Kharif starts amid financial difficulties

RAJAMAHENDRAVARAM : The money related to the purchase of Rabi crops has not yet been fully deposited in the farmers' accounts by the government. Meanwhile, the time for Kharif cultivation is approaching. About Rs.200 crores are yet to be paid to the farmers in the district. As the money from the sale of paddy grain was not received in full, many farmers started kharif cultivation amid financial difficulties.

This year's Rabi crop has not been fully purchased. The grain bought was not fully paid for. Earlier it was found that there were 96 thousand tenant farmers in the district but not all of them were given tenant credit cards. irrigation Canals have not been modernized. The silt and water weeds in the drains were not removed.

According to government statistics, there are a total of 2.20 lakh farmers in the district. There are 85,410 hectares of irrigated area. The general command area of ​​paddy in the district is 78,789 hectares. At least 71,515 hectares are under rice cultivation. In the rest of the land, maize, Mirchi, Pulses, and other varieties are cultivated.

At present, farmers are making Paddy nurseries. 3891 hectares of nurseries are required for sowing in 77,817 hectares of the district. So far 743 hectares of nurseries have been prepared. Work is going on in some other places.

Despite this, the officials found that 58,356 metric tons of fertilizers are required for kharif cultivation in the district. 25,802 tonnes of Urea, 5028 tonnes of DAP, 6327 tonnes of MOP, 15,889 tonnes of NPK, and 5310 tonnes of SSP require fertilizers. But officials said that 29998 tonnes of various fertilizers are available.

Agriculture Department District Officer S. Madhava Rao said that kharif cultivation starts a month earlier. Due to this, 70 percent of the crop will be saved from the cyclones that come in November. He said that nurseries should be completed by the 15th of this month. It is expected that sowings will be completed by the end of July. It is estimated that 70 percent of the harvesting will take place in October and the remaining in November.

He said that during this kharif, the Swarna variety rice crop will be spread over 30 percent of the area in the district. MTU 7029, PLA 1100, MTU 1318, and BPT 5204 varieties are cultivated in the remaining area, he added. MTU 1121, 1156, and 1153 varieties are cultivated for the Rabi seeds.