India: farmers taste success with horticulture

Abundant production of oranges, pineapples, mangoes and jackfruits -- horticulture has definitely scripted success stories in Ramgiri and Jeerango panchayats in Rayagada block of Gajapati district. And that’s enough reason for the district administration to revive the now-defunct Maple Food Processing Unit here.

“Gajapati Collector DV Swamy has taken the initiative in discussing the need to revive the food processing unit in view of large-scale production of fruits and we have already presented our project reports to make this feasible and economically viable the year round,” said District Horticulturist, Sarat Behera.

Besides, in order to help the tribals sell their produce by avoiding middlemen, the Gajapati Regulated Marketing Committee is constructing a fruit market yard near Mandalsahi over one and a half acres after getting the nod from National Horticulture Mission, said Ranjan Sharma, Sub-Collector of Paralakhemundi.

The yard estimated at Rs 75 lakh is expected to be completed by March 2007, he said, adding at least Rs 30 lakh had already been spent. The yard aimed at open trade will have a food-processing unit with cold storage facilities so that the farmers are not dependent on outsiders for marketing their produce, said Sharma.

Farmers, who were forced to grow ragi, biri, green gram and groundnut, among others, due to lack of irrigation facility, switched over to fruit cultivation on hundreds of acres after the concept of horticulture was introduced to them about a decade ago, said Behera. nMost popular is pineapple cultivation due to its large yield on less space as well as non-use of fertilisers and the Horticulture Department has been showcasing the district as a model one.

At least 860 hectares of land are utilised for pineapple plantation in Gajapati district, of which 70 percent takes place in Rayagada block. Pineapple is the most sought after plantation as it grows by inter-cropping and does not require much of land space, Behera said, adding at least 15,000 pineapple saplings can be grown on an acre and a farmer can easily rake in a profit of Rs 20,000 annually.

Other fruits like mango are grown on 1610 hectares, citrus on 4200 ha and guava over 80 ha, he said.

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