Farmers Turning Lambasingi Into Valley of Flowers
These farmers fetch plants and seeds from Nagpur, Pune, Bengaluru and Kadiyam with a mission to turn the region into a valley of flowers.
Visakhapatnam:Lease-hold farmers from Narsipatnam, Anakapalli and other plain areas are growing both local variety and exotic flowers in the Lambasingi area, attracting tourists in large numbers.
These farmers fetch plants and seeds from Nagpur, Pune, Bengaluru and Kadiyam with a mission to turn the region into a valley of flowers. They grow different varieties of Gerbera, Marigold, Dahlia, Chrysanthemums (Sun Flowers) and one farmer even ventured into growing various types of roses in a large field.
“They are not professional farmers. This is more like a hobby for them. They get some money from the tourists, who pay `30 per head to visit the farm and take photographs. They also purchase flowers,’’ said district horticulture officer KB Karna.
He said the regional agriculture research station at Chintapalli experimented with Tulips. The cultivation was successful initially, but the plants did not grow in the subsequent seasons. Similarly, Gladiolus was grown successfully, but the farmers found it to be expensive.
Karna said a pilot project has been taken up in Paderu where Marigold is being grown in 50 hectares. Around 150 farmers were involved. The department pays them `3,000 per 50 cents. These farmers sell flowers to the local traders and eke out a living. The scheme, he said, would be extended to other mandals soon.
Experts in floriculture said high altitude areas like Chintapalli and Lambasingi have strong potential to harvest exotic flowers like Gladiolus and Tulips that provide high value crops for the tribal farmers.
The region's climate is suited for these specialty flowers, boosting hopes for local production to meet state demand and remunerative prices for tribal communities.
District collector Dinesh Kumar launched an initiative `Araku Bouquet’ to promote floriculture as a profitable venture for poor tribal farmers.
This is also an alternative for the farmers who have been illegally growing ganja at the behest of the smugglers, a district officer said.
