Only four crops have been identified in Mandya district under NDRF norms for providing drought relief to farmers and the four crops include paddy, ragi, jowar, and groundnut. On farmers’ appeal, a proposal will be sent to the government to include sugarcane and coconut crops for extending the relief package to farmers affected by drought, said Deputy Commissioner Kumara.
Presiding over a meeting to address the grievances of farmers here on Wednesday, he said farmers would be informed in advance with regard to the release of water from the KRS dam after the meeting of the Irrigation Consultative Committee was convened. In case of any works undertaken in Visvesvaraya canal during the release of water from the dam, those works will be temporarily halted and water will be released thereafter. Farmers need not have to worry, he said during the meeting.
Fertilizers and Sowing Seeds
Mr. Kumara said Mandya needed 90,000 metric tonnes of fertilizers. As of now, it has 55,000 metric tonnes of fertilizers. Based on the demand from farmers in the season, the remaining quantity of fertilizers would be procured, he said.
The Deputy Commissioner assured the farmers that the fertilizers dealers had been asked to display price and stock details at their shops. Mandya has nearly 540 licensed fertilizers dealers. They have been already informed on the rules to be complied with, he added.
Mr. Kumara asked the CESC authorities to hold the grievances meeting for farmers on June 8 in view of complaints from farmers on the matters concerning the Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation (CESC).
At the meeting, Mr. Kumara told the joint director of agriculture to hold an exclusive workshop for farmers to inform them about the facilities and subsidies available from the Department of Agriculture and Horticulture as they could make use of them during the sowing season.
As many as 80 ‘Kalyanis’ (ponds) have been restored in the district as the Mandya administration and the zilla panchayat have taken up the initiative of rejuvenating the water bodies. More Kalyanis will be restored to their past glory in the coming days as a project will be launched soon, said Zilla Panchyat CEO Sheikh Tanveer Asif.
He told the officers concerned to monitor whether farmers were scientifically removing silt from the lakes.
No Shortage of Sowing Seeds
On the occasion, Joint Director of Agriculture Ashok said there is no shortage of sowing seeds and the seeds are being distributed as per the requirements of farmers at the Raitha Samparka Kendras across the district.
In the next two days, 1,800 quintals of fodder seeds will arrive and the same will be distributed to farmers as there has been a rise in the demand for fodder seeds, he said.
