The impact of loss of vegetable crops following construction of the capital, Amaravati, is being felt in Khammam and Nalgonda districts of Telangana.
There has been a sharp spike in the prices of vegetables supplied to these districts as production in Krishna, Guntur, and other districts has come down drastically.
Sluggish monsoon, depletion in groundwater levels, parched canals and tanks, decrease in cultivation, and removal of horticulture plantations for the construction of the capital are being cited by farmers as the reasons for the decline in production of vegetables and consequent increase in their prices in the two districts.
According to wholesale vendors of the two districts, farmers used to supply tomato, raw banana, gherkin ( dondakaya ), onion, cabbage, cauliflower, drumsticks, yam, sweet corn, mango, coriander, and other varieties to the market. “We used to cultivate crops such as bitter gourd, snake gourd, ridge gourd, bottle gourd, green chilli, onion, leafy vegetables, fruits, and a variety of flowers in Undavalli, Penumaka, Chandarlapadu, Kanchikacherla, Uddandarayunipalem, Neerukonda, Thullur, and other areas on the Krishna riverbed. It is not the case any more,” says M. Venkateswara Rao, a farmer.
After the government announced the construction of the capital on the banks of the Krishna in Guntur district, many realtors purchased fertile lands, bringing down the cultivation of vegetables.
“Many vegetable traders from Telangana districts used to come to Krishna and Guntur districts and place orders in advance. But the recent developments in Andhra Pradesh have brought down production, and there is no supply of vegetables,” says Bandi Yadaiah, a farmer from Kothagudem district.
“Green chilli is being sold at Rs. 40 per kg, tomato at Rs. 60, brinjal at Rs. 50, lady’s finger at Rs. 60, onion at Rs. 20, cabbage at Rs. 40, ridge gourd at Rs. 50, bitter gourd at Rs. 80, beans at Rs. 100, and gherkin at Rs. 40,” he says.
“Earlier, vegetables used to be supplied through lorries and vans to Sattupalli, Wyra, Kothagudem, Tallada, Palvancha, Suryaraopet, Bhadrachalam, Manuguru, and other mandals of Telangana. Now, there is no such facility,” says B. Narasimhulu, a trader from Sattupalli.
Petty vendors are the worst-hit. Many of them have stopped selling vegetables because of prohibitive costs, says Paka Bhadramma, another vegetable vendor.
