Farmers told to make use of soil test reports: Eruvaka programme

Ongole: The government is striving to make agriculture profitable and offering fertilisers, manures and farm tools on subsidy, said Collector Vadarevu Vinay Chand. He participated in the district level ‘Eruvaka’ programme at Karemchedu in Parchuru Assembly constituency with local MLA Eluri Sambasiva Rao and MLC Karanam Balaramakrishna Murthy on Thursday.

The Collector, MLA, MLC, public representatives and officials offered prayers to Abhaya Anjaneya Swamy and Jalaharathi at Kommamuru canal. They started as a procession in a traditional bullock cart while the folk music artistes performed all through the way to fields outside the village.

After that women offered special pooja and pongal to the mother earth, the Collector and the team of leaders presented mementoes to the farmers and started Eruvaka, the ploughing ceremony.

The officials and public representatives inspected the tractors and other farm mechanisation tools at the Dr Ramanaidu Stadium and participated in the meeting. Collector Vinay Chand said the farmers that the state government wants the agriculture as a profitable profession and to reduce the burden on the farmers, it is offering fertilisers, seeds, micro-nutrients and farm tools on subsidy and offering farm technology through the agriculture officers. 

He said that the knowledge sharing and transfer about various new techniques in agriculture is being done through the Polam Badi programme regularly. The Collector advised the farmers to make use of soil test reports and use zinc and gypsum micro- nutrients as per the need as they are being supplied on 100 per cent subsidy.

He announced that they have put a target of converting 23,000 hectares land in the district into micro- irrigation and provide Rs 9,500 crore agriculture loans. He informed that they asked the government to extend the last date for registration under Fasal Bima Yojana scheme.

MLC Balaram and MLA Sambasiva Rao also informed the farmers that the government is a farmer-friendly and will take necessary action for the benefit of farmers.