Anantapur: Lockdown ruins guava farmers dreams

Anantapur: Guava farmers are spread in 30,000 hectares in Garladinne, Pamidi, Tadipatri, Kuderu and Atmakur mandals in the district.

The guava farmers registered a bumper crop and were dreaming of reaping huge profit. But the corona pandemic shattered their dreams and watered down their investment and expected returns.

With no transport available to market the produce in Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Chennai, the farmers are forced to sell their crop at throw away price.

Vijay, a guava farmer, says it is difficult to estimate the staggering financial losses the district farmers have incurred.

Speaking to The Hans India on Saturday, Vijay stated that the guava which was usually sold between Rs 25 to Rs 30 a kg is now being sold for Rs 10 a kg.

The farmers used to transport their produce by auto-rickshaws, but in the absence of any mode of transport, the farmers are selling their produce at throw away price. The government instead of imposing total lockdown, should have exempted the transport sector and the agriculture and allied industries and prevented the collapse of economy, he said.