The Hindu Business Line : AP rabi output set at 79 lakh tonnes

THE State Government has targeted to cover 40.21 lakh hectares (lh) by various crops and achieve an agricultural output of 79.13 lakh tonnes (lt) during the current rabi season.

Both the cropped area and production targets are higher when compared to the cropped area of 37.26 lh and a production of 72.22 lt recorded during the last year's season.

Except for paddy, the Government seeks to increase the production of all other crops. In the case of coarse grains, it has targeted to achieve an output of 19.88 lt (last year 16.27 lt). Similarly, the Government seeks to increase the production of pulses to 11.37 lt (7.98 lt), oilseeds to 9.96 lt (9.37 lt) and commercial crops to 7.62 lt (6.42 lt).

On the other hand, the targeted production of paddy is 30.18 lt (32.05 lt).

"With the continuing depletion of groundwater table, we want to discourage farmers from cultivation of paddy in dry land areas. In fact, we have launched a 15-day campaign from November 1 requesting the farmers to cultivate irrigated dry crops instead of paddy," the State Commissioner of Agriculture, Ms Poonam Malakondaiah, told Business Line.

She said that efforts were also being made to ensure that timely credit was given to the farmers. The Government had set an agricultural credit target of Rs 3,705 crore during the current season.

The Agriculture Department was also planning to implement its "Seed Village" programme in 200 places and revive all the State seed farms at a cost of Rs 6 crore. The Government would also set up seed and fertiliser testing laboratories in all the districts of the State by the end of this season.

This apart, the commissioner said that it was planned to institute separate research groups for cotton, groundnut, and paddy and on the aspects of crop diversification. These groups would explore how to reduce the cost of cultivation and increase productivity. "During this Rabi season, we also want to take off in a big way in promoting eco-friendly agricultural practices among farmers," she added.

More Stories on : Cultivation | Andhra Pradesh

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