Subsidy helps creeper veggies do well in Surat

SURAT: Cultivation of green vegetables in Surat district has seen 15 per cent annual growth in the last three years. Production of creeper vegetables like pointed gourd, bitter gourd, little gourd, ridge gourd, bottle gourd and sponge gourd has increased due to state government subsidy of 50 per cent given for the construction of trellis for these creepers.
Creeper vegetables were being cultivated in 1,400 hectare of land until 2011. This went up to 2,000 hectare in 2013 due to the subsidy, sources said.
The state government provides subsidy of Rs 26,000 per hectare as against the total estimated expenses of Rs 52,000 for the construction of trellis. The subsidy for a tribal farmer is around Rs 39,000 per hectare for building trellis, a structure of intersecting pieces of wood, bamboo or metal to support climbing plants.
"We have been giving the subsidy to the farmers for the past three years. We had received over 1,000 applications from the farmers this year seeking subsidy. The value that these vegetables bring, has also been a reason why the farmers are attracted to growing them," assistant director of horticulture, Surat, Dinesh Padaliya, said.
Lata Patel, a farmer from Mandroi village of Olpad taluka in Surat district, has 5 acre farm. She grows creeper vegetables in half of it. "The creeper vegetables are easy to grow and pluck. They also give a good return," she said.