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“My drylands have been transformed to green, thanks to commercial horticulture plantations. They have changed my lifestyle,” says B Ramesh Reddy.
Ramesh Reddy and his wife live in Bollepalli village in Kattangur Mandal in Nalgonda district. They own 21 acres of land of which 5 is wetland and 16 is dry. They grew paddy in the wetlands where irrigation was possible and castor, green gram and groundnut on the dryland. The land was not fertile and the yield was dependent on the availability of water. Because of the scanty rainfall over the years Ramesh Reddy and his family were in the grip of poverty. His real worry was for the future of his children.
When the APRLP watershed development programme was launched in their village, BIRD an NGO was the project implementing agency. They organised periodical meetings to make the community aware about watershed management and alternative methods for development. The village elders elected Ramesh Reddy as the chairman of the watershed committee.
A year later, having observed the prevailing situation in the village, the Agriculture representative of the watershed development team suggested that lemon and sweet lime be grown here. Both horticulture trees do not require much water but at the same time would fetch a higher income. Estimates were prepared and discussed immediately, and the watershed committee gave its approval for implementation.
Ramesh Reddy brought 800 sweet lime saplings from Railway Koduru in Kadapa district and planted 100 saplings per acre. The cost of digging pits for planting saplings was met by the Horticulture Department. They also supplied 2 bags of Super and 1 bag of Potash under the programme. He procured a drip system from the Horticulture Department with a cost sharing of 60:40. He made optimal use of the little water that was available and protected the plants from pests. He raised cucumber, groundnut, and green gram as intercrops in the garden from which he
earned Rs.10, 000.
After three years the sweet lime had grown enough to give the first yield, which fetched him a profit of Rs.30, 000. His profit from the second yield was Rs.80, 000; from the third yield Rs.3 lakhs and the fourth yield Rs.6 lakhs. This year he expects a profit of Rs.12 lakhs. As the trees grow the yields increase. Productivity has been high because of proper maintenance of the drip irrigation system and timely measures taken against pests.
The cost of maintaining 8 acres of sweet lime plantation per annum is Rs.1.5 lakhs.
01) Cattle dung as manure (30 tractor loads): Rs.20, 000
02) Chemical fertilisers (14:35:14/40bags): Rs.15, 000
03) Pesticides: Rs.10, 000
04) Power and borewell: Rs.25, 000
05) Cost of labour: Rs.80, 000
06) Total Rs.1, 50,000
Before growing sweet lime, these 8 acres were planted with castor, green gram and groundnut, which would have fetched only Rs.30, 000.
Now the livelihood of the family is assured. He is spending Rs.2 lakhs per annum on educating his children. His older son is studying for an M.Sc. in Biotechnology in Hyderabad and the other two sons are studying Engineering at Guntur. Ramesh Reddy and his spouse Sandhya are grateful to the watershed development initiatives that brought a qualitative change in their lives and made them happy.
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