Of the 14 fruits produced in Telangana, mangoes, guavas, papayas, melons, watermelons, sapodillas, sweet oranges and limes are in surplus
Post Date – 12:10 AM, Mon – 12 December 22
Among the 14 kinds of fruits produced by TS, there is a surplus of mango, guava, papaya, melon, watermelon, sapodilla, sweet orange, lime, etc.
Hyderabad: Thinking about adding more fruit to your diet? It could be the right time and the right place, as the country’s youngest nation is witnessing fruitful results. From mangoes and guavas to papayas and watermelons, Telangana is now a fruit surplus state with a total production of 2.478 lakh tonnes against a demand of 0.734 lakh tonnes.
According to state horticultural officials, of the 14 types of fruit produced in the state, eight are in surplus (mango, guava, papaya, melon, watermelon, sapodilla, sweet orange and lime), while about six — Grapes, apples, jamun, bananas, pineapples and pomegranates – not enough production.
The state’s mango consumption was 19,000 tons, out of a total production of 1.023 million tons. The state has a surplus of 1.004 million tons of mangoes. In fact, 98.15% of the mangoes produced in the state are exported to other states, especially the northern states. Likewise, the state has a surplus of 483,000 tons of citrus (sweet oranges and limes). The state is estimated to export surplus citrus worth Rs 7.25 billion annually to neighboring countries.
However, the country has not yet achieved self-sufficiency in vegetable production. Telangana has a vegetable supply-demand gap of 965,000 tonnes, so it needs to import vegetables from neighboring countries. The state’s total vegetable requirement is about 2.609 million tonnes per annum, while the current production is 1.644 million tonnes.
In the Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) area, the average demand for vegetables is 2006 metric tons per day. Currently, most of the vegetables are transported to Hyderabad from peri-urban areas, neighboring areas and other states. The city receives vegetables from neighboring areas such as Rangareddy, Nalgonda, Siddipet, Sangareddy, Vikarabad, Adilabad and Nizamabad. Also, vegetables are sourced from Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Chattishgarh and New Delhi.
The state is trying to address the shortage by setting up centers of excellence for vegetable and flower production at 10.35 acres in Jeedimetla and 50 acres in Mulugu village, Siddipet district.
Apart from the shortage of vegetable production, the issue of wastage is also a concern in Telangana. According to horticultural officials, about 30 percent of fruit and vegetables shipped to market rot. There is also a lack of cold storage facilities in the state.
