Vegetable production takes a beating due to real estate boom

Vegetable production takes a beating due to real estate boom
By SNV Sudhir
Visakhapatnam, Nov 23: The real estate boom in and around Vizag has taken a toll on vegetable production resulting in spiraling prices, burdening general public. In the last ten years, it is learnt that the city has lost more than 20,000 acres of farm lands to real estate. A majority of these lands were converted into housing plots or apartments. Thanks to Telangana movement, real estate firms that have mushroomed in the city have purchased thousands of cultivable lands and converted them into housing plots. Lack of remunerative prices and also labour shortage is said to be the reasons behind farmers selling their lands to real estate agents. “I get petty amounts by cultivating vegetables. Now I sold my land an acre for Rs 20 lakhs and invested half of the amount in a business. Remaining amount I lent it to one of my colleagues and I survive on the interest and profits made on the business,” said Komarayya, of Parawada.
According to the data available at district marketing department the 21 lakh city’s population is said to be consuming more than 15,000 quintals of vegetables and more than 4,000 quintals are sold at 12 raitu bazaars spread in various parts. With the drop in farm land, some of the vegetables are brought form other districts to meet the needs of city. “These days kilo tomatoes are being sold at Rs 30. I used to buy them at Rs 10 just a year ago. Now things have changed,” said a homemaker residing in Ramakrishna Nagar, Rohini.
Vizag generally gets this amount of vegetables from eight mandals on the outskirts, which have an extent of nearly 4,500 hectares during Khariff, said horticulture department, assistant director, S Ram Mohan.
It is learnt that that nearly 1500 hectares of vegetables farming land was converted into lay outs in these mandals. The remaining extent of the land belongs to other crops. In the rabi season, the cultivable land of vegetables would increase double as the farmers grow vegetables as a mixed crop, he said. “Though the vegetable cultivation in sub urban areas came down in recent years it is being compensated by cultivation in Agency areas to certain extent. We are also encouraging Hybrid vegetable cultivation for more production in less farm land,” Ram Mohan told this correspondent.
More than 85 percent of the farm lands at Chinamushidivada, Chimalapalli, Purushottamapuram, Sabbavaram, Vepagunta, and Parawada in Pendurthy assembly constituency were converted into layouts in the last four years. Layouts were also seen in the areas like and Kommadi, Anandapuram Madhurawada, Tagarapuvalasa and Paradesipalem. Many new colonies have come up in those lands. For instance realtors focused on Sabbavaram following the government decision to set up Maritime University and other projects there. Sabbavaram which is known for vegetables farming alone has lost about 15,000 acres in this form. Farmers grow vegetables in large quantities because the area is very close to city.