With the success of pilot project on crop colonies in Ibrahimpatnam mandal, the Agriculture Department has decided to implement the idea in Chevella, Maheshwaram and Shadnagar areas to ensure production of required quantity of vegetables in those areas and providing them to consumers at reasonable prices.
The government was announced by Agriculture Minister Pocharam Srinivas Reddy during his interaction with the farmers of 38 villages which formed part of the Ibrahimpatnam crop colony here on Monday.
Principal Secretary (Agriculture) C. Parthasarathi, Commissioner of Horticulture L. Venkatrami Reddy, Ibrahimpatnam legislator M. Kishan Reddy and others also interacted with the farmers. Speaking at the interactive session with the farmers, the Minister stated that the objective of the crop colonies was to ensure proper income to farmers and to provide vegetables at fair prices to consumers.
He explained that only 50% of vegetables required for people in the State were being grown here and the remaining quantity was coming from other States.
Against the requirement of 38.54 lakh tonnes of vegetables, the production was only 19.54 lakh tonnes, he noted.
Explaining the idea of crop colonies, the Minister said the system was being implemented with the Ibrahimpatnam pilot project to provide fresh vegetables to about one crore population in the City.
The production of vegetables in the area was 44,000 tonnes before implementing the concept of crop colony but with the help of incentives given to farmers it had gone up to 83,000 tonnes.
The Minister stated crop colonies would also be planned in the 20 km to 30 km radius of district headquarters and municipal towns to produce required quantity of vegetables locally. The farmers of crop colonies were being provided infrastructure for growing vegetables, particularly drip and sprinkler irrigation implements, shade nets and hybrid seeds on subsidy.
Quality vegetable nurseries raised in the Centre of Excellence in Jeedimetla were being supplied to farmers at subsidised rate of ₹0.10 per plant against the production cost of ₹0.70. About 75 lakh plants (seedlings) were supplied to farmers last year. The Minister also stated that markets close to crop colonies would be established soon by the government to ensure proper price to producers and cheaper price to consumers.
Mr. Parthasarathi said flowers required for Hyderabad were being produced locally now by setting up polyhouses in 1,150 acres.
He stressed on the need for improving productivity of vegetables from the present 7 tonnes per acre stating that it was 17 tonnes in Tamil Nadu.
