Minister urges ryots to rethink on paddy farming, go for alternative crops
HYDERABAD Minister for Agriculture Tummala Nageshwara Rao has asked the farming community to rethink on cultivating paddy this season and consider raising other less water
HYDERABAD Minister for Agriculture Tummala Nageshwara Rao has asked the farming community to rethink on cultivating paddy this season and consider raising other less water intensive crops as it is already forecast that the impact, scanty rainfall, of El Nino conditions, would continue in August too. He suggested using micro-irrigation implements to raise pulses, millets, coarse grains and horticultural crops to make optimum use of the available groundwater resource, which would also be scarce in case the rainfall deficit increases further.
He instructed the authorities to make ready seeds needed for alternative crops and the drip equipment along with credit facilities (bank loans). At a meeting held here on Thursday to discuss the impact of El Nino conditions, the Minister said 23 out of 33 districts were facing rainfall deficit scenario as on July 23 and requested the banks to increase agricultural loans, including crop loans and term loans.
The Minister stated that the India Meteorological Department had forecast continuation of the El Nino effect in the coming months too, including August and September, leading to drought conditions by December. Since the rainfall in the upstream catchment areas in Maharashtra and Karnataka had been poor so far, the chances of inflows in Krishna and Godavari rivers reaching Telangana were also slim. The cultivation of crops in Kharif was expected to come down by 23% or 32 lakh acres compared to the past.
On agricultural credit, the Minister urged the banks to increase the credit extent for Kharif. Out of ₹58,000 crore credit plan to the agriculture sector, the banks had disbursed ₹20,000 crore so far.
The BriefWire