Mahbubnagar: Blooming marigold farming yields good returns to farmers

Mahbubnagar: This festival season, cultivation of marigold crop has given good profits to the farmers of Devarkadra mandal.

With the coming of festivals of Dusserah and Deepavali, the demand for flowers particularly marigold increases many folds in the markets. Taking advantage of this demand the farmers of Goplapur, Gurrakonda and others villages in Devarkadra and Makthal constituencies are increasingly going for the cultivation of marigold flower crop and reaping good returns.

According to local farmers of Goplapur village, the investment for growing marigold crop is very less and moreover the farmers need not have to put much efforts and hardships for growing this crop as compared to other crops.

A farmer Devender of Goplapur village said that last year they had a very good season and earned around Rs 60,000 to Rs 70,000 per acre with the investment of just Rs 25-30,000 per acre. However, this year they had a little less yields due to incessant rains. Even though the returns this year are a little low but they earned a comfortable earnings and had not faced any losses in flower crop cultivation.

It is learned that about 50 farming families in the Gurrakonda and Goplaur villages go for marigold flower cultivation for two months before the starting of Dussehra and Deepavali festivals. The crop takes only two months for the yield and it comes to harvest just before the festival commences, when the demand for flowers is very high.

"Last year, I sowed 4 packets of marigold flowering seed in my 2 acres of land and earned Rs. 60,000 per acre. However, this year due to incessant rains the yields have gone a little low and earning about Rs. Rs.40,000 to 50,000 per acre. We usually go for this crop only during the festival season as the demand for the flowers during this season is very high and the chances of earning are good. We have decided to erect the temporary stalls on the roads and selling it to the commuters of Mahbubnagar, Devarkadra, RAichur and other local villages. This has helped us reduce our transportation charges and increased chances of profits with no middlemen or brokers," says Devendra, a farmer from Goplapur village.

Another farmer Kondanna says that Marigold crop does not require much effort and there is no need to have pesticides or fertilizers. If the soil is fertile and ample water is available, this crop will come very good. However, only concern is that heavy rains will reduce the yield. But overall there is no loss in the flower crop cultivation.

As the stalls are set up alongside the NH 167 near their beautiful coulourful flower farms, people going along the highway are getting attracted and stopping at the stalls and buying the flowers. Passengers going to Mahbubnagar, Hyderabad and Raichur through this national highway see the flower gardens and buying them.

"The marigold flowers are in high demand. In open market people are forced to buy a kilogram of flower at Rs 100-120, however, we get the same at the road side stalls near the farms at just Rs. 60-80 per kg. So this is a win-win situation for both the farmers and the customers," says Venkatesh, a customer buying the flowers.