Huge spurt in horticulture cultivation

- Farmers prefer horticulture to traditional crops as it is less capital-intensive, requires lesser water and gives better yield
- Government also encouraging farmers through awareness programmes

Kadapa: Farmers across the district are taking to horticulture in a big way thanks to the failure of the monsoon coupled with below par return on investments in crops such as paddy. According to officials, horticulture crops have been sown in 92,000 hectares out of the 5 lakh hectares under total cultivation and another 1 lakh hectares would also be brought under horticulture cultivation soon.

Fruits like Banana, Papaya, Mango, Batavia, Sapota and Lemon, vegetables like Tomato, Onion, Bhendi, Brinjal , Chillies, Flowers like Crossandra, Chrysanthemum and Jasmine and Spices such as Turmeric and Coriander are largely being grown in the district. Mango is the leading crop sown in 30,000 hectares with an average yield of 2 lakh tones while Banana grown in 12,800 hectares with a yield of 9.32 lakh tonnes, occupies the second place, “ I am enjoying good returns in banana cultivation with lesser investment as well as lesser water compared to paddy,” said farmer V Madhava Reddy from Pulivendula. Another farmer N Vijaya Bhaskar Reddy echoes the same view.

Bhaskar Reddy who was cultivating paddy earlier switched to mango crop and is highly satisfied at the results. “I never expected such good returns on my investment. I now intend to cultivate all kinds of horticulture crops as there will be no point in cultivating paddy in future for various reasons,” said Bhaskar Reddy. “The State government in a bid to encourage farmers has started a web site called ‘hortinet.com’ in which farmers who register their names can avail of comprehensive information about latest technologies being adopted related to the different horticulture crops,” said Assistant Director of Horticulture M Venkateswara Reddy.

Following directions from the government, the district administration is keen on promoting horticulture crops in a big way. At the same time, the government is encouraging farm mechanization to minimise the f burden of labor .The policy is aimed at bailing out farmers from losses and help converse water by making farmers switch over from water intensive traditional crops.

The district administration is looking to increase the horticulture crop area to another 1 lakh hectares in all mandals in the district, said district collector K V Satyanarayana and added that awareness camps on horticulture were being conducted at the grassroots level for farmers.

M Srinivas Rao