92,000 hectares in Kadapa district under horticulture cultivation

Kadapa: Lack of timely rains coupled with failure in securing expected Returns on Investments (ROI) in traditional crops like paddy and increasing risks has forced the farmers to take horticulture in a big way.

According to the official sources out of around 5 lakh hectares under total cultivation in the district, 92,000 hectares were already brought under horticulture cultivation and another one lakh hectares were proposed to cultivate during the current Kharif season.

Highlights:

• A variety of fruits, vegetables and flowers at present are grown in nearly 20 per cent, out of the cultivable 5 lakh hectares in the district
• During the current Kharif season, it is expected to rise to 40 per cent by adding one lakh hectares more
• Failing monsoon and diminishing ROI stated to be main reasons for this development
• The government has a dedicated website www.hortinet.com to avail comprehensive information about latest technologies being adopted

Fruits like banana, papaya, mango, batavia, sapota, lemon, vegetables like tomato, onion, ladies finger, brinjal, chillis, flowers like crossandra, chrysanthemum, jasmine and spices like turmeric and coriander are largely grown in the
district.

Mango took a major share growing in about 30,000 hectares with average yield of 2 lakh tonnes with banana occupying second place growing in 12,800 hectares having yield of 8.32 lakh tonnes. “I am enjoying good returns in banana cultivation with less investment as well as less water management process comparatively with the traditional crop like Paddy,” said V Madhava Reddy of Pulivendula when contacted by The Hans India.

One N Vijaya Baskar Reddy of Pulivendula, who was earlier irrigating paddy, shifted to mango cultivation securing good profits in the process. “I have never expected such good returns in mango crops. Now, I planning to irrigate all kinds of horticulture crops as there will be no future in paddy cultivation in coming days due to various reasons,” he said.

In view of motivating the farmers, the state government has launched new website called ‘hortinet.com’ in which farmers who registered their names can avail comprehensive information about latest technologies being adopted related to the different horticulture crops said Assistant Director of Horticulture M Venkateswara Reddy.

“The government policy is to promote horticulture particularly in dry land areas. It is aimed at bailing out farmers from losses and help conserve water by making them switch over from water-intensive traditional crops,” said District Collector K V Satyanarayana.

To encourage the farmers towards the horticulture cultivation, he said that the district administration is conducting awareness camps to the farmers at grassroot level. The government has introduced Bio Metric System (BMS) which meant to prevent irregularities related to providing various facilities to the farmers at subsidised prices.

By M Srinivas