Farmers gear up for a good kharif in Prakasam

Advancement of monsoon spurs cultivation of rain-fed crops in the district

Farmers preparing their land for growing rain-fed crops in Ballikurava village in Prakasam district. | Photo Credit: KOMMURI SRINIVAS

Thanks to advancement of southwest monsoon, farmers in Prakasam district have started cultivation of various rain-fed crops with great hopes during kharif season.

The seasonal conditions are favourable for taking up cultivation of dry crops in 2.24 lakh hectares in the district where the kharif and rabi cropping seasons overlap, according to seasonal condition report compiled by the agriculture department.

Farmers have taken up cultivation of dry crops in over 10,000 hectares in the wake of 44.6 mm rainfall received in the month of June till now, said Agriculture Joint Director S. Srinivasa Rao.

“The crops raised so far are in good condition. The weather condition is conducive for full crop coverage in the next two to three months,” he said in a conversation with The Hindu.

The department had suggested growing pulse crop seeds in about 90,000 hectares. Red gram alone will be grown in over 85,000 hectares during the cropping season when the district receives on an average 365 mm of rainfall.

With the India Meteorological Department(IMD) predicting a normal monsoon, farmers will be able to grow foodgrain crops in over 1.14 lakh hectares, including major millets in 12,500 hectares.

Vegetable, fodder and other crops will be taken up in 45,000 hectares during kharif, he said. It has been decided to grow edible oil crops in over 5,500 hectares, including seasmum in 2,000 hectares, he added. Farmers were involved in crop planning at the grassroots level and the acreage of different crops decided at the Agriculture Advisory Board at the district level there after.

Meanwhile, Samyukta Kisan Morcha Prakasam District Convenor Ch. Ranga Rao urged the State government to discover the prices of various crops in the market in future and finalise the State crop plan accordingly in coordination with the one evolved by the Centre so that the farmers could get the best price for their commercial produce, including tobacco, chilli and cotton in the international market.

Ban of export of sugarcane should be lifted by the Centre and efforts be doubled to produce ethanol from both sugarcane and maize, he said, and pressed for supply of quality maize seeds as the district stood first in productivity in the State with farmers realising over 12 tonnes per hectare.

The State government should initiate criminal action against erring seed suppliers as spurious seeds continued to be a major problem for the growers in the district cropping season after season.