costa Rica, Mexico and Ecuador, where marijuana is legal. If you are from one of these countries, consider yourself lucky and start making a profit from marijuana farming. In India, Uttarakhand has legalised the production of Marijuana for industrial purposes