Anantapur: Gooseberries cultivation brings huge profit to model farmer

Anantapur: Wild gooseberries or Stachel Beeren are highly nutritional and have multiple health benefits and are in high demand not only locally but also in Benguluru market, according to model farmer Anantha Ramudu who is raising gooseberry plantation on the city outskirts.

Speaking to The Hans India on the success of the plantation, Ramudu stated that the berries have four distinct properties. They are sweet, sour, acrid and bitter in taste. It is also a medicinal plant and is viewed as a panacea for multiple ailments.

For farmers it is profitable to grow gooseberries as a commercial crop. The model farmer has raised berries in 25 acres of land taking advantage of the drip irrigation and 90 percent subsidy. The plantation has turned out to be commercially viable.

Berries raised in his farm are being marketed in Tadipatri, Rayachoti, Putluru, Tirupati, Guntakal and Benguluru city. It is a plant with a 3-year gestation period.

From the 4th year it starts bearing fruit with 20 -50 kg per tree and in the fifth year its production is doubled and in the 6th year it produces 100 kg per tree.

It is purchased in the market at Rs 35 to 50 per kilogram. Ramudu says that he harvested 140 tonnes of berries and earned Rs 60 lakh on his plantation this year. After excluding the expenditure, the profit earned was Rs 52 lakh on his 25-acre farm. He advises farmers to go for gooseberries as it is a long-term plantation with high returns.