Nizamabad: Farmers at a loss over alternative crops

Nizamabad: The paddy cultivation is always seems to be special for the district.

Alternative cultivation is subjecting to uncertainty in the farmers who has always cultivated paddy and might not had tried the alternative crops. Farmers are confused by Chief Minister Chandrashekar Rao's suggestion to promote the culture of alternative crops.

In Nizamabad district, paddy is cultivated in 3.87 lakh acres during this monsoon season, resulting in a yield of 7.87 lakh metric tonnes. The district has the potential to promote alternative crops such as pulses and oilseeds.

Farmers, however, are under the influence of politically controversial statements and are unable to respond on it. Apart from politics, some forward-thinking farmers are thinking of cultivating grains with the intention of avoiding the losses that will take place. Among the farmers, however, there is doubt as to whether the government will buy the grain if it is cultivated.

The farmers of the district want to make it clear that the government will procure the crops grown as an alternative to paddy. Collector C Narayanareddy and DDA M Govind are suggesting the farmers to cultivate paddy by making buy-back deals with millers and traders. Without a buy-back deal, the farmers of the district are venturing into paddy cultivation under the influence of politically controversial statements. The farmers are not considering the request made by Collector Narayana Reddy to take steps to cultivate other crops.

Three lakh acres of paddy in the district is likely to be cultivated during this Rabi season. Normally paddy is cultivated in 3.9 lakh acres in Nizamabad district during Rabi season. Due to the clashes between the Central and State governments and the propaganda that there should be no paddy, the cultivation in the district has been reduced to only 90 thousand acres.

The government should provide incentives to farmers who cultivate alternative crops instead of Paddy on 90,000 acres. The farmers want the government to provide technical assistance to convert the land under the ponds into a fish pond where most of the water comes from. The government should encourage the farmer to make good profits by digging pits at a depth of 6 - 7 meters. Fish farming can cost up to Rs 30 per kg of fish. Awareness should be brought among the farmers to earn profit up to Rs 120 by selling it. The district administration should direct the farmer to cultivate the vegetables as they are imported from Maharashtra.