RAJAMAHENDRAVARAM: Even as the owners of nurseries in Kadiyam just overcame the pandemic blues, they are once again faced by a quandary. A strange one at that. Theft of a much sought-after ornamental plant and its seeds has marred Kadiyam, one of India’s preferred destination for nursery lovers, since the past few days.
The target of the thieves is the Mirchi Marigold, scientifically known as Veitchia Merrillii golden. The recent incidents of thefts have not only shocked the nursery owners, but some of them have been forced to engage security guards. Something they have never done before. Recently, some miscreants stole Mirchi Marigold worth Rs 2.5 lakh from a nursery in Kadiyapulanka village. In another incident, unidentified persons stole seeds of the plant.
In another case, a nursery farmer T Bapiraju filed a complaint stating that two people gained entry into the nursery on Monday night and made a futile attempt to steal seeds of the Mirchi Marigold. Bapiraju raised an alarm after which the miscreants fled the spot. Police seized a motorcycle and launched an investigation.
The plants are not just expensive, but they also grow at a very slow pace. Over the past few years, as demand for the plant has increased manifold, many plant lovers from across the State and even other States come to Kadiapulanka to buy them. Some nurseries are even importing these plants from Thailand to meet the demand.
“Each seed costs around Rs 100. A plant is priced anywhere between Rs 2,000 and Rs 7,000 based on its size and age. We are all worried due to the recent instances of thefts,” Pulla Ramakrishna, a nursery owner, told TNIE. Located 15 km from Rajamahendravaram, Kadiyam is home to 2,500 nursery farmers. About 7,500 hectares of land is under plant business.
Kadiam CI Srinivas said, “Preliminary investigation indicates that the plants were stolen by people belonging to the nursery business itself. They must be selling them to customers for a lesser price.”