Govt. encouraging farmers towards modern agriculture practices, Puttaparthi DMI officer

Puttaparthi District Micro Irrigation Officer, Sudarshan, who also serves as the APMIP Project Director, stated that the government is encouraging farmers towards modern agriculture practices. As part of his field trip, Sudarshan visited various areas in Karnataka, including Bukkapatnam, Nagepalli, and Jagarajupalli, to examine the horticultural crops grown by the farmers and the use of drip sprinklers. During this visit, farmers were educated about the importance of drip irrigation.

During the inspection, Sudarshan visited farmer Ravinder Reddy's 2-acre mango farm in Bukkapatnam. Additionally, during the recent Indian Republic Day celebrations, 30 farmers selected by Arun Babu were announced to receive drip irrigation supplies and equipment worth Rs. 50 lakhs as a subsidy.

During his visit, Sudarshan also inspected various types of equipment, machinery, and PVC lines installed in farmers' fields, as a part of the subsidy program. He mentioned that more than 70% of the farmers in the district are growing 35 different types of crops with the government's support. SC, ST, small, and marginal farmers are also cultivating horticultural crops using the subsidies provided by the government.

Sudarshan advised eligible farmers to take advantage of the opportunities and support provided by the government. He emphasized the importance of developing technical knowledge to cultivate agricultural and horticultural crops easily. Sudarshan noted that the farmers in the district are increasingly interested in micro drip irrigation and are cultivating crops that save water and yield higher income. He mentioned that the district currently ranks 4th in the state in terms of micro irrigation adoption.

The district's target for the financial year 2023-24 is to cover 10,000 hectares of land under micro irrigation. Farmers with land between 1 to 5 acres are eligible for a 90% subsidy, while those with land between 5 to 10 acres receive a 70% subsidy. Farmers with land between 1 to 5 acres and 5 to 12.5 acres are eligible for a 55% subsidy.

Sudarshan informed the farmers that a total of 58,737 farmers covering 68.37 acres have already benefited from the new drippers and sprinklers, with the aim of providing sprinklers at a 45% discounted rate to landowning farmers.