Agency climes just right for growing exotic vegetables

VISAKHAPATNAM: Visakha Agency area is viable for producing exotic vegetables that are in high demand in foreign countries, including the United States, if a study carried out by horticultural scientists is to be believed. However, despite a naturally enabling environment for cultivating these high value veggies, the area unfortunately lacks proper export facilities and local marketing infrastructure.
Horticulture Research Station (HRS), a unit of YS Rajasekhara Reddy Horticulture University at Chintapalli in Visakha Agency, conducted a study entitled "Study of suitability and development of cultivation practices for non-traditional high value vegetable crops under open conditions in high altitude conditions - crop production" under the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) scheme of the state government for the year 2012-13.
As part of the study, the HRS produced nearly 2,000 kg of eight varieties of veggies such as sprouting broccoli, brussels sprouts, red cabbage, Chinese cabbage or pak choi, knol khol or kohlrabi, turnip and palak over nearly 2000 square yards at Chintapalli in the winter season starting November 2013 to January 2014. The scientists spent nearly Rs 20,000 on cultivating the crops and studying the pros and cons of the products as well as the agency in order to help the government as well as interested vegetable cultivators.
The research scientists succeed in getting a good yield with minimal investment and observed that the Visakha Agency was viable for producing such crops, but found no marketers to buy the product from the Agency area though these crops have a huge demand in metro cities like New Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bangalore and even Visakhapatnam city, apart from foreign countries like the US.
"What we observed as part of our study was that though Visakha Agency is most viable for producing these eight varieties of high value veggies, there are no buyers for the produce. We got a huge yield from our cultivation, but no wholesale or big vegetable traders showed interest in purchasing our products. We will submit our report to the government soon," HRS scientist Chandrasekhara Rao told TOI.
The main reason behind Visakha Agency being ideal for cultivating such crops is suitable climatic conditions as all these crops can grow only in chilly weather conditions where the night time temperature is always below 10 degree Celsius and Visakha Agency enjoys such temperature, mostly in winter.
The F1 Hybrid seeds for the study were either imported from private vendors or procured from Indian Agriculture Research Institute at Katrain in Himachal Pradesh. The seeds were sown in September 30 last year, seedlings planted on November 1, and the yields procured during last December and this January.
"All the crops have given a good yield without any use of pesticides and fungicides. In particular, broccoli, which is similar to cauliflower, is rich in antioxidants and can prevent cancer. Almost all varieties of the crops are in high demand in foreign countries and metros," Rao said.
"If hyper markets like Reliance Fresh, Spencer's or More are ready to buy these veggies, Vizag Agency can not only help the cultivators reap good revenues but also indirectly generate livelihood for many unemployed people. All these eight veggies are best for exports, mostly to the US," Rao suggested, adding that the study was first of its kind in Andhra Pradesh. "If the government puts in place good marketing facilities to market these vegetables, I am sure that the Agency will become a hub for producing huge quantities of such exotic vegetables that enjoy a good demand in the urban areas and export markets," Rao added.
According to officials at hypermarkets, while broccoli is priced at about Rs 150 per kg, red cabbage is sold at Rs 70 per kg, knol khol is about Rs 40 per kg and pak choi at Rs 17 per piece. "Currently, broccoli is hardly available in hypermarkets in the city with most of these vegetables being imported from Bangalore," said an executive with a hypermarket.
However, when contacted, ST Naidu, deputy director (Vizag), AP agricultural marketing department, said that he was not aware of the study by the HRS and would not be able to comment on the prospects of these veggies in the region without going through the study report.,