Lack of seeds, fertilizers, pesticides delays kharif ops

Rajamahendravaram: This East Godavari district, which is on the banks of River Godavari, should have been bustling with farm activities and sowing should have been completed. But still nursery work (Narumadi) is on.

The officials say that the delay in agricultural operations was on account of lack of rains. But the farmers do not agree with this opinion. They say that they are not able to get quality seeds, fertilisers and pesticides at reasonable rates. The prices have skyrocketed. Earlier, it used to cost Rs 800 per acre for fertilisers but it had shot up to Rs 2,000 per acre. Cost of pesticides had doubled. Due to increase in fuel prices, cost of tractors, and machinery had also gone up resulting in higher input cost.

All this negates the advantage of the government's decision to release water early for kharif operations. Another problem is that the government has not been able to deposit the MSP for the last kharif and rabi crops into their bank accounts. They had said that the farmers would get their money within 21 days of procurement of paddy.

Tanakala Nageswara Rao, a farmer from Korukonda Mandal in the district's upland, told The Hans India that he sold paddy at Rytu Bharosa Kendra during the last week of November. He was to get about Rs 8 lakh from the government. But after a long wait Rs 6 lakh was credited to his account and another Rs 2 lakh was pending. This creates problems in investing money for the kharif cultivation.

VVS Prasad, another farmer from the Kadiyam area, said that they too were facing similar problems.

They said they have been running after the officials and the only reply they get is it will be deposited within three weeks. But still the issue remains unsolved.

The total area under cultivation in this district is about 82,000 hectares spread over 18 mandals. Of this paddy is cultivated in 79,000 hectares.

In the remaining area, sugarcane, turmeric, cotton, maize and vegetables are grown.

So far sowing operations had been completed only in 26,000 hectares. District Agricultural Officer Madhavarao said that 100 per cent sowing will be completed by the end of July.