Collector G Raja Kumari directs agriculture officials during a Zoom review meeting to take proactive measures against anticipated El Niño and drought conditions.

District Collector G Raja Kumari on Thursday directed agriculture officials to implement proactive measures to help farmers mitigate the anticipated impact of El Niño and impending drought conditions across the district. 

Addressing a review meeting via teleconference from the NIC Video Conference Hall, the Collector emphasized extensive public awareness drives to promote alternative cropping patterns suited to erratic climate conditions. 

Advising farmers against cultivating water-intensive crops like paddy and maize due to uncertain rainfall prospects, she urged them to shift toward low water-consuming crops such as black gram, red gram, sorghum, pearl millet, foxtail millet, and castor. 

She noted that alternative crops reduce risk while ensuring sustainable agricultural yield during dry spells.

Reviewing departmental targets, Raja Kumari instructed officers to complete e-Crop registration for nearly 1.80 lakh acres without delay and ensure precise data entry. 

She directed the team to intensify campaigns on crop insurance, setting a strict enrollment deadline of July 31 for all eligible farmers. She also called for fast-tracking the issuance of Crop Cultivator Rights Cards (CCRCs) to tenant farmers across all mandals. 

Furthermore, the Collector highlighted the large-scale rollout of the Pre-Monsoon Dry Sowing (PMDS) technique to improve soil moisture retention and crop resilience. She instructed field staff to provide technical guidance on organic farming practices, seed pelleting, and selection of short- to long-duration crop varieties. 

Stressing seamless coordination from the village to district level, she asserted that farmers must get timely access to seeds, fertilizers, insurance, and e-crop facilities to withstand adverse weather.

 

Source - https://www.thehansindia.com