Non-availability Of Paddy Seeds Puts Farmers Under Stress In Kendrapada

KENDRAPADA: Farmers in Kendrapada district of coastal Odisha are under stress as the district administration has failed to provide them sufficient paddy seeds ahead of the Kharif season.

While monsoon is expected to onset by June second week, the government-sponsored seed supply centres and co-operative societies in all the nine blocks of the district have not stocked sufficient paddy seeds for the farmers, alleged Gayadhar Dhal, the Secretary of District Krushak Sabha.

As per official reports, paddy and other seeds cultivation are going to be made in 1.52 lakh hectares of agriculture land in the district. Out of 1.52 lakh hectares of land, the  Agriculture Department has planned to cover 1,24,260 hectares of land under paddy in the Kharif season.

 To raise paddy in 1,24,260 hectares of land, the farmers need  13,538 quintals of paddy seeds. Till date, the department has already supplied 7328 quintals of paddy seeds to all the nine blocks through the cooperative societies and private dealer of Orissa Seed Corporation, whereas  6210 quintals of paddy seeds are still required to meet the demands. But, the district administration has not stocked the sufficient paddy seeds to raise Kharif paddy in the district.

According to Prafulla Chandra Mishra, the Deputy Director of  Agriculture (DDA), Kendrapara, seeds are being sold through 121 PACs (Primary Agriculture Co-operative Society) and more than 53 seed-supplying centres.

Meanwhile, the District Agriculture Department has sent 6000 quintals of paddy seeds to the State Seeds Testing Laboratory of Orissa State Seed Certification Agency in Samatarapur for its tests. If paddy seeds were passed by the State Seeds Testing laboratory, then it would be sent to PACs and seed-supplying centres and the required seeds problems would be solved.

The agriculture department is going to provide an incentive to the farmer for line planting of paddy seeds. Line planting paddy cultivation is going to be made in  3800 hectares of land of the district under BGREI ( Bringing Green Revolution in Eastern India ) scheme. Line planting of paddy yields more fruits whereas less fertiliser is used in the field and the most important thing is pest attack would not occur in line planting of Paddy cultivation, stated Mishra, the DDA of Kendrapara.

The department would provide the incentive of Rs 1250   to the farmer for line planting of paddy in a hectare of land. Similarly, the district agriculture officials are going to encourage the farmers by providing incentives for deep ploughing, informed DDA of Kendrapara.

Meanwhile, the district collector has directed for pre-positioning of fertiliser in PACs level for smooth supplying of fertiliser to the farmers when it would require for Kharif paddy.