Simulia: Thousands of farmers in Simulia area of Balasore district now face a queer situation. At a time when their agricultural activities of the season have advanced and they have already transplanted saplings, the agriculture officials are now supplying paddy seeds to farmers, a report said.
Karunakar Behera, a farmer of Sana Maitapur, was recently spotted carrying packets of paddy seeds on his bicycle.
He lamented that the agriculture department should have provided seeds to them much earlier. “Seeds supply has been inordinately delayed. We have to purchase out of compulsion,” Behera said.
Similar was the statement made by another farmer from Jhatia area, Rajesh Mallick. He said seeds, which should have been supplied to them much before tilling, are now made available to them.
According to reports, Similua block has 16,710 hectares of land under cultivation. While 16,300 hectares are meant for paddy cultivation the remaining land is for cultivation of vegetable and non-paddy crops.
This kharif season, sowing and transplantation of paddy saplings have already been carried out in 16,120 hectares while transplantation work is going on in 180 hectares.
Now, the government has launched a programme to encourage famers to eschew traditional sowing and random transplantation method and adopt row-transplantation of paddy saplings.
About 400 hectares of land in four panchayats have been chosen under this programme on an experimental basis.
About 50 hectares were earmarked in Majhikhandi and Rampur in Khirakona panchayat for row-paddy transplantation; 50 hectares in Pantu and Bauripada; 150 hectares in Rampur, Manaspada and Ramchandrapur in Kanheibindha panchayat; and 150 hectares in Bangalpur, Hatamaitapur and Maitapur.
Under the programme, farmers are supposed to be provided with paddy seed varieties like Swarna Sub-1, Rani and Pratikhya, apart from provision of bio-fertilizer and non-toxic chemicals. Each famer is provided `500 as subsidy per acre.
Famers have transplanted paddy saplings much earlier with their own efforts. Strangely, agriculture officials seem to have woken up now and are supplying seeds to farmers, who actually do not need them now.
Besides, it is alleged village level workers have obtained the signatures of beneficiary farmers earlier as a proof of having provided seeds, but in reality seeds are provided now.
Assistant agriculture officer Saroj Giri evaded the question on delay in seeds supply, but spoke about the benefits of row-transplantation of paddy saplings.
District agriculture officer Gurendranath Singh also evaded the question, saying he was busy in video-conferencing. PNN