Minister advises farmers to go for cultivation of alternate crops

Anantapur: Minister for Backward Classes M Shankara Narayana has asked agriculture officers to distribute seeds of alternate crops including pulses and millets free of cost.

Addressing at the meeting of agriculture officials here on Sunday, Shankara Narayana said that farmers can go for sowing of millets and pulses crops in view of the recent rains as sowing can be carried up to September 15.

He advised farmers who missed groundnut crop season to go for alternate farming. Pulses and millets are short-term commercial crops and within 3 months one can get harvest of their crops. He said that 37,000 quintals of seeds are in the process of distribution in all the mandals in the district and 75,000 quintals of pulses seed will be made available from September 15.

He said that Krishi Vignan Kendras should have demonstration farms and advise the farmers about the suitability of soil for cultivation of millets and pulses. He asked Agriculture Joint Director Jaleel Basha to keep stock points of seeds in mandals for hassle-free supply to farmers..