Cultivation of moringa is a boon to farmers: Kothagudem Collector Patil

If a farmer plants 1000 plants per acre he could harvest at least 150 drumsticks per plant; thus 1.50 lakh drumsticks would be obtained in a harvest season and an income of Rs 75,000 could be generated, he said.

Kothagudem: District Collector Jitesh V Patil advised famers in the district to cultivate moringa saying it could be a boon to them.

Addressed farmers and officials at an awareness seminar conducted on moringa cultivation and its benefits here on Friday. Moringa cultivation helps farmers to earn money. If a farmer plants 1000 plants per acre he could harvest at least 150 drumsticks per plant; thus 1.50 lakh drumsticks would be obtained in a harvest season and an income of Rs 75,000 could be generated, he said.

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Besides that the oil obtained from dried seeds and dried leaves powder would give farmers additional income. The officials should make farmers aware of moringa cultivation and steps should be taken to ensure that at least five out of every hundred farmers take up its cultivation in at least one acre, Patil suggested.

The Collector cleared the doubts of officers and farmers about the problems that might be faced in moringa cultivation. He asked officials to take proper measures for marketing, machines for weeding and drying moringa leaves.

He assured farmers that he would speak to the forest department officials for bore well permits for the farmers for cultivating moringa in podu lands. Additional Collector Vidya Chandana, agriculture officer Babu Rao, horticulture officer Kishore and others were present.