Khammam: Progressive farmers turn to coconut-coco

Khammam: Farmers of Dammapet, who are known as trendsetters in agriculture, are shifting to coconut-coco crops from oil palm and seed maize. At present the coconut-coco crop is being raised over 400 acre in the mandal.

It is expected that the crop area will increase to 5,000 acre by next year.
Farmers of the mandal are known for shifting to other crops if a particular crop does not give good dividends. They have in fact been trendsetters of this.

The farmers had earlier felled mango and cashew plants over 10,000 acre and gone for oil palm and seed maize crops.

Currently banana is being raised on 8,000 acre in Dammapet and the produce will be exported to Kolkata. The banana farmers have been getting Rs 2 lakh revenue per acre.

Mamikala Mallaiah, a farmer from Mandalapalli under Dammapet mandal, said that he had gone in for the coconut-coco crop because the prices of oil palm were not attractive.

“I can get five quintal of coco in a year, and the price of the coco is around Rs 20,000 per quintal. Apart from this, I will raise groundnut, watermelon and seed maize as inter crops amidst the coconut plants.” He added that the income on each coconut tree would be around Rs 2,000 a year.

The availability of plenty of ground water and equal temperature round the year are ideal for all types of plantations in the area. There are also a number of springs here that help the farmers to irrigate their fields.

Devarapalli Ajay, a farm hand, said, “They do not stick to one crop for long. Many were surprised when they cut down the mango trees over a massive extent and went in for seed maize and oil palm. Now, the farmers are following the trend of coconut-cocoa combination.”

Agricultural officials too will start new farming systems in Dammapet mandal because the farmers are ready to go in for new farming techniques.