Small and marginal farmers from SC and ST communities are going to raise horticulture crops, mainly cashew nut on assigned lands over about 4,000 acres, 1,000 acres in agency areas, under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NR-EGS) in East Godavari.
Horticulture authorities target to raise several horticulture crops on government assigned lands in the possession of small and marginal farmers to help them improve their sources of earnings. They are trying to identify suitable blocks of lands mainly in upland areas like Prathipadu, Jaggampeta, Tuni, Sankhavaram, Routhulapudi and other areas. Efforts are on to identify beneficiaries who are in possession of less than five acres. About 3,000 farmers are expected to take up cultivation of horticulture crops under the NREGS in the district.
The state government provides financial support under the NREGS to farmers to take up development of land, digging pits for plantation of saplings in case of cashew nut, supply of saplings and seeds free of cost, provision of irrigation facilities, supply of fertilisers, compost and other requisite inputs.
It is estimated to cost nearly Rs 34,000 per acre for a period of three years for raising horticulture crops until their harvest. Horticulture authorities maintain that on an average, farmers can get 400 kgs of nuts per acre and one kilogram of nuts fetches about Rs 50 to the farmers.
The horticulture assistant director, Mr B. Subrahmanyam said, “We are encouraging farmers to raise cashew nut, mainly in upland and Agency areas as it is viable there and also helps farmers get good dividends.”