Date:02/08/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/08/02/stories/2008080252440300.htm

Andhra Pradesh

’Late sowing will have no impact on paddy yield’

Correspondent

Two-day meeting of advisory council gets under way

VIZIANAGARAM: The two-day meeting of Zonal Research and Extension Advisory Council, North Coastal Zone, began at Krishi Bhavan here on Friday.

The meeting, inaugurated by District Collector B. Kishore, was convened to discuss the measures to be taken to improve crops yield during the forthcoming rabi season.

L.G. Giri Rao, Director of Extension, ANGRAU, Principal Scientists N. Rama Subba Reddy (millets), Sankar Reddy (groundnut), Kadiri, Raju (rice), Marturu, Associate Director of Regional Agriculture Research Centre, Anakapalle, N.V.Naidu, Joint Directors (Agriculture) from Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam N. Venkataramana, M.N. Gagaram, and A. Sarath Babu and a number of farmers participated in the meeting.

Scientists felt despite late sowing due to delayed monsoon that there would be no impact on yield and hoped that average yield per hectare would be 100 to 150 kgs more than last year.

The Joint Directors said a contingency plan had already been prepared to raise alternative crops if the monsoon played truant till the end of August.

They have expressed concern over the drop in sugarcane area.

Murali Krishna, a farmer from Bobbili, said farmers in the district were unaware of the quantity of fertilizers to be used and sought awareness programmes in each panchayat. V. Suryanarayana of Ayyannapeta in the town wanted to know about high yielding varieties of groundnut and mesta in the dry land areas.

Seed village

Later, Dr. Giri Rao told reporters that the monsoon was active throughout the State except in Kadapa district where a deficit was recorded and hoped that reaping normal yield would not be a problem. Conceding seed shortage, he said under the seed village concept seed would be developed in 22,000 hectares this year and added that marketing wing would be making arrangements to provide smaller godowns in villages for storage of the same. On drop in crop area of sugarcane, he said juicy seed variety was being developed so that a part of the produce could be diverted for ethanol.

Senior Scientist of DATTC, Vizianagaram N.D.R.K. Sarma was present.