Southern States - Andhra Pradesh   

Seed worth 36 crores to be distributed for rabi: Vadde

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD Oct. 29. The Agriculture Minister, V. Sobhanadreeswara Rao, on Wednesday said that 3.88 lakh quintals of seed costing Rs. 36 crores would be distributed at 75 per cent subsidy to all farmers for the rabi 2003-04 and all necessary steps taken to ensure that there is no shortage.

Addressing a press conference, Mr. Rao said the seed includes groundnut, bengal gram, green gram, maize, sunflower, seasamum and castor and a detailed list of guidelines on the mode of distribution would be sent to all the districts. The subsidy will be limited to 75 per cent on the base sale price for different seeds for all dry crops confined to two hectares per farmer other than paddy, cotton, and horticulture crops. Seeds for more than one crop can be issued to each farmer not exceeding two hectares or limited to the actual area which ever is less.

The Minister painted a dismal picture for important crops like paddy, groundnut and cotton with the sowing area and production during Kharif 2003 expected to come down. As against the normal area of 26.40 lakh hectares expected for paddy, the sowings were on 19.61 lakh hectares, while production is expected to come down from the normal 68.61 lakh metric tonnes to 60.32 lakh metric tonnes.

In the case of groundnut the reduction in sowing area was from the normal 14.93 lakh hectares to 12.63 lakh hectares and production down from the normal 10.85 lakh tonnes to 4.48 lakh tonnes. As for cotton, the area is expected to come down from 10.44 lakh hectares to 7.89 lakh hectares.

On Bt cotton, the Minister said the sowings were far short of the Monsanto Mahyco's expectations. As against a target for one lakh packets, the company could sell only 28,000 packets this year. The last year's reports of lesser yields, reduced staple length and lesser returns, despite reduced cost of pesticides, might have discouraged the farmers this year. Pickings have just begun and he could not comment on the yields this year.

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