Date:31/07/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/07/31/stories/2008073153730300.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Farm operations in full swing

Correspondent

District experiencing widespread rain for the last four days

Transplantation to be completed by August-end
Adequate stock of fertilizers kept ready

VIZIANAGARAM: With the district experiencing widespread rain for the last four days following depression in Bay of Bengal, farm operations began on a brisk note.

Talking to reporters on Wednesday, Joint Director (agriculture) M.N. Gangaram said the intermittent rain saved paddy nurseries that were raised in an extent of 9,000 hectares out of the 10,000 ha of rain-fed area from withering. In the remaining 1.04 lakh hectares under the assured irrigation sources, transplantation had just begun, he said and hoped that it would be completed by the end of August.

Drop in crop area

With regard to other major crops, he said the normal area of groundnut dropped to 35,000 (approximately) from 38,000 ha, sugarcane 13,000 ha from 18,000 ha, mesta to 28,000 ha from 43,000 ha and maize to 33,000 ha from 37,000 ha. The reason he gave for the drop in normal crop area was the major shift towards paddy due to availability of groundwater, free power supply and assured support price in addition to not-so-happy situation for mesta (jute) and sugarcane in the market.

On fertilizers, Mr. Gangaram said that adequate stock was already made ready at Markfed and at PACS for the current month. The total requirement of fertilizers for the kharif was 40,000 tonnes of urea and 24,000 tonnes of complex/DAP, the Joint Director said.