Andhra Pradesh targets 43 lakh ha acreage in kharif season: Official

Andhra Pradesh government is targeting an acreage of about 43 lakh hectares in this kharif season against last year's total of 38 lakh hectares on the back of good monsoon this season.

The government would also be focusing on increasing area under cultivation of pulses in view of shortage of lentils in the country, a senior official said.

"As of now, things are going on well in kharif. As per the weekly report, as on June 5, sowing took place in 10 lakh hectares as against 5.6 lakh hectares last year. By any means, compared to last three years, it is a good progress," State Agriculture Commissioner Dhanunjaya Reddy told.

"We are expecting better rains in August, September than June-July. We are hopeful that this time it will be a good season. We are targeting about 43 lakh hectares for this Kharif season. Last time, it was about 38 lakh hectares," he said.

Except Srikakulam and Nellore districts, remaining 11 districts have received excess rainfall from June 1 to July 6, according to official data.

The excess rainfall in June has led to brisk sowing of groundnut and pulses in dry land areas, including Rayalaseema region (Kadapa, Chittoor, Kurnool and Anantapur districts), Reddy said.

In an innovative measure, the government for the first time has got pulses sown as a 'pre-kharif' season crop under about 50,000 hectares in Nagarjuna Sagar and Krishna delta region as it rained in May and June.

"This was done as water cannot be given to the regions till August owing to irrigation reasons. The crop will be completed in about 90 days (by August)," the official said.

The farmers readily agreed to the idea as they had a bad last Kharif and Rabi seasons and seeds were supplied on a subsidy, he said.

The department had planned fertilisers, micro-nutrients seeds distribution in advance for the Kharif.

Reddy also said the construction of Pattiseema lift irrigation scheme on river Godavari, linking it with Krishna, would help farmers dependent on Krishna (Krishna delta) as they would not have got water by this time.

Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu recently inaugurated the transfer of Godavari water to Krishna through the Pattiseema scheme recently and that water is expected to reach Prakasam barrage in Vijayawada (Krishna delta) by around July 15.

The state government is laying emphasis on cultivation of pulses as it is a major problem (shortage) across the country, Reddy said.

The production of pulses grew by 30% last year in the state and AP was the only state to have produced more than the target.

"We are vigorously campaigning for pulses. Farmers are also willing to grow the crop as rates are good. Last two- three years, usually sowing was done under 25,000 to 30,000 hectares. But, by last week, it has reached 1.32 lakh hectares. It is a very good sign," he said.

AP is also ahead of other states in the distribution of soil health cards and focusing on provision of micro- nutrients and farm mechanisation, Reddy said.