A 45-year-old farmer named Pallaprolu Bapireddy and his wife Kanakadurga from the Guntur district’s Kaza village surprised everyone by adopting technology in farming and providing nearly 20-30 jobs to women throughout the year.
After cultivating jasmine flowers on eight acres of leased land for the previous five years without any technical background or assistance, the farmer began using drones for spraying in his field to reduce farm labour expenses.
Due to the high cost of agricultural labour and the scarcity of available labourers, the farmer began researching the use of drones in agriculture on social media. He stated that he purchased a drone and received fifteen days of training in its operation. He claimed that his wife could now operate the drone on her own.
Employs 20-30 women
The farmer used to grow jasmine in the summer and jaji and kagadamalli flowers in the wet and winter seasons, according to him. He claimed that during the peak of the flowering season, he employed nearly 20-30 ladies to pick flowers. Women working in the horticultural sector would earn between Rs. 300 and Rs. 500 per day, depending on the amount of work they do.
In addition, because there was no electricity in the area, the farmer provided water to the flower plants using a solar pumping system. He stated that the summertime water shortage is a source of concern for him. He could grow more flowers if there was a power source, giving more ladies a daily job.
He was forced to dry some parts of his land due to a lack of water. He stated that he applied for power supply two years ago, and that the line was sanctioned and work orders were issued. However, there has been no progress in the construction of the electricity lines. If the government provides assistance in the form of a power supply, he will be content to cultivate one crop or another throughout the year.
Installed solar insect trapper
To minimize the use of pesticides and protect crops from insects, the farmers also set up a solar insect trapper. Says Bapireddy: “My wife and I both start our agricultural job early in the morning and return home in the late afternoon. Without using any intermediaries, I bring the cargo of flowers to Vijayawada market and sell them to wholesalers. Since we like the agricultural labour, there will be satisfied after a hectic
day while reaching home which is just because we enjoy the farm work.”
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