With the Kharif season sowing and transplantation almost coming to an end, the Agriculture department has started preparations for the Rabi season by holding a meeting with scientists and authorities with focus on encouraging farmers to raise only those crops which have demand in the market and in case of paddy go for varieties having short-term and low broken rice percentage.
Minister for Agriculture S. Niranjan Reddy chaired the meeting and it was attended by Agriculture Production Commissioner M. Raghunandan Rao, Additional Commissioner of Agriculture Hanmanth K. Zendagi, Registrar of PJTSAU S. Sudheer Kumar, Director (Research) R. Jagadeeshwar, senior officials of Horticulture, Seeds Corporation, Agricultural Marketing, Markfed, Oilfed and others.
The meeting suggested the department to encourage farmers to take up cultivation of black gram, sunflower, Bengal gram, groundnut, other oilseeds and paddy varieties having short crop period and lesser broken rice percentage. Field level officials were asked to educate farmers to complete harvesting by March-end so that the standing crops are not harmed by untimely rains and hailstorm.
On paddy cultivation, it was decided to hold district-wise meetings with plan on extent and also write to the Centre about procuring entire produce of pulses produced instead of only 25% being procured now. Mandal level agriculture officers would be tasked to create awareness among farmers on the quantity of seed and fertilizer per acre.
Marketing department officials were told to procure sufficient number of tarpaulin sheets to cover produce brought by farmers to market yards whenever necessary.
