Govt sets the ball rolling for kharif farming
Bhubaneswar: The state government has stepped up efforts to ensure a smooth start to agricultural activities for the kharif season.
During a review meeting on Tuesday, chief minister Naveen Patnaik directed officials to provide seeds and agricultural equipment to the farmers.
“We have started the process for kharif season well in advance. There is absolutely no restrictions on agriculture and allied activities. We have also directed district agriculture officers to ensure availability of adequate seeds and fertilisers,” said agriculture secretary Saurabh Garg.
Instructions have also been issued for free movement of labourers to be engaged in agricultural activities. Nodal officers have been appointed for all the 30 districts to monitor smooth operations.
To ensure adequate cash among the farmers, the state government has set a target to disburse crop loan worth Rs 7,500 crore to nearly 20 lakh farmers through cooperative banks.
Agriculture department sources said harvesting of Rabi crop for both paddy and non-paddy varieties is going on smoothly. All arrangements are also in place at the mandis for procurement of paddy and non-paddy crops.