The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Cultivation of fig catching up in Palnadu region

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Saturday, Dec 22, 2007
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Cultivation of fig catching up in Palnadu region

P. Samuel Jonathan

Its consumption is good for liver, heart, kidney and lungs

Photo: T. Vijaya Kumar

Villagers engaged in fig cultivation in Arepalli near Narsaraopet in Guntur district. —

NARSARAOPET: Cultivation of Common Fig trees ( Ficus carica) is picking up in the Palnadu area. A couple of farmers have already planted fig trees on the rocky soil in and around Narasaraopet area and are successfully marketing the fruit in local market amid growing acceptance of fruit with high curative and lacerative nutritional values.

“Fig trees can be cultivated on all types of soils, Red, Black Cotton, Clay etc and can survive all types of climates. The trees could be easily transplanted and multiplied by stem grafting methods. The yield is good with pickings of 60 kg daily,” Pathan Jeelani, an agricultural graduate from Narasaraopet says.

Consumption of Fig is good for liver, heart, kidney, lungs, and spleen and is good for those suffering from Diabetes and Arthritis. It is also popularly called as ‘Indian Viagra’.

Drip irrigation

Two enterprising women in Guntur, A. Aliveni and Y. Hemamalini have taken up cultivation on 35 acres of red soil at Arepalli Muppala village, about 25 km away from Narasaraopet. “It took nearly six months to develop the hard and fallow land, provide electricity and water by digging five bore wells,” they said.

Using drip irrigation methods to irrigate the farm, they reaped good harvest in the first season itself with an average yield of 80kg per day. “We want to set up an ancillary unit for processing of dry fruit, jams and jellies. The National Horticultural Board gives 20 per cent of subsidy with which we want to start the unit,” they added.

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