Reaping profits the organic way

Vijayawada: Farming has been decreasing in the state due to abnormally increased investment. Farmers are thinking that it is a burden on the families. But one farmer has proved that agriculture is profitable and it generates employment to the agriculture workers. Yarkareddy Venkata Reddy has proved that agriculture is not a burden and it will profitable to the farmers.

Venkata Reddy has been cultivating different types of vegetables and fruits in his land at Nunna in Vijayawada rural mandal near Vijayawada. He has cultivated Teisel gourd (Kakarakaya) on his farm and got a profit of around Rs.1.90 lakh after deducting the investment and agriculture workers charges.

He took the Teisel gourd seed from a farmer of Khammam two years ago. Now, he is also producing high yield variety of seeds and sells them to other farmers. Venkata Reddy earned Rs.50, 000 last year by sellingTeisel gourd seeds. Presently, Venkta Reddy is also cultivating Banana, Mango, Orange fruits and Palm Oil. He brought the Orange seed from Citrus Recherché Center, Tirupati and planted the saplings in his farm.

He has been cultivating all these fruits and vegetables with organic manure, which he produces on his own. He never uses chemicals and pesticides in his farms. For, the organic manure he bought Neem Oil, Cattle shed wastes-dung, urine and slurry from biogas plants. Later all the items were mixed in one drum and the same is sprayed on his crops.

Speaking to The Hans India, Venkata Reddy said, “I am very much interested in rarest of rare crops. I go to different areas to meet farmers and learn new things from them. Later, I approach agriculture and horticulture officers and take suggestions from them” Venkata Reddy said.

By Dasari Srinivasa Rao