11 hours ago
Lemon farmers hit though sales soar
Nellore: Scarcity of water coupled with frequent failure of monsoons, increasing cost of production and lack of proper Minimum Support Price(MSP) has kept the future of about 4 lakh Nellore lemon farmers hanging in balance.
Farmers soar after an approximate 80 per cent loss and planning to give up lemon cultivation.
Generally, there is a huge demand for lemon fruits during peak summer from February to July in the district and a 100 Kg lemon bag costs to Rs 1,500 during these months.
But the cost has drastically come down to just Rs 1,000 in the Podalakuru lemon market on Tuesday.
According to the official sources, lemon cultivation was conducted in water stressed mandals like Podalakur, Papur, Kaluvaya, Dakkili, Balayapalle, Saidapuram, Manubolu, Venkatagiri, Gudur, Balayapalle, Ozili in erstwhile Nellore district.
Total area underlines around 30,000 hectors against horticulture crop area 60,000 hectors. The annual production of lime in the district 3.67lakh tonnes. Farmers in lemon cultivation earning the profits between Rs 50,000 to 75,000 per acre comparatively with paddy just Rs 10,000.
Earlier, lemon farmers and traders have enjoyed huge profits as the Podalakur, Gudur where lemon Yards witnessed packed farmers bringing the produce performing transactions round the clock.
Earlier lemon farmers and traders have enjoyed good profits as the produce was exported to North Indian States like Delhi, Calcutta, Bombay, Tamilnadu through railway wagons from Gudur, Venkatagiri, Vendodu railway stations with at least one wagon load of lemons every day. The price of a lemon costs Rs 10 to 15 in Delhi.
After railway authorities stopped lemon transportation, the farmers have no option but to depend upon the lorries to transport the produces which cost triple rent compared with rail transport, said a farmer identified as Pasupuleti Munikishore of Podalakur mandal to Hans India.
Lemon cultivation is providing livelyhood to 60,000 to 70,000 farmers in Gudur division, while about 3lakh people directly or indirectly engaged in the lemon trade including labor, wholesale and retail merchants transport operations and packers and others.
Even after railway authorities stopped the export operations, not less than 20 lorries transport the lemons from Gudur, Podalakur market yards during peak summer days.
Now it is hardly two lorries due to lack demand for lemons in North Indian States for various reasons
This kind of situation has indirectly shown negative impact on local market leading the lemon farmers incur huge losses as the traders deny to purchase the produce, said another farmer.
While recalling the assurance over development of horticulture cultivation by Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu during in recent TDP Mahanadu at YSR Kadapa district, farmers appealed the government to promote lemon- based agro-industries in the district so that lemon farmers would get good price of their produce.
