Sangareddy: AEO’s innovative move boosts income of farmers

Sangareddy: The committment of an Agriculture Extension Officer (AEO) to his job and his innovative bent of mind has brought smiles on the faces of several farmers in Tadkal clust in Kangti mandal of the district. G Santosh, the AEO for the cluster, picked up SK Gangadhar, a progressive farmer and resident of Babulgaon, and […]

Sangareddy: The committment of an Agriculture Extension Officer (AEO) to his job and his innovative bent of mind has brought smiles on the faces of several farmers in Tadkal clust in Kangti mandal of the district.

G Santosh, the AEO for the cluster, picked up SK Gangadhar, a progressive farmer and resident of Babulgaon, and advised him to apply gypsum to his groundnut crop in one acre in Yasangi 2020. The experimental move resulted in the yield going up from the usual eight quintals to 10 quintals, and since then, the AEO has been on an awareness spree among the farmers under his cluster. He takes Gandhar to every village and the two explain to the farmers the need of use gypsum to increase their yields that facilitates increased income to all.

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Speaking to Telangana Today, Santosh said he has been able to convince at least 30 farmers to use gypsum this year so far. “Gypsum gives calcium and sulphur, which groundnut crops needs badly,” he said, adding that he chose Gangadhar, a progressive farmer from Babulgaon village last time, instead of going for mass education of farmers.
When Gangadhar got better yield than everyone else in the area, everyone is paying attention to his suggestions, Santosh said. Stating that farmers normally invest Rs 15,000 to Rs 20,000 for cultivation of groundnut on one acre, the young AEO said their income from the investment is between Rs 40,000 and Rs 50,000 income. “With the use of gypsum, their income goes up by an additional 12,000 to Rs 20,000 per acre. The farmers in the area get yields of seven to eight quintals, but with use of gypsum when the crops is 50 days old, the yield goes up to 10 quintals, he said. “They need to spend just Rs 900 on gypsum per acre,” he said.

Gangadhar pointed out that their profits will go up if they use gypsum. “I urge all the groundnut farmers to use gypsum as suggested by the AEO,” he added.

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