Hyderabad: The state of Telangana has created a record in paddy production in the 2018 kharif season. The farmer-friendly schemes of the government have seen paddy production reach 61 lakh metric tonnes, the highest since the state was formed in 2014. In 2014, paddy production was 42.81 lakh metric tonnes.
The schemes that have helped boost paddy production are 24x7 power supply, investment subsidy to farmers under Rythu Bandhu, and timely supply of inputs such as seeds and fertilizer.
Every year the cropped area has also been increasing. In 2014, the total cropped area was 9.20 lakh hectares in the kharif season; in 2018 the total cropped area was 11.86 lakh hectares.
Paddy yield also increased per hectare from 4,653 kg in 2014 to 5,143 kg in 2018.
Timely rainfall, water supply from irrigation projects, good management practices like timely sowing, optimum spacing, water management, efficient nitrogen utilisation by neem-coated urea helped the state achieve record paddy production.
The state government has opened a number of centres to purchase paddy from farmers. Central government Public Distri-bution System (PDS) department secretary Ravikant, during a recent visit to the state, said, “It is really appreciable that the state has arranged a procurement centre for every five kilometres to facilitate the farmers to get the minimum support price without any strain.”
In the kharif season, out of the 61 lakh metric tonnes of paddy produced, 39.58 lakh metric tonnes was purchased across the state through 3,315 procurement centres.
C. Pardhasaradhi, principal secretary, agriculture, said that huge varietal replacement with high yielding, short duration varieties such as Kunaram Sannalu and Telangana Sona and good management practices, low incidence of pest and diseases due to congenial weather conditions were among the factors that helped
achieve record paddy production in the 2018 kharif season.
