Tribals keen on cultivating groundnut

Gangavaram (East Godavari Agency): Tribals in East Godavari, who normally cultivate traditional crops depending on rivulets, streams and climatic conditions, have now got access to technical interventions and training to get in raising high-yield short-duration crops such as groundnut.

In coordination with the Agriculture Department of Andhra Pradesh, ICRISAT has taken up a pilot project in groundnut cultivation in the Agency and achieved amazing results by getting high yields in short duration.

The tribal farmers are now taking up cultivation of groundnut in East Godavari Agency area. Farmers in the Agency area normally cultivate long-term crops like cotton and they do not know about groundnut cultivation which is suitable for their climatic conditions.

ICRISAT has supplied seeds after identifying four Agency mandals where the climatic conditions are suitable. As part of pilot project, 10 farmers were identified and cultivation of groundnut was taken up in 10 acres in Lakkonda village in Gangavaram mandal.

It has supplied ICGV91114 and ICGV350 variety seeds and the farmers were given technical support as well as land management guidance.

Within 90 days, they could secure high yield of groundnut (9 to 15 quintals per acre) for ICGV91114 variety and 20 quintals per acre for ICGV350 variety.

The farmers are keen on raising the second crop immediately after the harvest. The present price of dry pods in Ananatapur market is Rs 51 per kilogram and farmers have earned nearly Rs 50,000 per acre in about 90 days after spending about Rs 3,500 only. Even if the price is Rs 40 per kilogram of dry pods, farmers earn about Rs 35,000 in no time.

Speaking to The Hans India, visiting scientist, ICRISAT Development Centre, Rajesh Nune, said that this initiative has been taken up under AP Primary Sector Mission to identify growth engines in agriculture, horticulture, animal husbandry and fisheries and identified 10,000 hectares in each district with the objective of getting high yield with low expenditure with scientific intervention.

Stating that normally in East Godavari, farmers take up crops like paddy and sugarcane, he said that there is a great scope to cultivate groundnuts in Gangavaram, Y Ramavaram, Addatheegala and Rajavommangi mandals in East Godavari Agency area as climatic conditions are suitable for this crop.

“In the pilot project, we have achieved great results in Gangavaram and farmers have obtained higher yields than in the districts like Anantapur, Kadapa, Kurnool, and Chittoor districts where the groundnut is being cultivated in 90 per cent of land,” he said.

Though this is a humble beginning, he expressed confidence that more and more tribals would get high income within short period by cultivating groundnut and the ICRTSAT would be always there to provide scientific assistance.

A poor farmer from Lakkonda village was very pleased with the outcome and said that he along with his wife cultivated groundnut in 90 days and could earn Rs 40,000 within three months. “I did only spend on seeds and I did not hire any worker during the cultivation,” the farmer pointed out. He said more and more farmers were showing interest in cultivation of groundnuts.