Cultivation of leafy vegetables bring rich profits to farmers of this tiny village in Nalgonda

Leafy vegetable cultivators have been making a business of Rs 2 crore per year as per estimations by the Horticulture department

Nalgonda: Farmers of a tiny village Rayapuram set an example by earning profits upon switching over to cultivation of leafy vegetables from tradition paddy and cotton crops.

Out of total 130 farmers in Rayapuram village of Kethepally mandal in the district, 110 farmers have taken up cultivation of leafy vegetables in over 60 acres and earning daily income throughout the year.

---

Their income through cultivation of leafy vegetables was more than the concept of ‘One acre – Rs 1 lakh income’. Leafy vegetable cultivators have been making a business of Rs 2 crore per year as per estimations by the Horticulture department.

The farmers are cultivating leafy vegetables including spinach, mint, coriander, roselle and sorrel. They shifted to cultivation of leafy vegetables considering the possibility of earning high income on a daily basis, besides their previous experiences of incurring losses with cultivation of cotton and paddy.

Moreover, the farmers have no marketing problem for leafy vegetables. It would not be an exaggeration to say that every farmer was earning at least Rs 1,000 per day for the production of leafy vegetables in one acre area each.

Leafy vegetables will be ready for cutting within a short time of 25 days after sowing of seeds and give crop for 20 days to two months based on the verity of the crop.

Speaking to Telangana Today, a farmer Apphons said that he has taken up cultivation of leafy vegetables in his 2 acres land and earning Rs 2,000 per day.

He has been getting the income throughout the year. The cost of cultivation was also less compared to paddy and cotton. Wetting of the agriculture field of leafy vegetables once in three days was also enough, he added.

Another farmer Banda Bala Swamy said that the merchants from Andhra Pradesh were also coming to their agricultural fields to purchase leafy vegetables in bulk.

The women of his family were also selling the leafy vegetables directly in the market at Nakrekal, which would also help them get good income. Remaining leafy vegetables are being sold to the whole sale merchants, he added.

Horticulture Officer of Kethepally mandal Vidhya Sagar said that the farmers were dividing their agriculture field into small parts and taking up cultivation of leafy vegetables such that they get output throughout the year.

Crop in one block would come for cutting by the time of ending of crop production in another block of the agricultural field. The farmers were taking up cultivation of leafy vegetables in more than 300 acres in Kethepally mandal.