Mango farmers seek marketing facilities

Nuzivid (Krishna): Mango growers, at a special session on `tips for improved yield' requested the State government to provide marketing facilities locally as they were unable to get remunerative price. Aimed at educating the growers on high mango yield, the session was organised by Andhra Bank at the Mango Research Centre at Annavaram of Nuzivid mandal in Krishna district on Wednesday. The mango growers shared their bitter experiences in marketing mango to distant places. They conveyed to the officials that there were no takers for mango at local level. In their bid to get better price, they were forced to take their produce to far off places. They lamented that they had to ultimately compromise on the price and resort to distress sale. The farmers informed the officials that their dependence on traditional farming techniques had a telling effect on the yield. They need to upgrade their old methods of pesticide spray and harvest for better yield, they said. Nuzivid Revenue Divisional Officer B Subba Rao, who participated as chief guest, said about 70,000 farmers were growing mango in Nuzivid division alone. The prospects of the crop, spread over 54,000 hectares in the division would be good, if the farmers put into practice the recommendations and suggestions extended by agricultural experts and scientists. Thousands of families involved in mango cultivation would be benefited financially if the officials took initiative for the farmers' exposure to latest techniques of farming. It was the mango grower who had no means of getting back any financial help from the government when the crop failed. The crop was not covered under any insurance scheme offered to farming community. Keeping this fact in mind, the mango farmers should concentrate and strictly follow the scientifically-valid methods of watering, besides appropriate use of pesticides and fertilisers, he said. Andhra Bank Deputy General Manager Ravi Kumar called upon mango growers to avail bank loans up to Rs 35,500 for seven successive years with the provision of paying back the same at the time of harvest. Dr Naram Naidu, agricultural expert from Guntur, warned the growers against excessive use of fertilisers. He stressed on the need to follow the scientific methods of farming for good crop prospects. Nuzivid Mango Research Centre scientist Aparna, Andhra Bank Manager Babji, representatives of mango growers and others were present.