Officials told to help draw up crop plans at village level

Farmers urged to strictly follow government advice on cropping pattern

Asserting that the State government was creating an enabling environment for making farming remunerative, Transport Minister Puvvada Ajay Kumar called upon the farmers to strictly follow the cropping pattern of growing crops based on market demand and boosting their farm income.

Crop plans should be formulated at the village level as prescribed by the State government to enhance farm productivity and fetch better income for farmers, he said.

He was addressing a district-level meeting held under the aegis of Collector R. V. Karnan to deliberate on the crop plan for the coming monsoon season here on Monday.

Khammam MP Nama Nageswara Rao, several elected public representatives, members of Rythu Bandhu Samithis and officials concerned were present.

The agriculture extension officers, field staff of the allied departments and volunteers of the Rythu Bandhu Samithis should work as a cohesive force to motivate farmers cultivate those crops having demand in the market as suggested by the government, he said.

Fine variety rice

Farmers should be encouraged to cultivate paddy of ‘Sanna’ variety, red gram and cotton crops besides vegetables in the ensuing crop season. They should be dissuaded from growing maize during vaanakalam (kharif) to avoid losses, he suggested.

Agriculture department’s crop plan for kharif-2020 envisages sowing various crops on about 3,14,420 acres. As per the plan, paddy will be grown on 2,30,000 acres, red gram on 10,000 acres, green gram on 22,000 acres, black gram on 320 acres, groundnut on 850 acres, chilli on 51,150 acres, and jowar on 100 acres.

Mr. Nama Nageswara Rao said the prudent crop planning and the better farming practices as envisioned by Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao in the new agricultural policy will help reduce losses in agriculture and make farming productive and profitable.

The proactive measures coupled with the multi-level interventions such as 24x7 free power supply to farm sector, Rythu Bandhu investment support and massive expansion of irrigation facilities will prove a boon for the farm sector, he noted.