Tindora a boon for dry land farmers

Nellore: When securing minimum support price (MSP) for traditional crops like paddy and other commercial crops became a difficult task, coupled with lack of proper water facility, farmers are now showing interest to cultivate Tindora or Ivy Gourd in a big way in the district.

According to Horticulture Director Srinivasulu, Tindora crop could be cultivated in dry land areas like Podalakuru, Kaluvaya, Sydapuram, Rapuru, Chejerla and other mandals under borewells, as this crop became a boon for them to grow with small investment and less water management procedures.

According to sources, currently Tindora is being cultivated in around 50,000 plus acres in dry land areas as several farmers are contemplating to shift to Ivy Gourd for various reasons including high investments and skyrocketing the wages of labor in recent period.

Ravula Madhav, a farmer from Marripalli village of Podalakuru mandal, told The Hans India that he is growing Tindora in seven acres for a decade after securing good profits with low investment. He detailed that earlier he faced many difficulties in securing labor for paddy cultivation, even after paying Rs 400 each per day in peak agriculture season.

Madhav said that more over farmers have to invest around Rs 30,000 to Rs 40,000 per acre for paddy in each season as that crop would be cultivated three times in a year, which means the amount will be Rs 1,20,000 every year. ‘Whereas in Tindora cultivation, I can invest just Rs 25,000 per acre and I will get profits continuously for three years with one time investment’, he added. He explained that he is getting Rs 3.6 lakh on an average every year by cultivating Tindora in seven acres, with an investment of Rs 1.4 lakh (Rs 25,000 per acre). If there is good demand for the produce in the market, profit would be doubled.

Another farmer Pasupuleti Muni Kishore, who is growing lemon gardens in his five acres, said that he is considering shifting for Tindora cultivation, which has great demand in the market fetching a price of Rs 30 to Rs 40 per kg. Even shifting to the produce to the market is cheaper, he added. There will be good future for this vegetable because of its medicinal values, especially for diabetic and heart patients,

he said.