No seed scarcity in AP during khariff season: Minister

Hyderabad, May 28 (UNI) Andhra Pradesh Agriculture Minister N Raghuveera Reddy today said there would be no scarcity of seeds for the coming khariff season as the government had procured 12.30 lakh quintals of seeds as against nine lakh quintals last year.

Addressing the press here, Mr Reddy said the government was supplying Rs 162 crore worth subsidised seeds to the farmers in 2007.

The government had taken an undertaking from the seed companies to supply sufficient quantum of seeds catering to the needs of all farmers. As many as 38.28 lakh acre in the state would be cultivated during khariff.

The government had constituted vigilance committees in all districts to check the supply of spurious seeds besides setting up seed distribution centres in all mandal headquarters.

Calling on the farmers to get bills while purchasing the seeds, Mr Reddy said the Bt cotton cultivation was taken up in 16 lakh acre in 2006-07 as against 5.50 lakh acre in 2005-06.

The total area of cotton cultivation in the state was 24.67 lakh acre.

Referring to yesterday's police lathicharge on cotton farmers while staging dharna before the agriculture office in Adilabad demanding distribution of seeds, the Minister said action would be taken against the officials concerned after studying the facts of the incident.

Cotton seeds had been procured to meet the demand for 52,420 acre of the one lakh acre in Adilabad District. Seeds for the remaining land would be procured in two days, he added.

UNI