LIFESAVER: Bose with his papaya crop. - PHOTO: RAJU V.

NUZVID (KRISHNA DT): What should a farmer who develops a guava orchard in 10 acres of land by sinking in lot of money do when the entire orchard perishes to pest? Lose heart and resort to some extreme step?

Kalagara Bose of Ramannagudem in Nuzvid mandal has proved to many of his ilk that one need not feel disheartened, as there are wiser options that promise better and assured returns. Mr. Bose shifted to papaya, whose cultivation is rather unheard of in this mango-centric area. With his efforts bearing fruits, literally, Mr. Bose has emerged as one of the successful papaya growers in Krishna district. Taking cue from him are some 20 enthusiasts in Nuzvid division who have begun to develop papaya orchards. "The fruit was quite uncommon in the region seven years ago when I burnt down guava trees to plant papaya seeds," recalls Mr. Bose, standing amidst his 30-acres papaya orchard. The 70-tonne yield he got from 10 acres for the first time in 2000 was not so encouraging. As all mango traders focussed on exporting produce to national and international markets, Mr. Bose could capture the local market with his fruit. "A trader from Delhi purchased the entire produce in the first year but paid only Rs. 2,000 per tonne," he recalls. But the demand picked up as Mr. Bose's friends and relatives started taking up papaya cultivation.

Over 20 farmers from Ramannagudem, Vattigudipadu and Aagiripalli have now developed papaya orchards. Currently, over 2,000 tonnes of the fruit is being carted away from Nuzvid to Rajasthan, Kolkata and Delhi. The fruit presently commands a rate of Rs. 3,000 a tonne. "By following modern techniques, one can easily get a yield of 10 tonnes to 15 tonnes per acre in a year," he says . Use of organic manure, supply of water by drip method and weeding out of disease-affected trees from the orchard are some of the techniques being followed by Mr. Bose.

Yellow mosaic

But the farmers have been left to fend for themselves. A disease called `yellow mosaic' is posing a threat to the yield. Unavailability of quality seeds is yet another problem, as the farmers have to remove the trees after two years. "No assistance in any form is forthcoming from the horticulture department," says Mr. Bose.

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