KAKINADA: Farmers who have sown ‘Amulya’ variety of paddy in this Khariff season are in deep trouble. There are worried about their future if they continue to incur huge losses as they have invested heavily, anticipating high yields.
Farmers, particularly those from upland areas in East Godavari district, who have been cultivating Amulya’ variety in nearly 5,000 acres, enjoyed good yields for the past four years, thanks to supplies from Mahendra’ company. But, this year, due to inaccurate seeds, it came to harvest earlier than the normal time.
According to farmers and officials, the seed will come to harvest in 130 to 140 days. But, this season, it has ripened in only 80 days and the yields have fallen drastically. There are also harvesting problems in cutting the crop. Moreover, the entire field is not ripening at a uniform pace.
“I used to cultivate a BPT variety of paddy every year and would get 35 bags per acre. But I was tempted by the Amulya’ variety as many fellow-farmers said that they had good yields and they withstand cyclones and other calamities. I am cultivating it on eight acres by spending more than Rs 2,000 per bag for seed. Now, some of the plants have come to harvest and some of them are in the flowering stage’’ said Valavala Venkateswara Rao of Panduru village in Kakinada Rural mandal.
He said that tenant farmers will be in a tragic situation if they do not get good yield or suitable compensation as they have taken loans from private parties.
Agriculture officials, scientists from the district agricultural advisory and transfer of technology centres at Peddapuram and the regional agricultural research centre (RARC) at Marteru in West Godavari district and seed company representatives visited the fields and assessed the situation.
“We observed the condition of the fields and discussed with the local farmers. Panicles to each sapling are in low numbers and this may affect the yield,”’ said RARC Marteru senior scientist Dr Ravi Kumar. DAAT scientist Dr A.S.R.Sarma said that they had visited Panduru, Pulimeru, U. Kothapalli and Pithapuram mandals where they observed some damage to the crop.
There are differences in the characteristics of seed, declared by the company and those supplied. Joint director of agriculture Vijaya Kumar said that farmers in 6,000 acres in the district, who are cultivating Amulya’ variety of paddy may incur losses due to the problems. He said that the seed is being cultivated in nearly eight mandals like Kirlampudi, Samalkot, Peddapuram, Pitapuram, Prathipadu, Sankhavaram and U. Kothapalli and now the crop has matured in its early stage. He said that a report has been submitted to the government. Agriculture minister Kurasala Kannababu said that compensation would be given to the farmers as the company has also agreed to compensate.
