Action plan to up horticulture crop area in Krishna district

Targeted crops include mango, banana, oil palm, cocoa, coleus & amla

The Krishna district horticulture department is implementing an action plan to expand crop area in 2,863 hectares at an outlay of Rs 1.1 crore during 2006-07 as against 2,899.89 hectares' expansion achieved last year (2005-06) at an outlay Rs 1.43 crore.

The targeted crops include mango, banana, oil palm, cocoa, coleus and amla. All the schemes under the plan "" from supply of seeds, plants, grafts, inputs to implements "" offer farmers a subsidy of 50-75 per cent.

The department makes efforts every year to extend horticulture crop area in the district in addition to the existing one lakh hectares in 22 upland mandals in the district.

Horticulture assistant director M V Madhusudhan told Business Standard that farmers had reaped 8,17,228 tonnes of harvest in 93,162 hectares in 2005-06.

The harvest included 4,98,160 tonnes of mango in 62,270 hectares, 95,976 tonnes of banana in 1,549 hectares, 38,725 tonnes of guava in 1,549 hectares, 8,224 tonnes of citrus in 1,028 hectares, 1,880 tonnes of sapota in 235 hectares, 558 tonnes of cashew in 930 hectares, 20,800 tonnes of oil palm in 2,908.41 hectares, 78,880 tonnes of vegetables in 7,888 hectares, and 74,025 tonnes of spices in 14,805 hectares. Floriculture was also taken up in 177 hectares.

He said that in a Rs 55.45-lakh boost to the oil palm cultivation in 600 hectares, farmers would be given Rs 23,000 subsidy (75 per cent) per hectare (Rs 7,500 for plant material and Rs 15,500 as cultivation subsidy over the next four years). They would also be helped set up 17 vermicompost units, cultivate intercrops in 50 hectares, and supply 100 harvesting sickles.

He said that the farmers would be given a maximum of Rs 3,000 each (Rs 1,500 per hectare) for sowing vegetable seeds in 1,800 hectares. Biofungicides and biopesticides would also be supplied per 0.40 hectare for conduct of demonstration plots in 21 hectares. Schemes for vegetables were allocated Rs 27.84 lakh.

Madhusudhan said that under a Rs 6.65-lakh mango scheme in 200 hectares, farmers were encouraged to plant 100-175 plants per hectare with a spacing of 7.5mx7.5m. Quality Mallavalli mango grafts were being supplied to them. Simultaneously, old mango orchards were being rejuvenated in 100 hectares.

He said 3,600 quality tissue culture banana plants (Rs 5.40 lakh) were being supplied to farmers for cultivation in 30 hectares. Cadbury India Ltd, Eluru, would supply farmers cocoa plants at Rs 2.50 per plant. Farmers were told to plant cocoa (0.31 lakh) in 25 hectare (500 plants per hectare).

He said Rs 1.26 lakh would be spent for supply of 50,000 coleus cuttings to be planted in 12 hectares and 400 grafts of amla for plantation in 22 hectares.

Under the post-harvest management plan, 1,800 plastic crates, 100 Taiwan sprayers, 172 hand knapsack sprayers and 500 (6x8 mt) polysheets would be supplied to small farmers.