Every drop of water counts for a GenX tomato grower at Burjupalli near Giddalur in Prakasam as the district is in the grip of drought for the fifth year in succession.
The never-say-die farmer, Shivashankar Reddy, has successfully adopted Israel’s micro irrigation technology by spending only ₹17,500, thanks to the 90% subsidy provided by the State government for drip irrigation system to maximise yield with the two borewells.
The 30-year-old farmer has got a good yield of 1,680 quintals per acre this year by sending water soluble fertilizers to plants through the network of pipes. “Yet there is no end to woes as the market for the highly perishable commodity has plummeted with the traders in Giddalur buying it at just ₹50 to ₹60 per box of 28 kg,” he told The Hindu.
“We used to vie with each other in taking the produce to the market even before break of dawn as traders take our produce on first-come-first-served basis,” he said.
Tenant farmer Narasaiah, who has taken up tomato cultivation in two acres spending ₹80,000, was at his wits’ end as he is not in a position to break even at the current market price.
Some of the dejected tenant farmers have thrown their produce on the streets in despair, while others have preferred to delay the harvest hoping for better prices in March, explains another farmer K. Musalaiah.
Over 90% of the 800 farmers in the village use micro irrigation system and also resort to fertigation to avoid wastage of fertilizers.
Farmers in and around Giddalur grow tomato in over 1,000 hectares in two to three spells as the soil is best suited for cultivation of this vegetable crop.
Net house subsidy
They plead for providing net house at 90% subsidy by the State government for cultivation of tomato during off season when its price shoots up to ₹600 per kg for them to grow the crop throughout the year and raise seedlings on their own as it accounts for the major part of the cost of cultivation.