Marigold Theft From Cropland In Andhra’s NTR District Has Farmers On High Alert

The Penuganchiprolu village in the NTR district of Andhra Pradesh, which is famous for housing over 101 temples, has run into a problem recently. Farmers in the area have entered into panic mode after a recent theft came to the fore, prompting them to look for additional security measures for their crops.

Seeing marigolds blooming in flower beds or pots around the house has a lovely and uplifting effect. They are lovely blooms, and adding a splash of yellow or orange to your garden will help create a cheerful, inviting atmosphere that will make lounging in your garden even more delightful. But they have a lot more advantages than just being beautiful. In addition to being edible, they attract bees and other pollinators, which aid in the growth and flourishing of other plants. They can also be used to protect against insects that will probably chew through your lettuce leaves and attack your veggie plants.

These factors are probably what Gudimetla Shankara, a farmer from Penuganchiprolu village had in mind when he turned to marigold farming apart from the other crops in his fields. It was with a little scepticism that he had started farming marigolds as an additional crop three years back but was pleased with the returns he was getting. Since the crop has been profitable for the last two years, this year he took two acres of cropland on rent and planted the crop a month ago for Rs 2 lakh. The crop was supposed to be harvested in 15 days.

When Gudimetla Shankara returned to his field two days ago, he was in for a rude surprise. Shankar realized that the first part of the crop had been stolen. Some miscreants had uprooted the crop and taken them away for harvesting. The theft of between 100 and 150 plants in one night has the farmer concerned.

He is worried about the theft as he is cultivating the cropland on lease near the road which is suitable for his business. Being near the road would mean easy accessibility to miscreants. Shankar said that he has already filed a complaint at the local police station.