The Rythu Bandhu scheme will, in all probability, result in increased area coming under cotton and soyabean cultivation which will also mean more area under redgram as it is an intercrop. Agriculture experts are of the opinion that the increase, to whatever extent it is, would be seen more in the Agency and backward areas of Adilabad and Kumram Bheem Asifabad districts where individual farmers would bring under cultivation some extent of their fallow lands.
In addition to tribals owning about 1.5 lakh acres of land, there are nearly 37,000 of them who hold cultivation rights to about 1.3 lakh acres of forest lands in erstwhile united Adilabad — mainly in Adilabad and KB Asifabad. Most of these lands are not under cultivation owing to poverty.
“As the tribal farmers are in a better position to invest this season, they will cultivate the lands which were hitherto left fallow. The extent of such land however, will be known only after the sowing activity comes to an end,” opined Kamble Sudhakar, a farmer in Asifabad town.
If all tribals go for increased cultivation of commercial crops expecting good profits, it will also be at the cost of food crops. Adivasis traditionally cultivate millets, especially jowar for consumption, which would be sacrificed in the kharif.
Cash crops
The erstwhile undivided Adilabad has about 6 lakh hectare of cultivable land of which about 3.5 lakh hectare comes under cotton cultivation and about 1 lakh hectare under soyabean. There are over 5 lakh farmers with varied land holdings but a majority of them are small and marginal farmers.
Most of the small and marginal farmers are also tenant farmers who take on lease additional land in an effort to improve their income. This segment has been excluded from the investment support scheme of ₹ 4,000 per acre during kharif.
Tenant farmers
“Had the tenant farmers been extended Rythu Bandhu, it would have been better. Maybe they would have gone in for cultivating more land with the investment support in their hand,” opined a retired Adilabad Agriculture officer C. Narsingu.
Meanwhile, the otherwise dull markets in towns and mandal headquarters in old Adilabad have been got a breath of life thanks to the investment support money. Consumer goods sale is recording an upward trend, according to businessmen.
