Kadapa, Anantapur to have pulse purchasing centres

Rajamahendravaram: Summer pulses programme would be launched by the department of Agriculture keeping the demand for pulses in mind, said director of agriculture K Dhanunjaya Reddy here on Tuesday.

He participated in a workshop on summer pulses programme here attended by a large number of farmers from all the districts.

Speaking on the occasion, Dhanunjaya Reddy said that pulse purchasing centres would be set up Ananatapur and Kadapa district through Markfed initially and in other districts later as per the requirement.

Stating that there was a huge gap between the production and demand of pulses, he said that summer pulse programme had been taken up to ensure self-sufficiency in pulses.

The production of red gram was very high in the last year (2.20 lakh tonnes ) and added that crop was being cultivated on canal bunds in Godavari districts.

Noting that the price of black gram was decreasing following the increased production, the agriculture director said cultivation of black gram would be taken up in four lakh hectares and green gram in two lakh hectares in Krishna, Guntur, Prakasam and twin Godavari districts in the coming rabi season.

Under summer pulses programme, he said the target had been fixed to cultivate pulses in 2.30 lakh hectares in Vizianagaram, Srikakulam, Chittoor, Krishna and the two Godavari districts as third crop and an action plan has been chalked out.

Dhanunjaya Reddy said that no paddy cultivation had been taken up in 3.50 lakh hectares in four Rayalaseema districts, Nellore and Prakasam districts in the last crop due to low rainfall.

He observed that water cans and guns would be distributed to farmers on subsidy as existing moisture is not sufficient in summer and added summer pulse cultivation would be encouraged in Rayalaseema districts.

He said steps would be taken to cultivate pulses along with paddy and maize in 2.30 lakh hectares in Godavari delta from the next year.

“Pulse cultivation will be encouraged in the next year in Krishna delta as water will be released from Pattiseema project. Similarly, cultivation of pulses will be encouraged in Nagarajunasagar project ayacut in 1.0 lakh hectares as pre-kharif crop.

Seeds, fertilisers, oil engines and water cans will be distributed to farmers in 33 per cent subsidy,” he said.

He made it clear that department of agriculture would work in tandem water resources department in achieving more yield with less water

. If rabi and kharif were completed in time, he observed that it would be easy to cultivate pulses in summer.