The State is likely to face a severe shortage of food grain this year, and following a gloomy rabi forecast, the government is considering declaring more mandals as drought hit, Minister for Agriculture Prathipati Pulla Rao said here on Friday.
Incidentally, the government had reported that as many as 196 drought-hit mandals needed immediate Central assistance, prompting the Opposition parties accuse the State of downplaying the severity of drought.
When this was brought to the attention of the Minister, he said the government would relook at the number of drought-hit mandals and seek more Central assistance in the form of input subsidy and subsidised fodder.
Highlighting the grim situation, Mr. Pulla Rao said though 132 metric tonnes (MT) of food grain were expected to be produced this kharif, only 117 MT had been produced so far.
“With the extent of paddy, cotton and cash crops expected to decline further in Rabi, we have suggested that farmers opt for cultivation of pulses and millets,” he said at a review meeting with Joint Directors Agriculture here.
Curiously, as against the normal cultivable area of 42.55 lakh hectares, the actual area sown was 36.33 lakh hectares this year.
With the south west monsoon playing truant, production of paddy in Krishna and Guntur and groundnut in Anantpur and Chittoor has been severely affected. The depleting water levels in most reservoirs like Srisailam, Nagarjunasagar and Somasila has also not helped farmers.
The Minister also expressed displeasure over the poor record of supply of micro-nutrients to farmers. Even after the Chief Minister sanctioned Rs. 300 crore for supply of micro-nutrients at a subsidy of 50 per cent, the Agriculture Department had failed to provide micro-nutrients.
Special Chief Secretary, Department of Agriculture, Vijaya Kumar and Secretary Dhanunjaya Reddy were also present.
State stares at shortfall of food grain following gloomy rabi forecast
