Like all farmers in the region, Kuvappa had always grown vegetables in his fields. But after seeing a farmer in Kaiwara grow papaya, he decided to follow suit and gathered all the necessary information on growing papaya and the market demand for the fruit.
He decided to grow the ‘red lady’ variety of papaya in his four-acre land which is fed by a borewell.
There is a high demand for the particular variety as it is used extensively in tutti-frutti, fruit salads and various other snacks.
The fruit is bought for Rs 8 to 14 per kilogram. In addition, since the traders chose to come to the field to buy the fruit freshly, it cuts down the transportation charges for the farmers.
On his part, Kuvappa also ensured that each plant was suitably fed with organic manure and watered under drip irrigation. Additional efforts like taking the advice of the horticulture department to ensure that the yield is not affected by any diseases or pests also helped Kuvappa.
“Though it costs about Rs 50,000 for growing papaya in an acre of land, the returns are manifold as each plant continues to bear fruits for about two years,” beamed Kuvappa.
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