Banana cultivation promises big returns for Prakasam farmers who are unsure of the returns in case of most commercial crops including chilli and cotton.
Farmers in Cumbum and its surroundings grow the traditional banana variety throughout the year while their counterparts in Yerragondapalem, Dornala, Giddalur and Talluru go for the tissue-cultured ‘Grand Nain’ variety which promises greater returns as it is obtained by cloning and micro-propagation of tissues of the selected elite plants and daughter suckers and grown under micro-climatic conditions in green houses and shade houses, according to Horticulture Assistant Director M. Hariparasad. The progressive farmers in the district have increased their productivity from an average of 12 kg to over 26 kg per bunch per year and have consecutively taken crops with two ratoons in 30 months. The market rate was ruling low even till 2015. Even when they take their produce all the way to the Guntur market, they did not get a remunerative price. “Now we are getting up to ₹300 per loom as against just ₹50 to₹60 per a few years ago,” says a group of happy farmers busy cutting a bunchy looms with 100 to 150 fingerlings.
“The market for the fruit crop is generally characterised by fluctuating fortunes with traders ruling the roost. But this year, we are a happier lot as market dynamics has changed in our favour,” adds a farmer Akula Shankar, who has invested about ₹2 lakh to grow in his four acres Sugandham variety of banana with a hope of reaping at least 3,500 looms in the next three months. The variety is extensively cultivated also in and around Nandyal in neighbouring Kurnool district. “We apply a judicious mix of organic and inorganic fertilizers to get a good number of healthy bunches and superior quality fruits,” explains another farmer P. Adinarayana.
GST impact
The only grouse of the farmers is the phasing out of subsidies on fertilizers and the new GST regime that has come into force from July which had pushed up the cost of decontrolled fertilizers. The 21st meeting of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council slated to be held in Hyderabad on Saturday should provide maximum relief to farmers taking into consideration the fact that they had to cope with the vagaries of nature to meet the food security of the nation.
There is no justification in imposing GST on tractors and other farm implements which will only hamper the ongoing mechanisation of farms as part of cost cutting, they feel.
