Retain rank in farm yield, Collector to officials

Kakinada: District Collector Kartikeya Mishra on Tuesday suggested the officials of the agriculture department to take necessary measures to keep the district in number one rank in agriculture production. 

The Collector chaired the meeting with the officials of the agriculture department at Collectorate. Mishra made it clear that the agriculture department officials had a responsibility to increase the production in agriculture. “The officials should analyse the yield per acre at the grassroots-level in the district,” he said.

Mishra also ordered them to encourage the farmers to adopt organic farming methods to minimise the usage of pesticides and fertilisers in farming. Mishra further told the officials to encourage and identify the ideal farmers in every mandal.

Mishra informed that ZBNF (Zero Budget Natural Farming) method of farming was being applied in 13,700 acres in the district. He ordered the officials to increase the ZBNF method to 40,000 acres in the district.

“The average loan sanctioned to farmers is Rs 24,000 but it needs to be further increased,” he expressed. Mishra ordered the agriculture officials to complete all the schemes fixed for the current fiscal year by February 20 and asked them to upload the data to different websites of Agriculture Department periodically.

Trainee Collector Anand, Joint Collector 2 Radha Krishna Murthy, Joint Director Agriculture Prasad and other officials in agriculture department were present.