Hyderabad: Realty ploughing into farmlands on outskirts

Shamshabad: Absence of support from the government besides booming real estate business are casting a shadow over the vegetable cultivation in Rangareddy and Vikarabad districts that were once considered as 'vegetable hubs' in the State due to large scale of vegetable cultivation.

These districts, till recently, were considered as a major source of vegetables for Hyderabad as Rangareddy and Vikarabad predominantly known for growing and supplying leafy, bloomed and bulbed vegetables that flock the city markets every day.

For example, mandals like Rajendranagar, Shamshabad, Chevella, Shankerpalli, Moinabad and Shadnagar in Rangareddy district and Vicarabad, Nawabpet, Mominpet and Podur Mandals in Vikarabad District are predominantly known for vegetable cultivation.

However, the real estate boom has a direct bearing on the agrarian activities in these districts where farmers are opting to sell their arable land to realtors for the high prices of land.

"More and more farmers are giving up the farming owing to not earning or getting good prices for their produce during seasons and extra operating cost on cultivation. To continue growing veggies, he said, farmers need to count on subsidy schemes being implemented by the government through the horticulture department which were swept under the carpet for now," rued Prahlad Reddy, a farmer in Rangareddy District.

"Earlier, the drip irrigation system and sprinklers that were considered as necessary components to grow vegetables, being provided by the government through subsidy schemes. Besides, subsidies on tractor purchase and other tools also facilitate through implementing the scheme without any delay.

However, the pace of implementing such schemes protracted one after another leaving the farmers into distress," he bemoaned.

"Almost 50 percent of the veggies to Hyderabad markets like GuddiMalkapur and Boinpally come from Vikarabad. However, farmers are incurring heavy losses as there are no proper pay back prices offered for their produce in these markets.

Consequently, many farmers throw their tomatoes wayside on the roads while returning from the markets. There were no proper season related advises, planning and awareness being provided to vegetable growers," informed YarrayalliJafar, Mandal Co-Option Member, Vicarabad who also grows vegetables.

"The lukewarm response from the horticulture department makes the farmers think twice before growing vegetables or applying for subsidy schemes. For them there is no option other than parting away their land to real estate," Asserted Jafar.