Nuzivid mango yeilds to booze treatment
Nuzvid: Crazy it may sound, mango farmers in Nuzvid area are spraying liquor, instead of pesticides or chemicals to get a better yield from their groves.
Once well know, Nuzvid Mango has lost its importance and popularity over the years as the yield in this part of the state was on decline. Due to adverse weather conditions this year, there is a steep decline in the flowering area.
Fearing that the low extent of flowering may further decrease the yield, farmers have been employing several methods. The latest being, spraying liquor to the plants.
Mango is produced in about 3.41 lakh hectares in the state and in Nuzvid are it is grown in 1.70 lakh hectares and the Nuzvid variety of Mango had world wide appeal.
But for the past several years, the mango growers of Nuzivid were facing one crisis after the other. The yield used to be seven to eight tonnes per hectare and now it is feared that the yield may reduce to 3 to 4 tonnes.
Untimely rains also have adversely affected the yield. Despite using several chemicals and pesticides the farmers have not been able to protect the plants. After trying age old practices, farmers have now began spraying liquor mixed with water.
Though the farmers are facing lot of hardships and trying their own methods, the local officials from the Agriculture or horticulture departments have not been responding nor taking any interest, leaving the farmers to their fate.
News Posted: 23 March, 2012
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