Taking time off T stir, KCR emerges as a model farmer

With a bank loan of `3 crore, he has been engaged in veg cultivation in a sprawling farm spread over 60 acres

Hyderabad: It was altogether a different KCR. The leader, who has always been in the forefront of the fight for the Telangana State, was found donning a different role. The man sporting the cowboy cap was the cynosure of all eyes in the sprawling farm spread over 60 acres. Modern amenities and advance farm methods adopted make it different from the rest of the farms of the local farmers. Media persons, who visited the farm house at the invitation of the TRS chief, were in for a surprise.

The lush green farms around and hectic farm activity has been keeping KCR busy. He appeared to be a farmer in its true sense. He invited the media persons rather purposefully to make the outside world know well how he has been biding time away from the din and bustle of the urban sprawl of the cities.

In a way it was obviously aimed at giving a right reply to the leaders of the rival parties including TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu, who has often been sounding critical of his role as a farmer. He had taken up potato cultivation in 45 acres while capsicum (red and yellow) was grown in ten acres this year. “There is a big demand for red and yellow capsicum vegetables in North India and even in Mumbai markets with price per kilo ranging from Rs 75 to Rs 300 depending upon the yield,’’ he stated.

The TRS chief informed that he had borrowed Rs 3 crore from Bank of Baroda for promoting green house cultivation and for buying state-of-the-art drip technology (made in Israel). The next harvest of the crops raised in the farm was expected to fetch him Rs 5-10 crore, he added.

Rao is confident of clearing the loan he mobilised for developing the farm in one go besides spending some more amount on infrastructure. Apart from vegetables, coconut trees and red sanders plantations were also seen in the farm house.