Kadapa transforming into horticulture hub

Kadapa: As majority of farmers are unable to get remunerative price for their yields by growing conventional crops like paddy and due to other risks, they go for horticulture crops in the district in a big way. Untimely and inadequate rains also make them go for horticulture crops.

According to the official sources, out of around 5lakh hectares of total cultivation in the district, 92, 000 hectares were already brought under horticulture cultivation and another 1lakh hectares are also to come under horticulture.

Fruits like banana, papaya, mango, sapota, lemon, vegetables like tomato, onions, bendi, brinjal, chillis, flowers like crossandra, chrysanthemum, jasmine and spices turmeric, coriander are largely grown in the district.

Mangoes are grown in about 30,000 hectares and an average yield of 2 lakh tonnes are expected, while bananas are grown in 12,800 hectares and average yield of with average yield of 8.32 lakh tonnes.

" I am enjoying good returns in banana cultivation with less investment when compared to traditional crops like paddy" said V Madhava Reddy of Pulivendula when contacted by The Hans India reporter.

Another farmer N Vijaya Baskar Reddy who was earlier cultivating paddy shifted to mango cultivation expecting more profits when compared to paddy. Now I propose to irrigate all kinds of horticulture crops as there will be no benefits in paddy cultivation, he said.

``With a move to motivate farmers to go for horticulture crops, the state government has launched new web site called 'hortinet.com' in which farmers who registered their names can avail a comprehensive information about latest technologies being adopted in various horticulture crops,'' said Assistant Director of Horticulture M Venkateswara Reddy.

When contacted by the Hans India, District Collector Ch Harikiran said following directions of the government, the district administration is keen on promoting horticulture crops in a big way to safeguard farmers from incurring losses. He said that the district administration is proposed to increase the horticulture crop area to another 1 lakh hectors in all mandals and to transform the district as horticulture hub.