Timmapuram villagers are among the very few who still continue to cultivate tobacco.
This year, more number of farmers switched over to tobacco compared to previous year due to non-availability of water to take up paddy cultivation.
The area of tobacco cultivation in district is put at 44 hectares, and Timmapuram village alone cultivates 30 hectares every year. This year, farmers have increased tobacco cultivation in about 65 hectares.
Vemulakonda Janaiah, a farmer, said every farmer has increased tobacco cultivation this year since the crop can sustain even with once in a week water supply while paddy needs it every day. Mr. Janaiah further said water used for one acre paddy can be utilised for five acres of tobacco. Tobacco was among the major crops in the village along with cotton and paddy. The total area under cultivation was 700 hectares.
Another farmer, Chamakuri Maraiah, said that they invest Rs. 20,000 on an acre of tobacco cultivation and get Rs. 55,000 profit after deducting the investment, which could be possible on two crops of paddy cultivation.
The villagers either sell the produce to local middlemen or they transport it to Guntur or Vinukonda in Andhra Pradesh. Apart from Timmapuram, Kunchamarthi village of Jajireddygudem mandal, and Elkaram village of Suryapet mandal, are also among the very few villages that are still cultivating tobacco in Nalgonda.
Mandal Agriculture Officer Sarath Chandra said that they are seriously studying the issue of sudden shift in farming pattern. However, he attributed it to scanty rainfall.
Jajireddydgudem mandal recorded 62 per cent of scanty rainfall this year.
