Sangareddy farmers on Karnataka border switch to chia cultivation

The seeds, known for their rich fibre content, need little management as they attract no pests at all, say farmers

Sangareddy: Farmers living in Sangareddy district along Karnataka border are slowly shifting to chia cultivation during the Yasangi season, instead of the usual safflower, maize, sunflower and other crops.

The farmers of Sangareddy drew inspiration from neighbouring Karnataka farmers to cultivate chia, which had its origins in Mexico. The seeds, known for their rich fibre content, are in good demand in the country. Moreover, the farmers said they had cultivated the crop to beat the monkey and wild boar menace since they would not eat the crop. The 90-day crop is nurtured with a dry irrigation (ID) method. Irrigating the crop once a week would be enough.

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The farmers of Dhanasri, Gopanpally and other villages in Mogudampally were cultivating the crop for the third consecutive year while farmers in Nagur-K, Bhimra, and other villages in Karnataka started cultivating the crop from 2023 Yasangi. The total area under chia cultivation in Sangareddy increased to 50 acres within three years.

Speaking to ‘Telangana Today’, Sanju Patil, a resident of Nagur-K, said he had decided to cultivate chia over the regular crop of safflower upon seeing the success of farmers in Karnataka. After getting a rich harvest, he again cultivated the crop this year while two others followed him. The farmers here were getting 5 to 7 quintals of harvest per acre. The farmers were selling their produce to Bidar-based traders. Since it is a comparatively new crop in the district, officials said there was no mechanism to purchase the seeds. Many farmers would switch to Chia.

Patil said the crop would need little management because it would attract no pests at all. Another farmer Siddappa urged the government to support the farmers by guiding them in purchasing the seeds and selling the produce avoiding the involvement of middlemen, to improve the profits.