Farmers urged to go for multi-cropping for profitability
Brainstorming workshop organised for tomato and chilli farmers
Vijayawada: Multi-Cropping, Tomato and Chilli Farming, Natural Farming, Farmers’ Welfare, Horticulture Department, B RajasekharHe highlighted that a brainstorming session is being organised to help tomato and chilli farmers achieve quality yields with low investment through scientific farming methods and natural farming, thereby ensuring economic progress.
Under the aegis of the State Horticulture Department, a brainstorming session was held on Friday at Farmers’ Training Center at Water Resources Department office here. The session was aimed at creating awareness among chilli and tomato farmers, with horticulture officials, scientists, and exporters in attendance.
Speaking after lighting the ceremonial lamp, chief guest B Rajasekhar emphasised that the State government is paying special attention to farmers’ welfare. He stressed the importance of farmers adopting multi-cropping instead of relying on a single crop. He emphasised that adopting natural farming methods would lead to high-quality yields, increasing the chances of obtaining remunerative prices.
Rajasekhar advised them to follow the suggestions and recommendations of agricultural and horticultural scientists regarding the timing of crop cultivation to align with market demand and secure better prices. For instance, he pointed out that at one time, tomato prices were so high that farmers had to appoint watchmen to guard their crops, while at another time, prices dropped so low that farmers were forced to discard their produce on roads.
Dr K Srinivasulu, Director of the State Horticulture and Sericulture Department, stated that the primary reason for organising the session with tomato and chilli farmers was to create awareness to overcome the challenges they face in chilli cultivation. He noted that a special mission has been established at the central government level to promote natural farming. He urged farmers to shift from mono-cropping to multi-cropping, as cultivating two to three crops instead of one could increase their profits.
The brainstorming session was attended by State Agriculture and Marketing Department Director Vijaya Sunitha, Horticulture Department Additional Directors M Venkateswarlu, Dr Ashok Kumar and Harinath Reddy, ICAR Director M Seshumadhav, Dr YSR Horticultural University Principal Dr Venkata Ramana, ITC manager Vishnu Vardhan, Horticulture Department Scientist Dr Shirish, District Horticulture Officer Balaji Kumar, horticulture officials, tomato and chili farmers from various districts of the state, buyers, exporters, and representatives of processing units.
