Agri operations start on a brisk note

A good rainfall over the last week has cheered the farmers of Dharwad district and they are now busy on their agricultural plots. Farmers were worried over the delay in the onset of monsoons as there were no rains in June. However, to dispel their anxieties the rain god has smiled on farmers.

The normal rainfall in the district till July-end should have been 387.8 mm and till July 14 district has received 342.8 mm rainfall. The district has 360,186 hectares of sowing area of which 209,400 hectares is used for kharif sowing. So far, sowing has been done in 186,472 hectares accounting for 89 per cent of the area under kharif cultivation.

Farmers have sown paddy, maize, green gram, soyabean, groundnut, sunflower and hybrid cotton. While sowing has been 100 per cent in Hubli, Kalghatagi and Kundgol taluks, it is 87 per cent in Dharwad and 64 per cent in Navalgund taluk.

Joint director of agriculture S Ganesh Nayak said there was demand for 39,235 quintals of seeds and arrangements have been made to distribute the seeds through private traders and government agencies. Small and marginal farmers have been provided seeds to the tune of 21,294 quintals at subsidized price. He said there was no shortage of seeds and chemical fertiliser in the district.

Till July end the officials aim to distribute 37,716 tonnes of seeds and so far 33,778 tonnes has been distributed.

The district has a stock of 9,296 tonnes of chemical fertiliser of which 466 tonnes is urea, 5,750 tonnes is DAP, 2,155 tone is MOP and 925 tonnes is complex. He appealed to the farmers not to heed to rumours of shortage of seeds and fertiliser and said steps have been taken to ensure timely supply of necessary inputs.