Horticulture farmers seek infrastructure facilities

Anantapur-Puttaparthi: The undivided Anantapur district which emerged as a 'Fruit Basin' with more than 20 varieties of fruits growing here, has no infrastructure facilities like cold storages, warehouses and processing plants. Packaging houses, ripening chambers and a host of amenities are required for marketing the 20 varieties of fruits. The district needs common facility centres where all fruit farmers can connect with processing facilities and export agencies. An estimated 1.90 lakh acres are under horticulture cultivation in the district and 60,000 acres under vegetable cultivation. Horticulture Assistant Director Chandrasekhar told The Hans India that the district has emerged as a fruit bowl of AP and most the fruits available locally are grown here.

The fruits include bananas, pomegranates, custard apples, grapes, guava, figs(anjuram), mangoes, musk melon, watermelon, honey melon, papayya, sweet limes, lose jackets, goose berries, straw berries and black berries are among the fruits grown here. The gross value of the fruits exported from the district is Rs 1,000 crore. While investment on the plantations is Rs 400 crore, the production is at 40 lakh tonnes. These fruits are the pride of the district. The Pomegranates raised here are highly esteemed in countries abroad and have great export value. Bananas are grown in Tadipatri, Yellanuru, Putluru, Battalapalle and in other places and their market is New Delhi. Farmers market their produce in Delhi as they have a tie-up with Delhi traders. Pomegranates are raised in Kanekal, Bommanahal, Kalyandurgam, Yellanur, Putluru, Rayadurgam, Tadipatri and Kuderu.

Custard Apples are grown in Rayadurgam, Madakasira, Kambadur and Kalyandurgam. Guava plantations are grown in Tadipatri,Pamidi,Puttalur, Bukkapatnam and Dharmavaram. Fig (anjuram) which is an Israeli fruit is cultivated in Kanekal, Bommanahal, Kalyandurgam and Rayanadurgam and Garladinne mandals. Mango plantations are spread across Kadiri, Mudigubba, Garladinne, Tadipatri, Yadiki and Vajrakarur mandals. Watermelons, Muskmelons and Honeymelons are raised in Raptadu, Garladinne, Kalyandurgam and Pamidi mandals. Papayyas and sweetlime are grown in most of the mandals including Yellanur, Potluru, Tadipatri, Uravakonda, Dharmavaram and Kuduru while grapes are cultivated in Uravakonda, Kuderu, Garladinne and several other mandals. Most of the fruits are exported to Vijayawada, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and even to countries abroad USA, Middle East and to Western countries.

The department of Horticulture is extending subsidies up to 40 per cent on plants raised apart from incentives like maintenance of plants for three years etc. Farmers Kulayappa and Kandula Suresh of Kanekal, who are raising pomegranate and muskmelons says that cold storages and processing centres should be set up in Puttaparthi and in Kalyandurgam or Rayadurgam mandal. No real steps are being taken to create common facility centres and a convergence of stake holders like, farmers, entrepreneurs, processing technicians, grading centres and exporting agencies and people who can bring together the stake holders including marketing agencies. The government can do much more by encouraging the FPOs to set up infrastructure facilities including cold storages and processing plants.Gangaraju from Garladinne mandal says despite the district gaining recognition as a horticulture hub of AP, serious initiatives were not taken to make the district a happening place.