Farmers gear up for rabi season in Krishna district

Vijayawada: Sowing activity gains momentum in Krishna district as thousands of farmers are busy with their work in agriculture farms this rabi season.

Cultivation has been planned in 2.14 lakh hectares in Krishna district this rabi season.

Compared to the previous year rabi season, crop area in Krishna district increased by 35,000 hectares due to availability of water from Pattiseema lift irrigation project.

Most of the districts farmers have chosen paddy, jowar, maize, red gram, green gram and black gram this rabi season.

Paddy plantation works are going on in full swing in Machilipatnam, Gudivada, Kaikaluru, Vijayawada rural, Kankipadu and other parts of the district.

According to agriculture department joint director Narasimha Rao the crop area in Krishna district increased this rabi season due to availability of Pattiseema lift irrigation waters. He said the normal paddy crop area in Krishna district is 36,442 hectares in rabi season.

Last year it was restricted to 9,861 hectares due to poor rainfall and non-availability of water resources.

This year, the crop area increased as plenty of water is being supplied through Polavaram right canal.

Maize crop area is also increasing on lines of paddy in the district. Normal maize crop area is 20,694 hectares in the district and it may increase further this season due to availability of Pattiseema waters.

He said so far maize crop has been sowed in 10,463 hectares during the rabi season.

Of the total crop area of 2.14 lakh hectares, black gram is being cultivated in 1.24 lakh hectares.

After the end of kharif season, the farmers have faced many problems due to cash crunch in the backdrop of demonetisation of high value notes and taken loans from private money lenders to begin rabi season.