Anantapur: Despite severe drought and failure of the groundnut crop, Anantapur district has emerged as the fruit bowl of Andhra Pradesh, becoming the biggest producer of varieties of fruits and vegetables, with a turnover of more than Rs 3,500 crore. Failure of monsoons, erratic and scanty rainfall in the district, where groundnut is cultivated in 10 lakh hectares, has resulted in crop loss. Yet, Anantapur, following the success stories of Israel in horticulture, is now producing sweet orange, sapota, pomegranate, mango, banana, papaya, guava, melon and vegetables. It has flourished with the launch of National Horticulture Mission (NHM) in 2005-06 and rejuvenation of old orchards though micro irrigation project.
Tati Reddy of Taticherla village, popularly known as ‘Bush Reddy’ after he met American President George W. Bush on his visit to India, produces papaya and other fruits on a large scale with help of drip irrigation. The total area covered under horticulture in the district now stands at 1.12 lakh hectares as against 82,937 in 2008-09 including the coverage of non-traditional horticulture crops and fruits, flowers and grapes on 5,184 hectares. Presently, sweet orange is grown in 50,000 hectares, banana on 12,200 hectares, mango in 8,000 hectares and papaya in 4,500 hectares in the district.
Assistant director of horticulture K. Ramana said it was possible only due to the high receptivity of farmers to fight drought.
“There is high potential to develop horticulture orchards in another 40,000 hectares in the next few years because the government’s top priority is zero-drought in the district,” he observed. At least 11.0 lakh metric tonnes of various varieties of fruits were produced in 2009-10, increasing tremendously in 2013-14, from 6.70 lakh metric tonnes until 2004-05. Farmers of Anantapur have spread their produce across the country and abroad. While a papaya fruit costs just Rs 10 in local market, it costs nearly Rs 60 in Delhi. Kadirampalle farmers in Kundurpi mandal travel by air to New Delhi to sell their produce in the market instead of selling it locally. Farmers K. Venugopal Reddy and K. Shiva Reddy say they send their produce by road transport to Delhi to get attractive prices. Civil supplies minister Paritala Sunitha, APCC president N. Raghuveera Reddy may be busy politicians but are deeply involved in horticulture. Anantapur marketing general manager Srikanth Reddy said an average of 50 lorries of sweet orange is sold at Anantapur market. “Traders from all parts of the country come here to buy sweet orange,” he said.
