Complete paddy plantation by end of month: Collector

​Kakinada: Take steps to complete paddy plantation in 2.29 lakh hectares by the end of the month, said East Godavari district collector H Arun Kumar. He addressed a review meeting with agricultural officers at collectorate, here on Friday.

Speaking on the occasion, he asked the officers to collect and analyse the samples of fertilisers and seeds to curb adulteration, apart from cautioning about adulterated pesticides.

There is hope for maximum cultivation in the kharif season as the rainfall is 78 per cent above the normal. Water will be released from Yeleru, Pithapuram branch canal and Pushkar Lift Irrigation Scheme from Monday,” he informed.

He suggested cultivation of pulses along with paddy in the Agency area. Calling for cultivation of red gram along the bunds of paddy fields in 40,000 acres, Arun Kumar directed the officials to prepare seeds.

Issues like Joint Liability Farmers Groups were discussed and the collector asked the officials to ensure that banks sanctions loans to them. Suggesting the officials to handover the soil health cards to the farmers, he asked them to meet the target of setting up 5,000 vermi compost units.

In a bid to solve the problems of farmers in Konaseema region, the collector called upon the agriculture joint director to conduct a study on the reduction of farm mechanisation expenditure.