Kharif sowing picks up pace

Kothagudem: With input subsidy provided by the government in hand and expecting good profits this year also, the farmers in the district are nowadays busy in their fields sowing cotton seeds.

The Kharif season has started and the farmers are seen ploughing and leveling their fields and sowing seeds, particularly cotton, for cultivation in this season. Since the farmers had received good rates last year, so this time also most of them are cultivating the cotton crop.

Therefore, as many as 1,700 farmers in the district have cultivated 125,000 hectares in and around the district. Out of it, on 47,000 hectares is secured for cotton cultivation. The farmers comparing their yield on cotton to the other crops during the past four years. Since cotton had given them better price as compared to other crops, they are focussing on this cash crop this year, too.

So, they have been sowing cotton seeds in their fields from the beginning of the season. The Agriculture officers have already supplied the required seeds with the subsidy of 33 percent to the farmers. A farmer in the district M Venkat Reddy said, “ for the past eight years we have been cultivating cotton in their fields.

This year also we have to cultivate cotton in above ten acres in their fields.” He said the only thing is that in cotton gives remunerations to their efforts as compared to other crops. On the other hand, officials are of the other view. They have been warning farmers of some worms that may destroy their crops. Assistant Direct of the Agriculture Abhimanyudu said, the government is making wide publicity of the crops in the Kharif season.

He suggested farmers not to take the decision for the cultivation of the cotton crop this year. Due to the pink worm, the crop will be damaged every year so all the farmers to be careful before planning cultvation of cotton, he said. He also said, the department staff and officers making the wide publicity for seasonal crops such as pulses and paddy crop in the Kharif season.

Meanwhile, the tenant farmers who are left out by the government in input cost providing scheme, are facing the problems regarding cultivation of their lands. The government has not given them input subsidy under Rythu Bandhu scheme.

The tenant farmers urged to the landowners (farmer) who got the subsidy under the RB schemes to reduce the lease rate. But the farmers are not willing to do so. So the tenant farmers are unhappy and are not willing to go for cultivation, and if they do that will be half-heartedly.