BHAWANIPATNA: An area of 3,83,721 hectares (ha) will be brought under cultivation in the ensuing Kharif crop season. This was decided by the Agriculture Department officials during the Kharif strategy meeting held here on Tuesday that was chaired by Collector D Brundha. The thrust this time is on mixed cropping to enhance seed replacement ratio and bringing more area under cotton cultivation.
Deputy Director of Agriculture, Laxman Palatsingh said of the total area of 3,83,721 ha, nearly 1,82,433 ha will be covered under paddy cultivation, 87,332 under pulses, 17,456 under maize, 20,077 under different types of millets and 16,559 ha under oil seed cultivation. Fibre crops will be cultivated in 55,388 ha.
As a drought preventive measure, mixed cropping would be taken up in 32,066 ha this season as against 27,409 ha in the previous Kharif season.
He informed that there is an ambitious plan to cover 55,000 ha under cotton cultivation this time as against the previous target of 46,125 ha. Certified and hybrid seeds will be supplied to the farmers, who would take up cotton farming.
The officials have targeted to achieve 74 percent paddy seed replacement ratio.