'Harvesting alternative crops will benefit farmers during rabi'

Karimnagar: Alternative crops would benefit farmers instead of rice during rabi season, observed District Collector RV Karnan. On Sunday, he inspected groundnut and other six crops cultivated by farmers in Gundlapalli at Ganneruvaram mandal and Nustulapur villages in Thimmapur mandal. He interacted with the farmers about the crops.

The Collector said that the Central government will not buy paddy through the FCI and the State government would not set up paddy procurement centres in the season.

He further informed that only those farmers, who have contracted with seed companies should cultivate rice and non-contracted farmers would have to sell the grain on their own if they cultivate paddy.

In Gundlapally, the Collector inspected groundnut and sorghum crop and gave instructions to the farmers. He assured them aid that adequate seeds will be provided for cultivation of alternative crops. Appropriate hints and suggestions for crop rotation would also be provided to farmers, he informed.

On the occasion, farmers explained their problems that laborers were not available during harvest of groundnut and other crops. The Collector told the farmers that employment guarantee works would be stopped during alternative cropping season not to create shortage of labour and ensure that labourers will be available to them.

He said that farmers would get higher yields if they planted paddy in Kharif and alternative crops in Yasangi. He added the land would be fertile due to crop rotation.

Later, Collector Karnan inspected Rajiv Grihakalpa site under construction in Thimmappur village in Thimmappur zone. As the construction of Rajiv Grihakalpa houses will be done in about 87 acres, he checked the map related to this. The Collector was accompanied by District Agriculture Officer Sridhar, Ganneruvaram Mandal Tahsildar Rajeshwari, Thimmappur Mandal Deputy Tasildar Ramesh, Karimnagar RDO Anand Kumar, and others were present on the occasion.