DHENKANAL: Contrary to expectations, the yield of groundnut is likely to be lower this season in the district thanks to circulation of suspected spurious seeds by the Agriculture department. As per reports, the cash crop over 300 acres in Mandapal area of Kamakshyanagar sub-division has been affected due to poor quality seeds. Farmers said groundnut growers, who had cultivated the crop using their own stored seeds, have better yield. While the officials of Agriculture department claim bumper harvest of groundnut in all blocks, farmers of Kamakshyanagar alleged that due to spurious seeds, the crops have failed to grow as per expectation and bear fruits.
Sources said the Agriculture department had provided 621 quintals of groundnut seeds under National Food Security Mission (NFSM) and Agriculture Technology Management Agency (ATMA) in November for cultivation over 1,100 acres in all blocks. This apart, farmers have grown groundnut crops over 2,000 acres on the banks of Brahmani and Sapua rivers in the district using their seeds.
Bankanidhi Behera, a farmer of Regadapada village, 20 km from the district headquarters town, said he had used his own stored seeds and harvested good yield this year. "As the Government supplied seeds reach the area too late, we use our seeds. But lack of irrigation facilities in the area has taken a toll on the crops," he added. Many farmers have also complained that low quality of fertilisers, pesticides and seeds have flooded the markets in the absence of proper monitoring by the authorities concerned.
Meanwhile, BJP team, led by its national Kishan Morcha vice-president Maheswar Sahoo, visited the affected crop fields and reviewed the situation. National Director of NFSM Dr Birendra Singh also visited the area.Deputy Director of Agriculture Chhabindra Behera said as per conservative estimates, the yield is expected to be nearly 10 quintals per hectare.