If the claims of the Uttar Pradesh government are to be believed, the state is heading for yet another crop bonanza. After a record Rabi production, for which the state had received an award by the Union government this year, the state government is all set to again set a record in Kharif production too.
Backed by a good monsoon, the state government has set the target of total kharif production to about 172 lakh tonne as compared to 154 lakh tonne last year, which will be the highest ever recorded. The total area under kharif cultivation is 92 lakh hectares, out of which, paddy occupies the lion’s share. Spread over an area of almost 60 lakh hectares, rice production is estimated to reach 135 lakh tonne.
According to sources in the agriculture department, hybrid paddy seeds, which have been tested for over double yield than the normal paddy varieties, have been heavily subsidised for the farmers this year and as a result, these paddy seeds have been sown on almost 11 lakh hectares in the state.
Apart from paddy, bajra has been sown on 9 lakh hectares of land while maize has been sown on 8 lakh hectares, followed by jowar and pulses.
The state agriculture department, which had a modest budget of around R300 crore till the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojna (RKVY) was launched by the government of India three years back, is now spending around R1500 crore, including the R800 crore of the RKVY money, resulting in the subsidy levels of various inputs touching almost 75%.
Crores of rupees have gone into improving the soil, on bio fertlisers, green manures, specific micro nutrients, compost, high yielding variety of hybrid and exotic seeds, insecticides, weedicides and pesticides, agricultural implements for mechanised farming, etc. Anything to do with agriculture and farming has been made available on a highly subsidised cost. And the results too, have started showing.
?The weather gods have also gone ahead and supported us tremendously. Whenever there was a need for watering the crops, we have received adequate rainfall naturally. The farmers, therefore, did not even need to use irrigation facilities due to the timely rains. The extremely good monsoon also led to no disease or pest attacking the plants. The next fortnight is very crucial. If it rains the way it is, the Kharif crop will be well past troubles,? says a beaming Director Agriculture, Government of Uttar Pradesh, Mukesh Gautam.