Karnataka - Bijapur   

4.25 lakh hectares of land to be cultivated

Bijapur: With the onset of the monsoon, farmers in the district have started preparations for sowing. As of now, there is no shortage of seeds and fertilizers in the district. Farmers are waiting for the rain to arrive and are collecting the necessary land documents in order to procure seeds at concessionary rates.

The Agriculture Department has estimated that 4.25 lakh hectares of land will be cultivated in the district and that small and marginal farmers require 8,000 quintals of seeds. It is expected that the demand for DAP fertilizer and high quality jowar and sunflower seeds will increase. The district requires 19,000 tonnes of urea, 17,000 tonnes of DAP and 20,000 tonnes of composite fertilizers. Presently, the department has a stock of 1,500 tonnes of urea, 40 tonnes of DAP and 500 tonnes of composite fertilizers.

Sources in the department told The Hindu that seed distribution centres had been opened in the district. The centres at Bijapur, Muddebihal and Basavan Bagewadi have started distributing seeds at 75 per cent subsidy and the centres at Indi and Sindagi taluk will distribute seeds from Monday.

In Bijapur taluk, centres have been opened at Bijapur, Babaleshwar, Tikota and Mamadapur.

Presiding over a meeting of district-level officers held here recently to take stock of the situation, in-charge Deputy Commissioner S.M. Sonnad asked farmers not to panic as the district administration had taken all precautionary measures to provide seeds and fertilizers. Separate teams comprising agriculture officers, tahsildars and taluk panchayat officers would be formed to monitor the supply of seeds in the district.

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