-Galla S Kiran Kumar,Bureau Chief Telagana (Andhra Pradesh)
The prices of vegetables are on fire.. In the state, there is a situation where they are not cultivated according to the needs of the people and not enough products are available.
Farmers who are not interested due to reduction of
government subsidies encouraged by experts who say crop colonies are the solution
Today, Hyderabad: The prices of vegetables are on fire.. In the state, there is a situation where they are not cultivated according to the needs of the people and not enough products are available. In this context, experts are suggesting the establishment of crop colonies proposed earlier to prevent shortage of vegetables. The population of the state requires 38.54 lakh tonnes of vegetables annually but only 19.54 lakh tonnes are produced in the state. Due to this, they have to import from different states for the rest of the requirements. While crops are grown in more than 1.30 crore acres in the state, vegetable cultivation is limited to only 3.11 lakh acres. Keeping in view the scarcity of vegetables, the state government had earlier decided to set up vegetable crop colonies across the state with an aim to increase production in a big way. Other cities besides Hyderabad, It is intended for cultivation within a radius of 20-30 km around the towns. The purpose of the crop colonies is to identify the soil types in those areas and supply the seeds of the vegetables grown there, as well as to provide an opportunity for transportation and sale of the crop products at appropriate prices, thus providing consumers with fresh vegetables. In 2016, a pilot project was selected in Ibrahimpatnam constituency on the outskirts of Hyderabad city.
2,780 farmers in 38 villages of Ibrahimpatnam, Manchal and Yacharam mandals have come forward and provided them with subsidized seeds and fertilizers. Other facilities are provided. It continued for two years. Later the subsidies stopped. Interest among farmers has also decreased. After the project started in December 2016, the government has decided to identify 111 mandals in 28 other districts and set up crop colonies there. But as the pilot project did not give the expected results, crop colonies were not started across the state. As a result, the production of vegetables is not increasing but is decreasing every year. As a result, they have to import from Maharashtra, Karnataka, Rajasthan and AP. Vegetables from other states are being sold at higher prices due to the addition of transportation and other costs. On the other hand, 70 thousand acres of vegetable crops were damaged due to untimely rains and hailstorms after March 16 this year. This has also led to an increase in vegetable prices this season. In this context, agricultural experts and farmers suggest that the government should take special measures to increase vegetable cultivation in the state. Agronomist Bhaskar Reddy said that crops grown with less investment in a shorter time than other crops are profitable for farmers, and if they are provided with affordable prices and marketing and transportation facilities, farmers can turn to vegetable cultivation. Many vegetable farmers feel that they are not getting profit due to transporting the crop to the markets while paying the transportation costs and selling it at the price given by the brokers. Along with this, it is said that hail and untimely rains are becoming a curse. Agronomist Bhaskar Reddy said that crops grown with less investment in a shorter time than other crops are profitable for farmers, and if they are provided with affordable prices and marketing and transportation facilities, farmers can turn to vegetable cultivation. Many vegetable farmers feel that they are not getting profit due to transporting the crop to the markets while paying the transportation costs and selling it at the price given by the brokers. Along with this, it is said that hail and untimely rains are becoming a curse. Agronomist Bhaskar Reddy said that crops grown with less investment in a shorter time than other crops are profitable for farmers, and if they are provided with affordable prices and marketing and transportation facilities, farmers can turn to vegetable cultivation. Many vegetable farmers feel that they are not getting profit due to transporting the crop to the markets while paying the transportation costs and selling it at the price given by the brokers. Along with this, it is said that hail and untimely rains are becoming a curse.
Subsidies should be given.
After the start of the crop colonies project, we have increased the cultivation of vegetables by giving subsidy. Subsidies were given for one year only. After that it was not given. Officials said that the government has stopped it. Costs are gradually increasing. Vegetable cultivation is likely to increase if the government gives subsidies
