Advance Kharif cycle to shield crops from cyclone: Chandrababu Naidu to officials

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday directed agriculture officials to advance the crop season to safeguard Kharif crops from cyclone damage. During a review meeting at the Undavalli camp office, he was informed that the Agriculture Department has already begun releasing irrigation water to farmlands in the Godavari and Krishna delta regions.Water is currently reaching West Godavari, Eluru, Konaseema, East Godavari, Kakinada and Krishna districts. Guntur, Bapatla, and Prakasam districts will start receiving irrigation supply in the first week of July.advertisementKey Kharif crops include paddy, red gram, groundnut and cotton. While groundnut and cotton acreage has dropped, red gram cultivation has risen, and paddy levels remain steady.
The Chief Minister noted that Andhra Pradesh has experienced 14 cyclones in the past 20 years - five in October, six in November, and three in December - with October storms especially affecting north coastal regions and East Godavari. To mitigate such risks, he stressed the need to cultivate three crops a year.He instructed officials to prepare for the cultivation of summer crops across five lakh acres next year in north coastal Andhra, Godavari, and Krishna delta regions. In districts like Anantapur, where farmland lies fallow for eight months annually, Chief Minister Naidu urged using that period for additional crops to improve soil fertility and farmer income. Officials have been tasked with preparing 141 mandals for summer farming - 19 with reservoirs, 57 with tanks, and 65 relying on groundwater.advertisementCM Naidu encouraged promoting fine varieties of paddy and advised widening bunds in paddy fields to support intercropping of fruits and vegetables. He suggested that these bunds could be constructed using NREGS funds. He also promoted aquaculture and horticulture on the periphery of or between paddy plots to boost income.Reviewing tobacco procurement, officials said that HD Burley tobacco purchases had begun at the Parchur AMC and that farmers were satisfied. The government is also encouraging a shift to alternative crops. Procurement of cocoa and mango was also discussed.Three new services - crop insurance, agricultural mechanisation, and MARKFED - have been launched on the Mana Mitra WhatsApp platform, giving farmers easier access. The CM directed officials to raise both online and offline awareness about these services.He also called for reduced use of fertilisers and pesticides to protect soil fertility. Last year, 39 lakh metric tonnes of fertilisers were used; this year, the target is 35 lakh metric tonnes. He also emphasised increasing the area under pulses and millets and directed banks to disburse farm loans within 24 hours of request during the season.Must Watch

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