Karnataka targets 8.2 mt kharif production

Karnataka has set itself an ambitious target for the kharif crop this year.

Speaking at the launch of the 'Agricultural production campaign for 2005 kharif season' recently, Karnataka agriculture minister K Srinivas Gowda said that the state government has set a target of 82.05 lakh tonne for foodgrains production this kharif season, 6.30 per cent up from last year's output. Kharif crop accounts for 70 per cent of the state's food production.

According to a senior agricultural directorate officer, the government machinery is gearing up with cheap credit, water and other resources to meet this target.

The state agriculture department is targetting 76.60 lakh tonne of cereals as against 71.86 lakh tonne seen in the previous year, an increase of 6.59 per cent.

The state is also looking at a 2.25 per cent hike in pulses production to 5.45 lakh tonne as against 5.33 lakh tonne.

As a step to pep up production this year, the department has set aside Rs 32.24 crore this year to supply seeds.

"The demand for certified seeds this kharif season is estimated to be 5,55,380 quintals. Arrangements have been made to supply 8.60 lakh tonne of fertiliser this season," said H Shashidhar, commissioner, agricultural directorate.

The government is also not taking any chances with weather conditions this year. It is mulling to implement crop insurance scheme, with an outlay of Rs 200 crore, to protect farmers from the effects of drought conditions this season.

The Karnataka government has also provided Rs 200 crore to the market revolving fund and the Centre has been asked to provide the same amount to increase food production in the state.

Agriculture minister Gowda said that in order to realise the target, the administration would also be involved in planning.

"The taluk-level agriculture department officials have been involved to plan schemes with the aim to increase the food production," he said.

This year, the department hopes to see a production of 12.79 lakh tonne (10.46 lakh tonne) of oilseeds to be produced on 16.99 lakh hectares and 5.29 lakh bales (5 lakh bales) of cotton on an area of 2.53 lakh hectares.

On the sugarcane front, the state hopes to have the crop over 2.5 lakh hectares as against 2.20 lakh hectares and 0.78 lakh tonne (0.68 lakh tonne) of tobacco on 9.82 lakh hectares.