Kadapa: Farmers expect better yields in kharif

Kadapa: Paddy, groundnut, cotton and Bengal gram are the major crops in the district. Besides ,horticulture crops like mango, citrus, banana, water melons and papaya, commercial crops like turmeric, KP onions, sunflower, chillies, coriander and sugarcane coriander are also cultivated in addition to vegetables.

Total and normal cultivated area in Kadapa district is 4.08 lakh hectares and traditional crops are grown in 3.97 lakh hectares. Commercial crops are grown in about 5 per cent and pulses are grown in about 3 per cent cultivable.

Ground nut is grown in 52 percent of total crop area. Normally it is grown in 37,000 hectares, but agriculture officials are planning to enhance the groundnut area to 47,000 hectares in the present kharif season.

A farmer of Duvvuru mandal who has grown groundnut in his 5 acres of land is expecting 50 bags (each bag 44kg) against 35 bags per acre last year.

Paddy is being grown in 40,000 hectares under Kurnool- Cuddapah (KC) canal and under Penna river and sowing operations were already started in Duvvuru, Mydukuru, Kamalapuram and Sidhavatam mandals.

"In the last kharif season I have secured 8 bags (each 78 kg) per acre. Now I hope the yield will be at least 10 bags due to sufficient water availability in all reservoirs. Timely rains are expected this time for kharif season,'' said Pasupulati Munikishore of Sidhavatam to The Hans India.

When contacted by Hans India Agriculture Joint Director J Murali Krishna said that farmers may get rich yield as government has been supplying quality seed, adequate quantities of fertilisers and pesticides through Rythu Bharosa Kendras. He said that 40 percent of Ground nut seeds against requirement of 30,000 tonne were already distributed and 30,000 tonnes of fertilisers were kept ready against requirement of 84,000 tonnes for current kharif season in the district.