Agriculture department releases booklet on alternatives to paddy

The booklet explained that the area under paddy increased from 34.92 lakh acres in 2014-15 to 1.06 crore acres in 2020-21.
Paddy harvest being dried. (Representational Image)
Paddy harvest being dried. (Representational Image)

HYDERABAD: With no guarantee that the Food Corporation of India (FCI) would procure Rabi paddy from the State’s farmers, the Agriculture Department is on a mission to divert the farmers towards alternative crops. Agriculture Minister Singireddy Niranjan Reddy on Monday released materials highlighting alternative crops and requested farmers not to raise paddy in the ensuing Rabi.

As part of the department’s efforts, a 40-page booklet titled “Yasangilo variki baduluga itara pantalu sagu cheddam” (let us raise crops other than paddy in Rabi) is being widely circulated among farmers.  “Raising paddy in Kharif and also in Rabi is not ensuring crop diversity in the State. The Centre has already announced that it will procure boiled rice. The crop diversity will help improve the fertility of the soil. Thus, grow crops other than paddy in Rabi 2021-22,” Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has written in his foreword in the booklet. 

The booklet explained that the area under paddy increased from 34.92 lakh acres in 2014-15 to 1.06 crore acres in 2020-21. The expansion was due to the rise in water availability. As there was problem in purchasing paddy, the farmers would face problems, the booklet stated. It also explained the management of ten other crops, including oilseeds. The government also wants the farmers to raise vegetables. 

Along with the booklet, the Agriculture Department also released a handout that listed the expected yield for each alternative crop. The varieties of seeds available for these alternative crops, crop duration and other details are also explained. 

Suggestions from booklet

As per the booklet, sorghum can be raised as inter-crop in red gram in Kharif. Though farmers in Mahabubnagar, Adilabad, Medak and Rangareddy districts farmers are used to cultivating sorghum, it can be raised in upland areas of other districts too. 

The farmers in Khammam and Nalgonda are used to raising Maghi Sorghum. Farmers can get high returns on sesame with less investments. If there are no pesticide residues, the white sesame and husked sesame can be exported to other countries.

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