Reasons which led to massive drop in Grape cultivation in Telangana

On weekends, radical successful cars and connected bikes tin beryllium seen driving done constrictive roads successful villages of Shamirpet Mandal successful Medchal Malkajgiri, looking for grape orchards to bargain the fruits successful immense quantities. Until a fewer decades ago, those traveling connected highways starring to Hyderabad utilized to spot immense tracts of the orchards successful the metropolis periphery including Shamshabad, Tukkuguda, Bolarum, Shamirpet and fewer much places. At 1 constituent of time, the fruits cultivated successful the orchards were consumed successful European and different countries arsenic the metropolis was salient for the exports. 

15,000 acres to 667 acres

In the 1980s and 90s, the grade of the effect cultivation reached astir 15,000 acres. However, determination is simply a monolithic diminution successful the cultivation. In 2024-25, it has dropped to a specified 667.63 acres with accumulation of 7,073 Metric Tonnes (MT), according to latest data. Only a fewer farmers are inactive cultivating the fruit.

Factors which led to diminution of grape cultivation successful Telangana

The existent property roar is often cited arsenic a crushed for the orchards making mode for high-rises and different operation projects.

G. Ram Reddy, erstwhile caput of  Grape Research Centre, excessively concurred with the relation of existent property successful bringing the change. He said that dissimilar Karnataka and Maharashtra, Telangana does not person a vino argumentation and subsidy is not fixed for grape cultivation. 

.A seasoned farmer, K. Chandra Mohan Reddy of KDR Grape Gardens successful Potharam Village of Shamirpet mandal said that determination is different beardown origin which brought down the acreage. “The monolithic rains successful 2008 destroyed the harvest and led to 100% nonaccomplishment of investment. Many could not retrieve and opted rootlike crops oregon entered different sectors,” said Mr. Chandra Mohan Reddy.

His begetter was 1 of the aboriginal grape farmers successful Bolarum successful 1988 and aboriginal acceptable up the orchards successful Medchal territory successful 1994-95. They besides complemented the cultivation with a acold retention and battalion house, and exported the fruits to Europe. “They maintained strict standards. We witnessed monolithic maturation successful the returns each year. A batch of places successful Bolarum which are present packed with apartments oregon different buildings, erstwhile were filled with the orchards. Real property played a relation successful the changes successful onshore use,”Mr. Chandra Mohan Reddy said. 

Only a fewer pockets of the State inactive person the orchards. Of the 667.62 acres of grape cultivation successful the State, 406.72 acres are successful Medchal-Malkajgiri, 135.325 successful Siddipet, 103.575 successful Rangareddy, 9.125 successful Jayashankar Bhupalapally. The harvest is not opted successful 22 districts. 

Grape tin beryllium cultivated successful places with adust upwind

“I inactive retrieve seeing grape orchards connected my mode to Hyderabad successful the 1990s. Now the farms are filled with buildings,” said a Horticulture section official.  Mr. Chandra Mohan Reddy said that with a small training, it tin beryllium cultivated successful immoderate portion of the State which has adust weather. 

“Hyderabad was 1 of the foremost viticultural centres of our country. A fashionable grape assortment Anab-e-Shahi was introduced successful Hyderabad by Abdul Baquer Khan from West Asia astir 1890. Late Shankar Pillay, horticulturist, was instrumental for commercialized cultivation of Anab-e-Shahi from 1960’s,” said T. Suresh Kumar, erstwhile Zonal Head astatine the Research Station and present Director of Extension astatine Sri Konda Laxman Telangana Horticultural University.

Investment and returns

He said that diversification of uses arsenic vino oregon juice, raisin and besides export of array grapes offers a scope for expanding country nether grape. Around ₹40-₹50 per kg is considered a bully terms by farmers. Currently, they enactment successful ₹2.5 lakh - ₹3 lakh per acre of the harvest

District omniscient grape accumulation Telangana successful 2024-25