Asserting that kharif crop production is likely to be affected this year due to deficit rainfall, Agriculture Minister N. Chaluvarayaswamy has directed the Revenue and Agriculture department officials to complete the joint survey to assess crop loss before the Central study team arrives, so that they can convince the Central team of the actual drought situation prevailing on the ground.
Chairing a divisional-level meeting to review the implementation of the department’s projects in the districts of Kalyana Karnataka region here on Tuesday, Mr. Chaluvarayaswamy said that the State government has declared 195 taluks as drought-hit and the joint survey by the Revenue and Agriculture departments will help convince the Central team of the prevailing drought condition in the region and get the maximum compensation for crop losses and damage.
Expressing displeasure over the failure to utilise the funds released for Raichur and Yadgir districts for implementing agriculture schemes to improve the economic conditions of farmers, Agriculture Commissioner Y.S. Patil said that of the total ₹388.95 lakh released for Yadgir district, only ₹83.19 lakh has been spent. And, Raichur district has spent ₹478 lakh of the ₹828 lakh released for agricultural schemes.
The Minister also directed the Agriculture Department to achieve 100% e-KYC registration of farmers for availing of benefits under direct benefit transfer (DBT) of various government schemes. He said that there is no dearth of seeds and fertilizers for the rabi season in the State.
During the last kharif season, nearly 70% of red gram crop cultivated across the region was destroyed due to wilt disease and the government released ₹123 crore relief for red gram growers, the Minister said and asked the officials to take preventive measures to tackle such diseases in the future.
The Minister directed the Agriculture Department to take legal action against those creating artificial fertilizer shortages and also against the sale of spurious seeds and fertilizers.
Legislators B.R. Patil, M.Y. Patil, Allamprabhu Patil and Thippannappa Kamaknoor, Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officer Bhanwar Singh Meena, Agriculture Director G.T. Putra, Additional Director for Agriculture (Organic Farming) Venkatram Reddy, Additional Director Agriculture (Information and Communication Technologies) Anthony Emanuel and Joint Director Agriculture (Vigilance Cell) Ziyaullah were present.
Later, the Minister visited agricultural fields in Chowdapur of Afzalpur taluk and Hadgil Haruti village in Kalaburagi taluk and spoke to farmers whose kharif crops, including black gram, green gram, red gram and cotton, have been damaged due to deficit rainfall.
