VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has directed officials to act tough against those who are selling spurious seeds, fertilisers and pesticides to farmers. The existing laws will be amended or an ordinance will be brought if needed to send unscrupulous traders to jail for two years, he added.
Taking stock of crop status and other aspects related to agriculture at an official meeting on Monday, the Chief Minister said, “The very objective of Rythu Bharosa Kendras (RBKs) is to ensure supply of quality seeds, fertilisers and pesticides to farmers. If anyone tries to defeat the objective, stringent action will be taken. If employees are found guilty, they will be sacked, besides initiating legal action against them.”
The officials should create awareness among farmers on the cultivation of alternative crops instead of paddy under borewells. Cultivation of millets should be promoted in a big way in the State. A millets board should be constituted for the purpose. Farmers should be encouraged to take up cultivation of millets as an alternative crop by providing them incentives, he asserted.
Emphasising the need to promote organic and natural farming, Jagan said an RBK should be taken as a unit for the purpose. All the necessary equipment for organic farming should be made available to farmers in Custom Hiring Centres, he said.
The officials informed the Chief Minister that 45,35,102 farmers have registered 1.12 crore acres of crop under e-cropping. The Palavelluva programme has benefited 1,77,364 women in the State, they said.