Garware Technical Fibers’ Shade and Insect Nets: A Game-changer for Farmers in India

Farmers in India are considered to be the backbone of the country. They helped the country in becoming self-reliant during the green revolution and have continued to work hard to ensure that India produces more than sufficient food crops for itself. However, it is also known to everyone that our farmers, especially the small and medium landowners, face immense difficulties on the ground. While the profits from harvest are declining over the years, there has been additional blow worsening climate conditions and insects.

In 2020, we saw large swarms of desert locusts destroying crops as they moved from northern parts of the country to reach as far as Maharashtra. This may have been a rare event, but the farmers have been fighting insect attacks on their crops. At the same time, they face the challenge of rising prices of insecticides and pesticides. Further adding to their woes is the unfavorable weather conditions caused by shift in climate. We are seeing longer spells of drought and heavy rainfall, both acting as bane for our farmers.

Garware Technical Fibers was founded with the goal of using technology to solve these problems faced by our farmers. GTFL is a global leader and pioneer in the protected cultivation business, having developed a wide range of innovative protected farming solutions over the years with the purpose of enhancing farm productivity and quality while also improving the lives of farmers all over the world. To alleviate the problems of the farmers, GTFL has created a range of highly effective products, which include two especially important products – shade nets and insect nets. These products have been created after years of research and development process carried out by working on the ground with the farmers to understand their real-life problems.

Garware Shade Nets offer a high level of homogeneity, ensuring that the crops receive uniform levels of sunlight. Shade Nets help to regulate the quantity of light and temperature in the environment, providing for optimal growing conditions. Mono shade nets, which are built to last more than 5 years, are included in the protected cultivation items.  Then there's the V5 Shade Net, a next-generation shade net that's ideal for both commercial crop cultivation and nursery use. It maintains the ideal temperature and humidity in the net house, increasing farm productivity and yield.

Then there's the V55 Shade Net, which is made of monofilament yarn and can be used as a screening material in net houses or polyhouses as well as in fencing. For that extra layer of protection, the company also provide a secondary shade net. There are three types of insect nets in our range : GIN 1, GIN 2, and GIN 3. These shade nets are extremely crucial in the farming process today because the temperature and sunlight moderation are essential to increasing the productivity of the crop, allowing it to grow in the appropriate manner, and also ensuring that it is ready for harvest on time. By managing CO2 and humidity levels, these nets provide ideal growing conditions for the crops. They assist in providing adequate cooling for the crops as well as preventing them from drying out.

The GIN1 insect net, on the other hand, lowers farm costs while increasing output and profitability by reducing the amount of pesticide sprays necessary inside net houses. The GIN2 insect net's square type mesh limits the size of the entrance, preventing even smaller insects from entering the net house or polyhouse. The GIN 3 insect net from GTFL is the firm's NEXT Generation insect net. It is made entirely of 100% virgin HDPE. It functions as a physical and optical barrier, keeping insects and pests from entering the net house by limiting their visibility due to a reduction in transmission in the UV spectrum.

By using the insect nets, the farmers can reduce their dependency on harmful chemicals, pesticides, and insecticides. These chemicals not only pollute the soil and the produce, but also deteriorate the quality of harvest and yield capacity over a long time. At the same time, the usage of these chemicals is harmful for the farmers as it affects their physical health.

Through the use of both shade nets and insect nets, the farmers are also moving towards ecologically and environmentally sustainable farming. GTFL has been focused on promoting the idea of sustainability through its products and this is where its nets are definitely acting as a game changer in the Indian farming sector. Due to its consistent commitment to innovation, quality, exceptional on-field product performance, customer service, and agronomy help, GTFL has become the chosen choice for farmers throughout the years.

GTFL has been guided by the principle of giving maximum benefit to its stakeholders and customers since its inception. Through its protected cultivation solutions and other initiatives, the company is trying to support the Prime Minister Modi's ambition of doubling farmers' income by 2022 and establishing a self-sufficient India.