With thekharifseason set to begin soon, Agriculture-notes-for-state-psc-exams”>Agriculture minister Arun Kumar Sahoo has asked the officials to ensure the availability of adequate seeds and Fertilizers forfarmersin the state.
Officials said the has decided to disburse crop loans worth more than Rs 9,000 crore to support the farmers during the pandemic. More than 20 lakh farmers avail themselves of crop loans inOdishaevery year.
Kharif agricultural activities in Odisha generally start from Akshaya Tritiya, which will fall on May 15. Farmers perform the ceremonial act of sowing seeds in paddy fields on the occasion.
The state government has allowed sowing, nursery and land preparation, Irrigation, planting and harvesting during the lockdown. Distribution, sale and transportation of seeds have also been allowed. As 90% farmers are engaged in paddy cultivation, the field-level officers have been asked to encourage them to take up crop diversification.
While the state government had set a target of producing 96 lakh metric tonne (MT) of foodgrain during last years kharif , it is likely to increase it this time around.