Domestic technical textiles Industry Segment-wise consumption of ...

Shade nets/Fabrics
Shade nets have widespread applications in floriculture (roses, orchids, etc), horticulture (Cabbage,
pepper, Grapes etc), vanilla cultivation, tea plantations, drying of agri-products, cattle-sheds, parking
lots, swimming pools, etc. The shade nets provide protection to the plants from wind, extreme weather
conditions and reduce water evaporation.
India with more than 32 MT of fruits and 66 MT of vegetables is the second largest producer of fruits
and vegetables. India is the second largest producer of flowers after China with about 1,15,921
hectares of area under floriculture. India has adopted some of the newer techniques for agriculture, but
modern techniques involving the use of polymers are still lagging behind. In comparison, China's
agricultural sector uses modern techniques and consumes products like shade nets extensively. Hence,
the potential of the shade-nets market in India is huge, in comparison with its existing usage.
Product characteristics
Shade nets are generally made of Polypropylene or HDPE in knitted or woven form. Shade-nets are
tough, durable, tear resistant and light weight. The standard sizes of nets available are 2, 3, 4 & 8
metres in width and 25, 50 and 100 metres in length. The most common dimensions of these nets are
3 m (width) by 50 m (length) with GSM of 120 to 180. The shade nets are generally Green or Black
in colour. The shade percentage, which indicates the degree of shade provided by the shade-nets,
varies from 25 percent to 90 percent. The shade percentage depends upon the application / plants
under cultivation.
Type of Crop
Recommended
shading by
manufacturers
Roses, Strawberries, Gooseberries, Tomatoes,
Cucumber and fruit bearing plant
25%
general Pot and foliage plants and Cut greens,
Orchids, Anthuriums, Ginger,
50%
Indoor plants, certain Orchids, plantation
crops, Tea, Coffee, Cardamom
75%
Cattle sheds, Poultry houses, and vehicular
shades
95%
Source: Industry survey
Key application areas of shade-nets