Visakhapatnam: Araku Valley in Andhra Pradesh experiences an amazing landscape from October to January every year, enticing tourists and nature lovers with the bloom of Valisalu flowers. These flowers make the valley so beautiful that people come in large numbers to see this awesome flower garden. They spend their time with friends and families in this calm atmosphere, boosting the local economy amid the growth of tourism. Niger seed oil extracts from Valisalu flowers.
However, cultivation of these flowers is an uphill task. Seeds are not available in local markets; farmers have to travel to Odisha to get seeds. Sometimes they get inferior-quality seeds, which affects the production. Dr. Koiba Joga Rao, a scientist from the Regional Agriculture Research Station in Chintapalli, mentioned that Niger seeds are sometimes provided for free under the Tribal Sub-Plan (TSP), but this is not always the case.
The other difficulty local farmers are facing is the lack of oil mills to extract oil from these flowers. Therefore, the farmers have to sell their seed to the Odisha traders, who take advantage of the situation and purchase them at low prices, so the local farmers have to remain on the receiving end.
Gaduthuri Ram Gopal, president of the Andhra Pradesh wing of the Indian Adivasi Federation, stressed the need for fair trade practices and sustainable agriculture. “While the region’s beauty attracts seasonal revenue from tourism, we must address the critical challenges faced by farmers,” he said. Kidari Sraawan Kumaar, a leader of the Girijana Cooperative Corporation, said, ‘We will take all the essential steps to empower farmers so that they can reap the benefits of their hard work.
Araku Valley has been continuing to charm the tourists; it is essential that farmers need to get the support because they are responsible for keeping this natural beauty alive through their hard work. It is true that they are struggling to survive, so their position needs to be addressed.
