Hyderabad
The annual grape exhibition returned after a hiatus of two years and had grape lovers thronging the Grape Research Station in Rajendranagar in huge numbers and exhausting the stocks in just 48 hours! Many grape lovers in Hyderabad rushed to get their favorite grapes while harvesting them themselves from the vines at The Sri Konda Laxman Telangana State Horticultural University.
The exhibition started on February 19, and within just two days of its opening, the stock this year was sold. According to Dr. D Vijaya, Principal Scientist at Grape Research Station, the event was a huge success as this year there were more farmers interested in grape cultivation.
D. Vijaya said that they had about 39 varieties of grapes on the two-acre land for the purpose of research. By the end of the cultivation, the yield is auctioned and sold to the public by the winning bidder. This year, all the varieties were sold out in a jiffy. She also added that they had demonstrated some elite varieties of grapes like crimson seedless, a red globe, fantasy seedless grapes, and so on, that are usually not grown by farmers.
For over 60 farmers interested in grape cultivation, the scientists at the Grape Research Station hosted a brainstorming session on Area Expansion in Grape. D. Vijaya also pointed out that the main motive is to promote grape cultivation and consumption in Telangana. They usually import the fruit from Karnataka or Maharashtra, but even Telangana can be a big grapes producer.
Those interested in knowing more details about grape farming can approach the Grape Research Station as well to understand the technicality and functioning behind cultivating grapes.