Copyright thehindu
In 2014, Masthan Basha Shaik, 63, arrived at the Dubai International Airport to finally return home after a two-decade-long stint as a truck driver in the UAE. Mr. Shaik, who had saved a considerable amount during his stay in the UAE, was brimming with excitement as he imagined his life as a steel merchant in his hometown, Rajampeta – a prominent trade centre in Annamayya district of Andhra Pradesh. However, his prolonged stay at the Dubai Airport due to a flight delay altered the course of his plans. With his flight to Chennai delayed by three hours, Mr. Shaik found himself wandering through the terminal until he arrived at a popular juice bar. He noticed a young couple sipping on a papaya smoothie, which tempted him to order one. After enjoying it, he immediately ordered a second. Mr. Shaik soon struck up a conversation with the bar attendant, who introduced himself as Rasool, 32, and mentioned he was from Chitvel — just 25 km from Basha’s hometown. During their conversation, Mr. Shaik learned that the papaya used was imported from Railway Kodur, a town located between Rajampeta and Chitvel in Andhra Pradesh. Piqued by interest, he arrived in Chennai with a new business module focused on papaya cultivation. Within weeks, the would-be steel trader had purchased a three-acre plot in Penagalur mandal. Today, a decade later, Mr. Shaik’s two daughters are settled in Dubai, where their husbands run four juice bars and trade in export-quality fruit pulp across the UAE. “I am not the only Masthan Basha Shaik from Rajampeta who tasted success. There are hundreds like me who returned from the Gulf and are earning a decent living through horticulture,” said Mr. Shaik. The Rajampeta division in Annamayya district had witnessed a remarkable growth in the cultivation of fruits and vegetables over the past four decades. From barely a hundred horticulture farmers in the 1980s to a few thousand by the late 1990s, the region today boasts nearly 40,000 horticulture farmers—a twentyfold increase in just three decades. The picturesque Rajampeta region is surrounded by the Palakonda (Seshachalam), Nallamala, and Lankamala hill ranges. Forested hills—including the SV National Park and Penusila Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Wildlife Sanctuary—act as natural protective barriers. This unique geography, coupled with diverse soils, irrigation methods, and climatic conditions, has today shaped the region’s horticultural identity. The farmers who had once relied on rain-fed crops like groundnut and pulses, gradually shifted to fruit-bearing trees and vegetables. Horticulture flourished here due to the semi-arid Rayalaseema climate, red sandy loam soils, and ancient tank-based irrigation systems dating back to the Chola and Vijayanagara dynasties. “This dynamic transformation from traditional farming to a vibrant horticultural economy is unique to Rajampeta,” said Garika Venkat (45), a software engineer who manages a five-acre banana plantation near Anantharajupeta village. According to the scientists at the Dr. Y.S.R. Horticultural University in Anantharajupeta, the horticultural revolution in Rayalaseema began from Rajampeta division, especially after the establishment of fruit nurseries and training centres by the State Horticulture Department, promoting grafted mango varieties such as Banganapalli, Neelum, Totapuri, and Alphonso. They noted that prior to the 1980s, horticulture was limited to backyard orchards and small vegetable gardens near tanks and streams. Mango and banana crops were scattered across Nandaluru, Obulavaripalle, and Penagalur mandals and depended almost entirely on rainfall, with little irrigation support. However, between 1980 and 2000, the cultivation of horticultural crops expanded rapidly with the introduction of borewell irrigation and micro-irrigation schemes. In the 1990s, the Cheyyeru and Gunjaneru river basins became a boon to farmers, who began experimenting with mango orchards. Around the same time, the Gulf returnees, flush with Dirhams and Dinars, took to banana and papaya cultivation across the alluvial plains near Rajampeta and Obulavaripalle. In 2022, following the reorganisation of Rajampeta division under the newly formed Annamayya district, horticulture received renewed government focus through schemes like the National Horticulture Mission (NHM) and the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH), which promoted micro-irrigation, drip and sprinkler systems, and high-density crops. Mango reigns supreme in Rajampeta, dominating large tracts of land in Penagalur, Obulavaripalle, and Pullampeta mandals. These areas produce commercial varieties such as Banganapalli, Neelum, and Totapuri, which are exported to markets across India and abroad, including Southeast Asia and the Gulf. Banana and papaya thrive in the irrigated belts of Rajampeta and Nandaluru mandals, supported by borewell and tank-fed systems. These crops significantly contribute to farmers’ annual income, often rotated with seasonal vegetables. Farmers are also increasingly cultivating sweet lime, guava, and coconut, adopting mixed farming and intercropping systems that enhance sustainability and soil health. Vegetable cultivation became an integral part of the regional economy, with farmers widely growing tomato, brinjal, and chilli in the Railway Kodur and Cheyyeru valley regions. Excellent road connectivity to the Chennai–Mumbai National Highway and easy transport to urban markets further boosted economic prospects of the region. Despite such favourable conditions, the farmers are struggling due to growing challenges like erratic weather, recurring crop diseases, and lack of marketing facilities and government support. “Across Penagalur, Obulavaripalle, Nandaluru, and Pullampet mandals, we have seen falling yields for the past five years,” said Mallikarjuna (35), farmer from Anantharajupeta. “The typical Rayalaseema dryness is now coupled with sudden cloudbursts and flash floods, which disrupt soil conditions,” he added. Pointing to the yellowed papaya leaves, another farmer from Obulavaripalle, Rajasekhar (42), said, “In recent years, temperatures have risen sharply during the day and dropped steeply at night. Papaya cannot tolerate such drastic changes.” The farmers also pointed out that the frequent flash floods along the Cheyyeru and Gunjaneru rivers damage root systems and erode fertile topsoil—particularly devastating for banana plantations. During the peak harvest months of June and July, when the southwest monsoon sets in, pest and fungal infestations worsen. Mango orchards are attacked by anthracnose, powdery mildew, and fruit flies, while banana crops suffer from sigatoka leaf spot and stem weevil, they said. Farmers also feared that humidity following cyclone “Montha” will aggravate these problems, potentially forcing them to increase pesticide use. While pointing out the hurdles in selling their crops, the farmers noted that the region produces over 3.5 lakh metric tonnes of mangoes, two lakh tonnes of bananas, and a similar quantity of papaya annually. Still they encounter difficulties selling their produce in the market due to a lack of proper marketing facilities and government support. Hussain, 30, a young farmer said, “Our 2.7-acre land was managed by my parents till a decade ago. After Covid, cultivation and transport costs skyrocketed. This year, our banana yield was over 70%, but prices crashed to ₹3 a kg—while the same quantity sells for ₹60–70 in the open market. The middlemen are the real winners.” The farmers claimed that until five years ago, traders from the Northern States visited Rajampeta fields to purchase the produce at what local farmers called the “Minimum Decent Price”, saving farmers cutting and transport costs. “However, now, we are at the mercy of middlemen,” said Ravindra (28), another young farmer from Chitvel. “Agents fix prices as they wish. It is clearly a syndicate,” he alleged. Similarly, Narasimha, 61, who grows papaya in Chitvel, said that the prices have plummeted to ₹5 a kg. “As the fruit is highly perishable, agents wait for our distress calls. We have no choice but to sell at whatever price they quote,” he said. As for mango, the government had offered a ₹4 subsidy on ₹8 per kg price after farmers protested against pulp industries’ reluctance to pay more than ₹4 per kg. Though the district administration declared the “unofficial support price” in June, many farmers said that they are yet to receive the subsidy, according to the reports. However, Annamayya District Horticulture Officer S.S.V. Subhashini clarified that mango, banana, and papaya crops are not covered under the Minimum Support Price (MSP) system. “The recent price fixation for mangoes was merely a government intervention to ease farmer distress,” she said. A field officer from the horticulture department in Rajampeta said that horticulture took a major hit between 2015 and 2020. The young farmers who took up agriculture over IT jobs alleged that they did not receive the boost and growth they had hoped for. They recalled Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 2014 campaign promise to set up cold storage plants and processing units in the Rayalaseema region. They said that they are reconsidering their decision. “It is better to go back to our jobs than fight a losing battle,” said a local banker, adding that his son-in-law, an MS graduate from the U.S., returned to the IT sector after a failed attempt at agriculture. They further alleged that the presence of Dr. YSR Horticultural University College at Anantharajupeta did not help them with field-level solutions. “The scientists are doing good research, but the fruits of their work never reach our farms due to lack of funding,” they alleged. Pointing out these hurdles, the farmers noted that Rajampeta—formerly part of Kadapa district—received more administrative attention before being merged into the new Annamayya district. “Now, the district headquarters at Rayachoti is far from accessible. Most focus is on the Madanapalle and Rayachoti divisions,” said a faculty member at Dr. YSR Horticultural University College. “Given Rajampeta’s horticultural potential and its vital role in the rural economy, the region can truly thrive if it becomes a district headquarters,” the farmers said.
