India: Nalgonda farmer’s effort bears fruit

A progressive farmer has shown the way to cultivate imported variety of papaya and export the same to far off places by adhering to a prudent water, pest and marketing management.

Aruri Swamy, a 38-year-old young farmer of Aregudem village in Chityal mandal, earned a name for himself in papaya cultivation and bagged the district level best farmer award at the Sankranthi Puraskaralu ceremony held here last week. Swamy who started papaya cultivation on a small scale several years ago expanded and diversified his agriculture venture by importing Red-lady variety of papaya seeds from Taiwan through a Pune-based agency.

“I have cultivated Red-Lady variety of Papaya in eight acres as there is huge demand for the fruit in the market”, said Swamy. On an average I sell most of my produce at the fruit market in Gaddiannaram in Hyderabad from where the fruits are exported to far off places including Dubai, he said. “Though I completed my degree from City College in Hyderabad, I switched over to agriculture which I consider a noble occupation”, Swamy remarked. “I am earning a minimum of Rs. 3 lakh on cultivation of papaya per acre in a span of one-and-half year. It is respectable as well as a rewarding profession”, he said with a sense of pride.

The use of bio-fertilizers like vermin-compost and neem-based pesticides besides drip irrigation helped me achieve high production, he said. The red-lady variety of papaya is the most sought after fruit in the market due to its delicious taste, nutritious contents and economic price, he explained. “The growing health consciousness among the people came as a boon for papaya cultivators like me,” he said jubilantly.

The entrepreneur skills of Swamy motivated several other farmers in the village to take up papaya cultivation. More farmers should emulate Swamy who has shown remarkable aptitude in papaya cultivation and its marketing, said the district Assistant Director (Horticulture) V. Sarojini Devi.


Source: hindu.com

Publication date: 1/26/2009