Farmers told to utilise subsidy scheme

Mechanised farming Kakinada: Farmers should come forward to take various agricultural tools being provided by the State government at 75 per cent subsidy by forming groups under Farm mechanisation (Yanthra Lakshmi) scheme, East Godavari District Collector Neetu Prasad urged here on Wednesday. She attended 'Rythu Chaitanya Yatra' held at Karakuduru village of Pedapudi mandal on Wednesday. Speaking on the occasion, Ms Neetu Prasad said that the Yatras are being organised in every village to create awareness among farmers to get high yield with minimum investment by using modern agricultural techniques and urged the farmers to make use of these meetings. She explained that the government is providing farm mechanisation tools with the subsidy from 50 to 70 per cent to make agriculture profitable, keeping the dearth of agriculture workers in mind. She urged the farmers to make use of subsidies earmarked for the district and cultivate the land with machinery by forming groups or individually. The Collector maintained that the farmers should make efforts to use better variety of seeds to withstand natural calamities which might occur in the coming kharif season and suggested them to sow seeds which will be ready for harvest by September as the delta farmers are losing their first crop every year due to natural calamities. She called upon the farmers to make a note that the canals will be closed on April 25 and will be reopened on June 10 and appealed to them to make use of various schemes being implemented by the Animal Husbandry department. She mentioned that the loans to the tune of Rs 8,000 crore are going to be given by the banks this year and added that loan limit has been increased to Rs 27,000 in Khariff and to Rs 30,000 in Rabi season. She explained that banks are going to provide loans to the tune of Rs 100 crore to tenant farmers this year in the district and directed the Tahsildar and Agriculture officials to collect the details of tenant farmers and submit the report to lead bank managers to provide loans. Speaking on the occasion, Joint Director of Agriculture department D Prameela said that input subsidies to the tune of Rs 167 crore have been sanctioned to the district and subsidies will be credited into the bank accounts of the farmers online in divisional level revenue meeting to be held from May 9 to 13 and urged the farmers who have no bank accounts to open new accounts. She further mentioned that interest will be waived for the farmers who have repaid the loan of Rs 1 lakh under zero per cent. Joint Director of Animal Husbandry K Livingstone spoke.