CM directs all departments to help the farmers in a big way

Hyderabad, June 15 : Copious rains all over Andhra Pradesh is a good augury for the farmers and with the increased crop loans and liberal input subsidy, they are now going in for sowing operations in a big way.

Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy asked the Agriculture & Irrigation Departments, Bankers, Rain forecasting section (Disaster Management), District Collectors and other department concerned to have a coordinated effort to help the farmers take up cultivation all over the State.

The rainfall recorded so far this season is an all time record in the last 10 years. From 2003, the average rainfall recorded in the State is several times higher this year and in many years like in 2003 it was -28, in 2004 it was +20, in 2005 it was -60, in 2006 it was -63, in 2007 it was +8, in 2008 it was +6, in 2009 it was -39, in 2010 it was +3, in 2011 it was -7 in 2012 it was -74 and in 2013 it is +69.

As per the latest forecast rainfall during the current monsoon would continue to be copious in the coming days with fairly uniform distribution across the State. According to fresh data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD)the country would get 98 per cent of the long period average for the season as a whole. They predicted that rainfall in July would be 101 per cent of the normal and for August, it would be 96 per cent of the normal. Southern India including Andhra Pradesh is likely to top the table with a rainfall of 103 per cent for season as a whole.

According to reports available from the Agriculture Department and Disaster Management departments, the rainfall received in Andhra Pradesh (all districts put together) from 1-6-2013 to 15-06-2013 is 88 mm as against normal (as on date) 52.1 mm and the deviation of rainfall is +69 per cent excess. The South-West Monsoon season normal is 624 mm. As far as sowings in the State are concerned, area sown is 4.06 lakh hectares as against the normal (as on date) of 3.51 lakh hectares (116per cent). Area coverage to season normal is 5per cent (81.12 lakh hectares).

As far as subsidy seed distribution during kharif 2013 is concerned, officials informed the Chief Minister that 10.56 lakh quintals of various crop seed have been positioned and so far 5.77 lakh quintals have been distributed on subsidy worth Rs.108.91 crores. They said that 4.31 lakh qtls of groundnut seed is positioned and so far 3.50 lakh qtls have been distributed with a subsidy worth Rs.73.56 crores. Under Green manuring seed, a quantity of 0.93 lakh qtls seed have been positioned and so far 0.61 lakh qtls have been distributed on subsidy worth Rs.16.27 crores. Under Cotton seed, against a target of 131.15 lakh packets, till dated 130.00 lakh packets of seed have been positioned and so far 60.00 lakh packets have been distributed.

The officials informed the Chief Minister that it is planned to supply 40.75 lakh MTs of different fertilizers during Kharif-13. Till date 5.26 LMTs of different fertilizers were supplied. As on date, 11.85 LMTs of different fertilizers are available in all the districts across the State (including 2.91 LMTs of buffer stocks available with AP MARKFED).

As far as the Credit Plan for 2013-14 is concerned, as per SLBC allocation, Rs.67,224.00 crores is targetted towards Agriculture Credit for the year 2013-14. (Crop loans – 49,989.00 crores and Agril. and allied Loans – 17235.00 crores.)

The Chief Minister, in the recent SLBC meeting, asked the bankers to issue the input subsidy to farmers without any link to previous dues or adjustments. He said the input subsidy is the capital for next crop as far as famers are concerned and the State Government has substantially increased the input subsidy.

He asked the Bankers to step up loans agriculture and allied sectors like dairy, poultry, fisheries, horticulture etc and the LEC card holders (licenced cultivators).He asked the bankers to immediately open bank accounts for all farmers so that benefits like input subsidy etc could be transferred to their accounts directly without any delay. He asked the Bankers to set a target for 2013-14 which is considerably more than what has really achieved for 2012-13.

The Chief Minister said that recently the Government of India has taken a decision to apply normal crop loan rates (7per cent) to rescheduled crop loans in the calamity-affected (like drought, cyclone, floods) mandals. He wanted the bankers to strictly adhere to this norms and help the farmers in distress in this regard. Mr Kiran Kumar Reddy said that the State Government increased the input subsidy from Rs.4,500/- to Rs.10,000/- per hectare and now it is being paid directly to the farmers directly through online.

It may be recalled here that the banks surpassed the targets under Annual Action Plan for 2012-13. As against the target of Rs.37,128 crs, the achievement is Rs.50,157 crs which works out to 135per cent. Rs.23,491 crs was disbursed under agricultural term loans against the target of Rs.15,844 crs with an achievement of 148per cent. He said the total disbursemetns under agriculture credit during the year (2012-13) was Rs.73,648 crs against the target of Rs.52,972 crs with an achievement of 139per cent.

The water levels of major reservoirs in the State is also quite encouraging and is a record compared to recent years. While last year the level at Jurala was 1027.56 feet (Gross storage-3.15 tmc), this year as on 15-6-2013 it is 1030.51 feet (4.14 tmc) while the full reservoir level is 1045 feet (11.94 tmc). Nagarjunasagar as on now it is 520.40 feet (150.01 tms) last year 510.80 (133.03 tmc) and full reservoir level is 590 feet (312.05 tms). In Srisailam, as on date the water level is 815.60 feet compared to 799 feet last year and Thungabhadra it is now 1581.30 feet against last year’s 1580.85 while the full reservoir level is 1633 feet. While in Nizamsagar it is 1379.54 feet compared to last year’s 1382.16 feet and the full reservoir level is 1405 feet. In Singur the level is 1691.71 feet against last year’s 1700.63 and the full reservoir level is 1717.93 feet. In Sriramsagar, now the water level is 1056.10 feet against last year’s 1052.20 feet and the FRL is 1091 feet. In Somasila now it is 271.62 feet against last year’s 304.17 and FRL is 330 feet. In Vamsadhara, now the water level is 111.85 feet against last year’s 113.98 feet and FRL is 125 feet. In Yeleru, the level now is 262.76 feet against last year’s 236.42 feet and the FRL is 284 feet. Heavy rains in Karnataka enabled heavy inflows into Jurala in Mahbubnagar District.

According to Met Department Officials, Telangana region is expected to receive more rain in the next 48 hours. The highest rainfall of 249.4 mm was recorded in Adilabad District, followed by 179.5 mm in Karimnagar, 156.1 mm in Nizamabad, 135.7 mm in Viziangaram, 117.2 mm in Warangal District, 108.5 mm in Srikakulam, 107.9 mm in Hyderabad and 101.2 mm in Krishna. As far as Mandals are concerned, the highest rainfall recorded was 192 mm in Bazrathnoor in Adilabad disrict, followed by Ichoda, Neradigonda, Bela and Boath in Adilabad, Ibrabimpatnam, Metpalle in Karimnagar. INN