Agriculture activity is expected to pick up in a couple of days with the onset of monsoon in Vizianagaram district which mostly depends on rains for farming activity in the absence of major rivers. The farmers, who have been eagerly waiting for rains, heaved a sigh of relief with the occurrence of moderate rains in several parts of the district.
Although officials are promoting millets and commercial crops, the farmers are likely to sow paddy in many places. Out of 1, 21,153 hectares of farm land, the paddy is likely to be grown in 93,645 hectares this time too. Maize will be cultivated in 12,250 hectares. Sugarcane may be confined to 4,s504 hectares with the closure of sugar mills in Bhimasingi and Sithanagaram.
Joint Director of Agriculture Department V.T. Ramarao said that the government was encouraging other crops also to enable farmers to get more income. He said that the department was supplying seeds of all varieties at subsidised rates. He said that 43,606 quintals of seeds would be distributed to farmers through Rythu Bharosa Kendras located in different places.
According to him, the district needed around 47,787 metric tonnes of fertilizers for current kharif season. “We have abundant stocks of fertilizers and seeds in all the places. The farmers who have provided details through e-crop applications are being given them at subsidised rates,” said Mr. Ramarao while speaking to The Hindu on Friday. Vizianagaram District Cooperative and Marketing Society chairperson Avanapu Bhavana said that DCMS had also started sale of fertilizers and seeds as part of market intervention programme which would prevent private dealers to increase prices.
Rythu Coolie Sangham State Assistant Secretary Dantuluri Varma urged the government to provide additional subsidy on seeds and fertilizers for tribal farmers as the yield is smaller in quantity in the hilly areas compared to that in other places. He said that the farmers in tribal areas were unable to get remunerative price for their produce as they were unable to transport it to towns and cities.
