Madhi village in Mehsana district, Gujarat, has quietly grown into one of the state's largest plug nursery hubs, with more than 200 high-tech nursery units collectively producing over 70 crore vegetable and horticultural seedlings annually — generating a business worth over ₹100 crore each year. The cluster, spread across nearly 300 bighas in Vijapur taluka, is now a critical seedling supplier for farmers across multiple states.

Scale and Reach of the Madhi Cluster

According to state government data, the nurseries in Madhi supply seedlings to farmers across 15 districts in Gujarat, as well as Sirohi and Jalore districts in Rajasthan and Nandurbar district in Maharashtra. The seedlings support vegetable cultivation across nearly six lakh acres. Annual profits to farmers from the nursery sector are estimated at around ₹50 crore.

More than 150 families are engaged in nursery operations, while over 800 women from surrounding areas are directly employed — making the cluster a significant rural livelihoods engine.

What the Nurseries Produce

Chilli and tomato account for the bulk of seedling output, though the nurseries also raise papaya, capsicum, cabbage, cauliflower, brinjal, bitter gourd, cucumber, watermelon, muskmelon, and marigold. Hybrid vegetable seedlings of bottle gourd and sweet potato are produced as well.

Seedlings are grown in plug trays using coco peat, a soil-less growing medium that promotes healthy root development. The method achieves germination rates of over 80 per cent and delivers transplant-ready seedlings in approximately 25 days, while reducing exposure to soil-borne diseases. Sprinkler irrigation ensures uniform watering and consistent plant growth.

The Government Scheme Behind the Growth

State officials attribute Madhi's rise to the Gujarat Horticulture Department's Hi-Tech Plug Nursery Scheme, which provides financial assistance of 65 per cent for establishing protected nursery structures ranging from 500 to 4,000 square metres. Eligible facilities include net houses, greenhouses, and fan-and-pad greenhouses. More than ₹900 lakh has been disbursed to farmers under the scheme so far, according to the government.

The Centre of Excellence at Vadrad, under the Gujarat Horticulture Department, has provided additional support through training programmes, exposure visits, and field-level technical guidance. The centre has demonstrated technologies including protected cultivation, plug tray seedling production, precision irrigation, fertigation, climate-controlled nursery management, integrated pest and disease management, and the use of high-quality growing media.

Broader Horticulture Push in Gujarat

Madhi's emergence is part of a wider horticulture expansion in Gujarat that has included the promotion of micro-irrigation, protected cultivation, improved nursery infrastructure, expansion of the Narmada canal network, and post-harvest facilities. Officials note that these measures have encouraged farmers to shift toward higher-value horticultural crops, with the plug nursery scheme acting as a catalyst for specialised nursery enterprises.

With demand for quality seedlings rising across western India, Madhi's model is increasingly being cited as a replicable template for horticulture-led rural income growth.