Farmers of Markook script success with dry seeding of paddy

The Agriculture department had estimated that farmers would cultivate paddy through the dry seeding method on 1,000 acres this Vanakalam season.

Siddipet: The farmers of Markook mandal are slowly shifting towards the dry seeding method of paddy cultivation as they have been witnessing good profits over the years.

The mandal has 7,500 acres under paddy cultivation. Out of this, the Agriculture department had estimated that farmers would cultivate paddy through the dry seeding method on 1,000 acres this Vanakalam season. The estimation was made as the farmers cultivated paddy through the dry seeding method on 600 acres during the last Yasangi season. Out of 2,000 acres of paddy cultivated so far, 300 to 400 acres were cultivated through the dry seeding method.

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Speaking to Telangana Today, Mandal Agriculture Officer T Nagendar Reddy said it all started in the 2021-22 Vanakalam season when the then State government decided to encourage the dry seeding method to cut costs of paddy cultivation besides addressing the shortage of labour in rural parts of the State. As just half a dozen farmers came forward to adopt the method, the agriculture officer said they had started the dry seeding method on 15 acres three years ago. However, the agriculture officials and farmers together scripted a success story in Markook within three years as they had yielded profits through the dry seeding method.

A farmer from Markook, Bikshpathi, said they were tasting success through the dry seeding method because agriculture officials were guiding them constantly. To keep in constant touch with the farmers, Nagendar Reddy had created an exclusive WhatsApp group for dry-seeding farmers.

Spraying weedicides on time and applying fertilisers at the right time are key for getting a good yield through the dry seeding method. Since all the farmers experienced success with the method, the agriculture officer said they would shoot videos of their success stories which they would circulate in village-level WhatsApp groups to encourage more farmers. Since the videos would have the phone numbers of farmers, they would directly contact them and visit the fields to understand the method and challenges.

Farmer Sudhakar Reddy said they could save between Rs.7,000 to Rs.9,000 for one acre of paddy cultivation besides restricting the crop period by 10 to 15 days. Reduction of investment automatically enhances the profit, he said, adding that farmers were getting two to four quintals of more paddy yield in this method.