Vijayawada: Farmers gear up for rabi season

Vijayawada: With adequate water available in reservoirs this season, the farmers in Krishna district are gearing up for the rabi season with the estimated crop area of 2.40 lakh hectares.

Normal crop area in rabi season is 2.04 lakh hectares. Due to availability of plenty of irrigation water this season, the farmers are preparing for the cultivation of paddy, black gram, groundnut, maize and other crops in 2.4 lakh hectares.

Black gram and paddy are the two most important crops in Krishna district in rabi season. Normal crop area of black gram is 1.3 lakh hectares. This season, black gram is being cultivated in 1,20,000 hectares, said Joint Director of Agriculture P Mohana Rao.

He said estimated paddy crop area is 80,000 hectares and maize 20,000 hectares in the district. The remaining other crops in rabi season are green gram, red gram, Bengal gram and tobacco etc. Mohana Rao said the AP Seeds Development Corporation is ready for the distribution of black gram, maize and other seeds.

He said the government is giving subsidy of 80 per cent on seeds to the cyclone Nivar affected farmers. Due to heavy rains in the catchment areas of Nagarjunasagar and Pulichintala, the reservoirs are brimming with floodwaters that can be used for irrigation purposes in Krishna delta area in rabi season.

On the other hand, paddy farmers who suffered huge loss due to heavy rains and cyclone Nivar are now again preparing for the rabi season. Enumeration work on crop loss is underway and will be completed by December 10. The State government is preparing to pay input subsidy by the end of December to the farmers who suffered loss due to cyclone Nivar.