Forget Kashmir, Vizag is all set to become apple-bowl of South India
By Newsmeter Network Published on 25 Jun 2020 5:25 AM GMT
Visakhapatnam : Apple cultivation in the hilly areas of Chintapalli and GK Veedhi Mandals has yielded positive results.
Situated over 1,200 meters above sea level, Chintapalli, GK Veedhi, Paderu and Araku Valley areas in the Vizag Agency are suited for the apple cultivation.
Lambasingi (Lammasingi) is known as the Kashmir of Andhra Pradesh for its temperate climate. This hill station reported the lowest temperature during winter.
Two varieties of apple trees in the Vizag Agency have now borne fruits. Farmers said the Vizag Agency’s apples are juicy and a little sour.
Orchards at Madem tribal hamlet under Dhamanapalli Panchayat in Vizag Agency have yielded 30 to 34 apples per tree.
Apple cultivation in the hilly areas of Chintapalli and GK Veedhi Mandals has yielded positive results.
Situated over 1,200 meters above sea level, Chintapalli, GK Veedhi, Paderu and Araku Valley areas in the Vizag Agency are suited for the apple cultivation. pic.twitter.com/CJcEsi6ZHk
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A few years back, the authorities of Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA), Paderu, distributed low chilling apple saplings varieties including Anna and Dorsett Golden to some selected farmers on experimental basis.
Horticulture Officer, ITDA-Paderu, G Prabhakar Rao, said this year the trees bore fruits. “Each apple weighs in between 350 to 400 gms and the taste of the apples was also good,” he said.
Currently, the apple plantation is spread over 60 and 70 acres of land in three to four Mandals of Vizag Agency.
“We have decided to extend the plantation to 200 more acres of land an estimated cost of over Rs3.2 crore. Chintapalli, GK Veedhi, Paderu and Araku Valley Mandals have been selected for the apple farming,” Prabhakar Rao said.
Officials said the apples grown in Madem village are good in size, color, taste, and aroma. “We will supply apples (Vizag Agency brand apples) to some cities in the coming years as the ITDA-Paderu has decided to promote the apple cultivation," said a tribal farmer Venkateswara Rao
