Dr.Y.S.Rajashekara Reddy: May 2009

Fruit cultivation back with a bang in Anantapur

B. Chandrashekhar

Orchards flourish in Anantapur district courtesy National Horticulture Mission

ANANTAPUR: Drought conditions in four out of five previous years till 2004-05 in Anantapur district have not only resulted in failure of conventional crops like groundnut. The severe stress on groundwater table during the period also had a wilting effect on horticulture. As a result, the area under horticulture had been shrinking perennially.

Even the most enterprising of the farmers were finding it difficult to sustain horticulture. The sector not only overcame such a bleak scenario but has comeback strongly to its flourishing phase once again during the last four years, thanks to the launch of National Horticulture Mission (NHM) in 2005-06.

Area expansion, rejuvenation of old orchards, integrated pest and nutrient management, vermin-compost units, organic farming and protected cultivation have been taken up under NHM. Coupled with the impetus of micro irrigation project and the initiative of the Horticulture Department, the NHM has been able to catapult Anantapur into an emerging fruit bowl of Andhra Pradesh.

The NHM has increased the area covered under major horticulture crops, productivity and production considerably. A total of 32,279 hectares with major and non-traditional horticulture crops was covered under NHM in four years and its intervention has also increased the productivity of major fruit crops ranging from 12 to 20 per cent, enabling the farmers get additional income.

Coverage of major fruit crops like mango, sweet orange, sapota, pomegranate, guava, banana and papaya has increased by an extent of 26,847 hectares and production by 97,349 metric tonnes during the last four years. The area covered under the crops and production was 51,906 hectares and 6,70,166 metric tonnes, respectively till 2004-05. It has increased to 78,753 hectares and 7,67,515 metric tonnes by the end of 2008-09.

The total area covered under horticulture in the district now stands at 83,937 hectares including the coverage of non-traditional horticulture crops and fruits, flowers and grapes in 5,184 hectares. Assistant Director of Horticulture Y. Vidyashankar says it has become possible only due to the high receptivity of farmers. “There’s a tremendous potential to develop horticulture in another 33,000 hectare in the next three years”, he adds.

One of the major achievements of the NHM has been preservation of pomegranate orchards which was hit by bacteria.

Unable to protect the pomegranate crop, farmers had uprooted orchards in about 400 hectares prior to the launch of NHM. “We were about to uproot our seven-acre orchard due to heavy losses caused by bacteria, but the horticulture officials have given our orchard a new lease of life by helping us resuscitate it”, says Balakrishna, a farmer of Thimmampeta in Garladinne mandal, with gratitude.

“We have taken up new plantation in another four acres and we have earned Rs. 22 lakh from pomegranate production in our 11-acre land”, the farmer said with a sense of pride. Such instances of success are innumerable in the district now thanks to the NHM.

Financial assistance under NHM and APMIP and have enabled the farmers of Anantapur spread the deliciousness of quality fruit produce in the country and abroad.

http://www.hindu.com/2009/05/13/stories/2009051356770600.htm