Following rainfall shortage in July and early August, many farmers could not sow groundnut seeds and the State government began distribution of alternative seeds from August 14, but on Monday, several farmers came on to the streets and blocked traffic in Madakasira in the district, which prompted Collector S. Satyanarayana to inspect the distribution process on Tuesday.
The Collector and Joint Director of Agriculture Habib Basha went round distribution centres at Bukkarayasamudram, Somandepalli, Kalyandurg and Madakasira to ascertain the ground reality. People complained of delayed distribution and waiting for long hours in queue before they could get their quota of seeds on 100% subsidy basis.
According to the figures given by the Agriculture Department, there were very few takers for millets, which the State government wants to promote in the drought-prone areas as an alternative crop under contingency plan. Tuesday’s figures show that only 7,100 farmers out of 1.09 lakh farmers have taken millet seeds under the contingency plan. The total quantum of seeds distributed is 355 quintal out of a total of 23,555 quintal of all seeds.
Horsegram accounted for 20,436 quintal received by 79,557 farmers and 1,323 quintal of green gram by 15,447 farmers. Another 7,573 farmers opted for cowpea and 1,443 quintal were disbursed, the department said.
