Date:10/06/2005 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2005/06/10/stories/2005061009000300.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Anantapur

Subsidy seed supply in Anantapur from today

Staff Reporter

Fourteen sale counters to be opened

Rs. 7.50 subsidy per kg for groundnut
33 p.c. subsidy for alternative crop seed

Village secretaries and revenue staff to man sale counters to prevent misuse.

ANANTAPUR: The State Government will commence supply of groundnut and alternative crop seed on subsidy to farmers in the district on Friday.

While the groundnut seed will be supplied with a maximum subsidy of Rs. 7.50 per kg, the alternative crop seed will be given at 33 per cent subsidy.

Giving details to newspersons on Wednesday the District Collector, Y.V. Anuradha, stated the seed sale counters would be opened at all 14 Assembly constituency headquarters to begin with. More centres would be opened based on the demand.

Tentative allotment

The Government has decided to supply a maximum of 2.25 lakh quintals of seed groundnut of TMV-2, JL-24 and Pollachi Red varieties. AP Oilfed, AP Seeds and HACA will supply the seed. The tentative allotment of category-wise seed groundnut is 1,68,270 quintals of TMV-2, 46,730 quintals of JL-24 and 10,000 quintals of Pollachi Red.

The issue price of seed has been fixed at Rs. 1,650, Rs. 1,750 and Rs. 1,700 per quintal, respectively, after deducting the subsidy. About 20,000 quintals of seed groundnut is already available for supply and another 17,000 quintals is expected in a couple of days.

Stock sent

Each farmer will be given a maximum of three bags of seed groundnut of 30 kg each. About 10,000 quintals of stock has already been sent to each of the 14 sales counters, she stated. The village secretaries and revenue staff will man the counters to prevent misuse.

As for alternative crop seed soyabean, redgram, pearl millet, sorghum, maize, castor and sunflower will be supplied. The Joint Director of Agriculture, P. Pothappa, was also present.