ADILABAD: At a time when the farmers are struggling to get back on their feet after the two-month nationwide lockdown, the soyabean growers are still in dire straits due to the unavailability of seeds.
It was from neighbouring States like Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra that the ryots used to purchase seeds for soyabean cultivation earlier. However, as all the manufacturing units were shut after the announcement of the lockdown, the production of soya seeds also got affected.
Even after providing relaxation to the Industrial sector, the production of seeds have not resumed in a full-fledged manner yet, as a result of which the farmers are suffering a lot. According to sources, the ryots were all set to take up the cultivation in around 93,000 acres of farmland, for which they required 27,947 quintals of seed. However, only 2,000 quintals of seeds are available as of now, of which only 500 quintals are subsidised and the remaining 1,500 quintals belong to private dealers.
Recently, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao had announced a comprehensive agriculture policy by introducing a new cropping pattern under which farmers will have to cultivate crops in demand as recommended by the government. However, it is learnt that the new agriculture policy will not make much major changes in the cropping pattern of Adilabad farmers.
As per the directions of higher authorities, the agriculture officials are now busy organising meetings with local people’s representatives and agriculture extension officers to create awareness among them, and in turn the farmers, on the new policy. Meanwhile, in one of the meetings, some of the elected representatives itself admitted that there is an acute shortage of subsidised soya seeds in the district. They also requested the farmers to purchase the seeds from private traders if possible, the amount for which will be reimbursed by the government.
Meanwhile, as the subsidised soya seeds (JS 335), distributed by the government, are not of top quality when compared to those from the neighbouring States, as a result of which they don’t yield good results, the farmers are not too keen on purchasing them.