The Indian Vizag Agency is increasingly and successfully experimenting with the cultivation of exotic vegetables and fruits, which require very cold climatic conditions to grow. Like the famous strawberries of Lambasingi, now demand is increasing for Araku broccoli. Though the farmers have been growing broccoli for the past two to three years, this year they have earned more by selling the crop, only due to favourable climatic conditions.
The farmers said that they had good a yield this year, compared to last year. This season, around 500 kg of the vegetable is being sent to the Rythu bazaars once a week, selling in the span of two to three days. “This year the cultivated area has increased to 200 acres. Broccoli is grown from October to February. An acre yields four to five tons of broccoli per season. This year, broccoli has been cultivated on more acres, as there has been more demand for the vegetable and the farmers have got very good results,” said Siva Kumar, the scientist and head of Horticulture Research Station, Chintapalle.
While a kg of broccoli is sold for Rs 60 (€0.75) in the Rythu bazaars, the price zooms to the range of Rs 130 to Rs 180 per kg in retail and hyper markets. “We get broccoli from the Agency on Fridays and sell for two to three days. The locally cultivated, healthy vegetable and its price are attracting people. Further, not many farmers cultivate broccoli as land and climate are not suitable (everywhere in the Agency),” T Linga Murthy, the MVP Rythu Bazaar estate officer.
