Kharif season farming activity was kicked off in a grand way in Anantapur district on Monday when B.C. Welfare Minister Malagundla Sankaranarayana launched the subsidised groundnut seeds distribution at Rythu Bharosa Kendras at Village Secretariats level.
Formally launching the programme at Bukkarayasamudram, the Minister said: “Focus is on providing seeds to the small and socially disadvantaged farmers in villages to some extent so that they do not face financial burden. Financial assistance under Rythu Bharosa has also been given to the farmers in time for meeting their input costs in the coming Kharif season,” Mr. Sankaranarayana added.
District Collector Gandham Chandrudu said that earlier, the farmers had trekked a long way to mandal headquarters and waited for hours in a queue to get the seeds, but now they get their quota at their doorstep.
The farmers were promised 120 kgs of seeds at ₹47.10 per kg, but in view of the huge demand, it has been restricted to a maximum of 90 kgs at subsidised price. The open market price was between ₹65 and ₹68 a kg. More than 2.04 lakh farmers out of 5.67 lakh projected beneficiaries registered for the supplies till Sunday night.
At the rate of 30 kg per half an acre landholding, the government wants equitable distribution of seeds to all the backward classes, SC, ST and other sections of the society, the Collector said.
So far, the demand is 1.78 lakh quintals and the total projected demand was 3.4 lakh quintals, against which 1.99 lakh quintals of seeds was procured and stationed at 98 locations in the district, the JD Agriculture added.
Members of Parliament Talari Rangaiah and Gorantla Madhav along with Singanamala MLA Jonnalagadda Padmavathy and Joint Director Agriculture Sk. Habib Basha were present on the occasion.