The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Foodgrain production target 143 lakh tonnes

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jun 23, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Foodgrain production target 143 lakh tonnes

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD, JUNE 22. The State Government has set the target of foodgrain production this year at 172.68 lakh tonnes, against the target of 143 lakh tonnes fixed for last year.

The production target of cotton was fixed at 20.15 lakh bales (170 kg each), against 19.36 lakh bales last year and that of oilseeds at 31.61 lakh tonnes, against 18.98 lakh tonnes last year, the Agriculture Minister, N. Raghuveera Reddy, told the Assembly on Tuesday. He was making a statement in response to an adjournment motion moved on Monday by the Telugu Desam and the Left parties on the crisis in the agriculture sector.

Mr. Reddy said it is planned to cover 124.28 lakh hectares during the year with 35 lakh hectares under paddy, 19.46 lakh hectares under coarse cereals, 23.75 lakh hectares under pulses, 30.69 lakh hectares under oilseeds and 8.50 lakh hectares under cotton.

He said the Government plans to supply a record 14.42 lakh quintals of seed for different crops in the kharif with 6.53 lakh quintals for paddy, 5.64 lakh quintals for groundnut, 53,750 quintals for soyabean and 1.71 lakh quintals for other crops.

The supplies were limited to 10.70 lakh quintals in the last kharif. As per the seed replacement rate prescribed by the Central Government, however, a quantity of 5.13 lakh quintals of different seed was required for the State in the kharif, he added.

It is planned to supply 14 lakh tonnes of nitrogen fertilizers, 6.79 lakh tonnes of phosphatic fertilizers and 2.58 lakh tonnes of potassic fertilizers during the year. The requirement of pesticide is expected to be 2,045 tonnes.

The Minister said an outlay of Rs. 11,205 crore (45 per cent increase) is earmarked for crop loans during the year, against the disbursal of Rs. 7,902.85 crores last year.

The Government has decided to promote bio-fuel plantations in two lakh acres in the first phase in the rain shadow areas of the State.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Andhra Pradesh