The Anantapur district is a true 'fruit basin', as it has more than 20 varieties of fruits growing there. Alas, it lacks infrastructure facilities like cold storages, warehouses and processing plants. Packaging houses, ripening chambers and a host of amenities are required for marketing the 20 varieties of fruits. In shorts, the district needs common facility centres where all fruit farmers can connect with processing facilities and export agencies.
Fruits grown in the district include bananas, pomegranates, custard apples, grapes, guava, figs (anjuram), mangoes, musk melon, watermelon, honey melon, papaya, sweet limes, gooseberries, strawberries and blackberries. The gross value of the fruits exported from the district is Rs 10 bln (€120 mln).
Farmers market their produce in Delhi as they have a tie-up with Delhi traders. Pomegranates are raised in Kanekal, Bommanahal, Kalyandurgam, Yellanur, Putluru, Rayadurgam, Tadipatri and Kuderu. Custard Apples are grown in Rayadurgam, Madakasira, Kambadur and Kalyandurgam. Guava plantations are grown in Tadipatri,Pamidi,Puttalur, Bukkapatnam and Dharmavaram.
Source: thehansindia.com