VIJAYAWADA: Early release of water from irrigation sources and rains have enabled farmers of AP to speed up their agricultural operations across the state. As per estimates available, 18.83 lakh hectares of land in the state has been cultivated, which is about 51 per cent of total 38.96 lakh hectare area cultivable during this Kharif season.
Early sowings are largely owing to AP receiving more than normal rainfall across the state during the season. While 10 north coastal districts received normal rainfall, 16 districts in coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema areas have received excess rainfall.
The percentage of area sown is less than 25 in five districts of Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam, Anakapallli, Bapatla and Prakasam; 26 percent to 50 percent in seven districts of Parvathipuram Manyam, YSR Kadapa, Alluri Sitaramaraju, Palnadu, Annamaya, Srikakulam and Guntur; 51 percent to 75 percent in 10 district of NTR, Nandyal, Anantapur, Eluru, Chittoor, Krishna, Kakinada, Konaseema, West Godavari and Kurnool and 76 percent to 100 percent in the four districts Sri Sathya Sai, Tirupati, East Godavari, SPSR Nellore.
State agriculture department officials said seed distribution is in progress across the state. Paddy is being transplanted briskly while early sowings of pulses, groundnut, sesamum, cotton and sugarcane have reached the vegetative stage and redgram is in sowing to vegetative stage.
Agriculturist P. Naresh Reddy said agriculture, especially growing paddy, has become a very costly affair these days; as agriculture workers are demanding very high wages compared to the previous season. He pointed out that though the government has started Rythu Bharosa Kendras (RBKs) to supply agriculture tools to farmers, they have not been much helpful. He wanted the government to supply seeds, urea, fertilisers and automatic mechanisation tools to every farmer, including tenant farmers, to make farming a profitable occupation.
AP Agri-Mission vice chairman M.V.S. Nagi Reddy said the sowing process will reach hundred percent in the coming days, with government making all arrangements to supply essentials to farmers through RBKs.
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