Kadapa: Following the orders of Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, district collector C. Harikiran and the horticulture department officials are taking steps to improve the livelihood of banana orchard farmers in Pulivendula constituency.
They have formed a company with banana orchard farmers in the name of the Pulivendula Farmers Produce Company and executed a memorandum of understanding with two export companies. These are Desai Foods Private Limited, a Big Bazaar group and Future Group Company INI farms. These two companies will help farmers in banana farming and will purchase the product from them after harvesting for export. There are 15,000 acres of banana orchards in Pulivendula.
The banana produce in Pulivendula can be stored for a long period and is superior to produce in other areas. The officers have allotted 500 acres to each company and the entire land will use the drip irrigation system.
Horticulture deputy director in-charge Madhusudan Reddy said that the company has deputed staff to help farmers in this process till the crop harvest. They will take all precautionary steps to get high quality yield and are expecting 25 tons per acre. After the harvest comes in, the companies will purchase the product from farmers at 1 rupee more than the prevailing market price.
The farmers will benefit as the firms are not encouraging suit system (Suit is an unofficial system in banana and sweet orange market). Recently, government has also sanctioned a banana research centre in Pulivendula.
