Farmers all praise for fruit bagging system

Khammam: In a bid to improve quality and production of fruitsand alsoprotect them from infections, the horticulture department is creating awareness about the fruit bagging system in the erstwhile Khammam district. Growers of mangoes, the first to adopt the system over a year ago, is reporting better conditions for a good yield with the new system. Rama Rao, a farmer, covered with bags, the fruitsare developing well and insulated from insect and pest attacks.

Others are also slowly taking a liking to the new technique, vexed they are with recurring crop losses every year due to pests. It is also providing them with disease-free fruits and demand is growing for organic farming. As a result, more and more farmers are shifting from paddy cultivation to horticulture. They are growing fruit plantations such as mango, papaya, guava, banana, jackfruit, custard apple, dragon fruit, lemon, watermelon and berry fruits in the district,according to Kothagudem district horticultural officer J Marianna.

The fruit plantations now cover an extent of around 25,000 acres in the district. Mango alone accounts for about 20,000 acres, mostly in Kothagudem district. One in five farmers have already come on board for the new system. The official said that by adopting the new bag system, farmers may incur Rs5,000 extra per acre, but production yields and quality would improveand offset any such increase in expenditure, he explained. 20,000 acres in Kothagudem district.

G Anasuya,assistant director of horticulture, Khammam district, said that the bag system was gaining popularity among farmers in the district as well. She informed that not just numbers and quality, but the taste would also improve under the new method. As a result, mangoes which u sed to be sold for Rs80 -100 per kg are now yielding Rs120-150 per kg for the farmers. Farmers mainly inGovindharla, RaghunathaPalem, Errupalem andKusumanchimandalsare following the system, she added.