Seethaphal turns saviour for small farmers

​Mahbubnagar: Thanks to good rains this year in Mahbubnagar district, the villagers of Udandapur and Vollur village in Jadcherla Mandal, are eking a good living by selling ‘Seethaphal’ (custard apple) along the National Highway 44 near Jadcherla, who otherwise would migrate to other cities for work during this period.

Yedla Gopal, a small time farmers and a daily wage labourer from Vollur village says this year the rains have helped him get good yield of maize crop on his two acre land. However, after the harvest is over he has taken up to selling of Seethapal (custard apples) as his side business, “During the past 3 years, we had seen tough time due to lack of rains. Forget about rain fed crops, we had to struggle hard to even get drinking water earlier.

However, this year the rain gods have showered his blessings we have not only got good crop yield but also eking a living by selling Seethaphal,” says Gopal. But the villagers feel that the happy times would end soon as the government would take away the lands for the proposed Undandapur reservoir. If this happens, we fear our lives will become more miserable and do not know where to go and how to live and selling seasonal fruits or some other such products may become a routine source of living for ,” says Yadamma from Vollur village.

Narsamma, Yadiah and Venkatesh from Vollur Udandapur and Chinnagutta thanda respectively are also apprehensive, that this is only a short lived business as they may have to leave the village soon. “The local leaders are saying we have to leave our lands and houses once the reservoir workers begin,” they told The Hans India.

According to Venkatamma, a daily wage labourer from Undandapur the season of Seethapal begins in August and ends in November. Mahabubnagar district has the right climate for growing Seethaphal. This fruit is also called as poor man’s apple. This is not grown in plantations but it is available more in the forest and hilly areas of Mahabubnagar district. The villages of Vollur and Udandapur are surrounded by hills and forest region.

Every day the villagers venture into the forest to get Seethapal which is a risky job. “We encounter snakes, wolves, cheetahs, wild boars, scorpions and wild spiders.” They sell at least 3-4 baskets of the fruit and earn around Rs. 500-600. But this time we are struggling hard to get the fruits from the forest because of restrictions by the forest officials.” If project works begin, our lives would become miserable, she added.

Usually, these laborers earn their living by working in fields as daily wage workers. However, this year due to good rains the Seethaphal fruits have had a good yield and the laborers have chosen the alternate business. They are also apprehensive about the compensation they would get once the government takes away their lands. “We do not know any other work except agriculture and now we are at a loss and do not know how to survive,” Mudavath Maroni from Regadipatte Thanda said.

By A Raju