Telangana: Retired officer develops ‘food forest’ in 15 acres

Nalgonda: After retiring from Excise Department, an officer named Edulla Anji Reddy has converted 15 acres of his land at Cherlapally in the district into ‘food forest’ over the last six years. Edulla Anji Reddy, who owns 20 acres of land in all at Cherlapally, has developed food forest in 15 acres and has taken […]

Nalgonda: After retiring from Excise Department, an officer named Edulla Anji Reddy has converted 15 acres of his land at Cherlapally in the district into ‘food forest’ over the last six years.

Edulla Anji Reddy, who owns 20 acres of land in all at Cherlapally, has developed food forest in 15 acres and has taken up cultivation of different varieties of paddy in the remaining five acres.

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Speaking to Telangana Today, Anji Reddy said that there are fruit bearing trees, medicinal plants, flowering plants among others in his farm and added that vegetable cultivation is also being taken up in the gap between the trees. He said that the food forest was developed without using chemical fertilisers and informed that he followed organic farming and natural plant growing techniques. He said that he uses Jeevamrutha, a natural liquid fertiliser made by mixing water, dung and urine from cows, for better yield.

In his farm, the retired officer said that there were mango trees of 25 varieties apart from several varieties of mosambis, seedless orange and Nagpur orange, custard apples, Guava among others and added that the fruits, flowers and vegetables produced in his farm cater to the needs of over 50 families who live in nearby colonies.

Speaking about what made him take up cultivation after retirement, Anji Reddy said that he belonged to agricultural family and added that it was his love that made him take up cultivation. Though there was scope for commercial development in his 20 acres land which is located along the Addanki-Narketpally State highway, he said it was his dream to develop his land as food forest.

Highlighting the need to understand the hardwork of farmers in producing yield, Anji Reddy says he organises exposure visits so that people come and understand the effort being put into cultivation by farmers. Moreover, he said that he was very happy because of the fact that he was able to provide healthy vegetables and fruits to people living in the surrounding areas.

A regular customer at Anji Reddy’s farm, K Ramesh, said vegetables and fruits here were way more fresh and tastier.