VIJAYAWADA: Chief Secretary KS Jawahar Reddy directed officials to take up contingency measures for alternative crops in 130 mandals of six districts in the State, which have received deficit rainfall this season. Taking stock of the situation at a review meeting on agriculture, he also instructed them to provide paddy seeds of short duration to farmers, who suffered loss to their paddy nurseries.
At the same time, the officials were asked to ensure the supply of adequate fodder for the milch cattle as dairy farming is a major alternative income source for farmers.
Giving a PowerPoint presentation, Special Chief Secretary (Agriculture and allied sectors) Gopal Krishna Dwivedi said crops have been raised in 9.22 lakh hectares till now against the target of 34.39 lakh hectares in Kharif.
Crops were raised in 14.2 lakh hectares by this time last year. Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam, Guntur and Bapatla received 20 to 50 per cent surplus rainfall, while Krishna topped the chart with 60 per cent.
At the same time, Konaseema, West Godavari, Nellore, Kadapa, Annamayya and Tirupati districts recorded a deficit rainfall of 20 to 59 mm.
The remaining districts received normal rainfall. In the districts with deficit rainfall, 10,000 quintals of black gram, green gram, red gram, horse gram, jowar, sunflower and groundnut seeds have been readied by AP Seeds, he informed.
Agriculture Commissioner Ch Harikiran, APSDMA Managing Director BR Ambekar, Animal Husbandry Department director Amarendra Kumar, AP Seeds MD Sekhar Babu, Fisheries Department Additional Director Anajli and other officials were present.