"paddy"

As of September 12, sowing operations have been completed in only 1.23 crore acres, around 95 per cent of the normal cultivation area of 1.29 crore acres for the ongoing Vanakalam season.

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

Sufficient urea and other fertilizers was available in all mandals and their distribution should be monitored regularly the District Collectors on a daily basis, she said at a meeting with officials here on Tuesday.

The officials said that the cost of the produce was released and steps would be taken to ensure the farmers get it at the earliest, ending the confusion.

The State government has set a target of 15.19 million acres for Kharif crops this year, expecting a modest increase of eight per cent in the Kharif area.

Though there is huge demand for fine variety rice in the market, farmers are staying away from the crop due to a variety of reasons.

Stating that the people would get more benefits through trees, she advised the public to develop kitchen gardens in their houses and focus on vegetable cultivation.

Farmers started preparing the fields for sowing seeds of various crops mainly staple paddy, cotton, soya bean, red gram, green gran, maize, etc.

On May 21, Special officer S Krishna Aditya while reviewing the progress of the procurement of the grains in Mancherial, set May 30 as the deadline for completing the process in both Mancherial and Kumram Asifabad districts.

Harish Rao said farmers were facing serious difficulties at paddy procurement centres across the State.

Allotment of paddy would be made only to those millers who have completed 100 per cent delivery of CMR dues on producing bank guarantee, he said.

The procurement was hit by untimely rains last year too. But summer showers were experienced this time in long spells and almost throughout May.

It was planned to procure about 1.20 lakh metric tonnes of paddy in Khammam district, district Collector VP Gautham informed.

Harish said since the IMD was predicting rain soon in the State, the government must speed up the procurement.

The driver, who carried the load from Mutaiyakota to Bejjanki, informed him that the paddy that got wet had not been purchased and that they were waiting for this to happen for the last three days.

He asked the officials to offer a minimum support price, fixed by the government, to the growers by procuring quality grains.

Bhatti Vikramarka assured that even drenched and germinated paddy would also be purchased by the State government at the Minimum Support Price.

In Karimnagar, about 2.27 lakh metric tons of paddy has been procured from 37,500 farmers through 321 purchasing centres. So far, Rs.414 crore has been deposited in bank accounts of 27,367 farmers.

Sandeep, who was waiting for his turn for almost one month, took this decision after being frustrated with the officials not even weighing his paddy.

Former BRS MP says farmers are the worst-hit because of the ill-advised moves of the State government.