Hyderabad losing its sheen as grape hub

Hyderabad: The next time you pick up a bunch of grapes from the alley do not be too sure that they are from Hyderabad. Chances are that you would be savouring the fruit that has made its way from Maharashtra. Reason: The dip in production in Telangana, more so in and around Hyderabad.

The city which was known for the production of grapes is now almost bereft of grape gardens. Whatever little cultivation that remains of grapes is being carried out only out of personal interest and not commercial purposes. The lands used for cultivation were near Shamshabad, Shadnagar, and Medak and beyond. Now, they have been turned into residential areas. Speaking to The Hans India, L Venkatram Reddy, Director of Horticulture and Sericulture, TS, says: “Grape cultivation that was in 30,000 acres in the early 90’s has now been reduced to just 5,000 acres.”

The bower system of training in grapes has resulted in increased production. In spite of highly favorable conditions of soil and climate, cultivation of grapes over the years in Telangana has shrunk because of urbanisation, boom of real estate, labor shortage, unseasonal rains.

The production of Anab-e-Shahi which was very famous in Hyderabad faced a blow as the Thompson Seedless variety came to dominate the market. “Currently, all the grapes we find in the market are from either Nashik or Shirdi,” said Dr G V Ramanjaneyulu, Executive Director, Centre for Sustainable Agriculture.

Ravinder Reddy, owner of Shivani Grape Garden, Thimmaipally, who has been in the field for around 30 years, says, “We have incurred losses due to the rejection of the fruits in the international market due to prevalence of pesticides. There is no skilled labour in this department and hence there is a crunch of manpower. Majority of the cultivable land is sold off as open plots and the rest have become residential areas.” According to a conservative estimate, vineyards on at least 1,000 acres have been converted to farmhouses or used for constructing apartments.

Ananth Reddy of K Dharma Reddy and Sons Grape Garden, Thikapally, Potharam said, “Real estate is not the real issue for the dip in production. The main problem is water and marketing. In Sholapur, there is major expansion. Farmers have been dumping their produce here. Till that stock is exhausted, produce from Telangana is not sold. The next issue is manpower; there is a need of three labourers per acre of land throughout the year. We are getting contract labour which is not feasible.”