Agriculture

1. Land use Statistics:

Geographical area –                  14,05,325 acres
Forest land –                                 4,02,822 acres
Non-Agriculture land –               1,41,025 acres
Land suitable for Agriculture – 8,61,478 acres

2. District Profile:

ADA Divisions – 4
Mandals – 20
AEO Clusters – 143

3. Soils:

The district is characterized by Red & Sandy soils (low water retention capacity) which are not suitable for cultivation of rainfed crops. Farmers cultivate Cotton, Red gram, castor, Maize, Groundnut in these soils during kharif season which require less water for production.
Red sand soils – 62 %
Sandy loams – 29%
Black Cotton soils – 9%

4. Area Sown Particulars:

5. Fertilizers:

The departmental officers (ADAs & MAOs) will ensure timely supply of fertilizers to farmers through cooperative societies and private dealers. Month wise requirement of fertilizers will be communicated to the Commissioner Agriculture who in turn will allot the same to the districts through TS MARKFED.

6. Soil Health Card :

Pilot Project Scheme: The main objective of the scheme is to apply soil health card report-based fertilizers which reduces cost of cultivation and also improves soil quality. Under this scheme, a village will be selected from each Mandal and soil samples will be drawn from fields of all farmers of the village. During 2020-21, a total of 6,372 soil samples were drawn in the district and soil health cards were distributed to all these farmers.

7. Quality Control:

Mandal Agriculture Officers will draw samples of Seed, Fertilizer and Pesticide from concerned input dealers and send it to the allotted testing laboratories. The labs will send the reports and action as per concerned Acts/Orders will be initiated if the samples fail to adhere to prescribed quality standards. This ensures supply of quality inputs to farmers.

8. Rythu Bandhu:

Under this scheme, assistance of Rs.5000/acre/season will be given to farmer for purchase of seed, fertilizer, pesticides and for other expenditure towards crop cultivation.
Kharif 2019:
Total farmers –         2,48,486 farmers – Rs. 358.69 Crores
Updated by AEOs – 2,36,362 farmers – Rs. 348.91 Crores
DBT Success –          2,26,965 farmers –  Rs. 299.70 Crores
Rabi 2019:
Total farmers –         2,30,114 farmers – Rs. 326.73 Crores
Updated by AEOs – 2,30,395 farmers – Rs.326.69 Crores
Sent to treasury –     1,90,308 farmers – Rs. 225.81 Crores
Kharif 2019:
Total farmers –         2,62,281 farmers – Rs. 365.34 Crores
Updated by AEOs – 2,52,105 farmers – Rs.357.38 Crores
DBT Success –          2,51,995 farmers – Rs. 357.27 Crores

9. Rythu Bima:

Under this scheme, all pattadar farmers aged between 18-59 years will be insured for an amount of Rs.5,00,000/- by LIC. The entire premium portion will be paid by state government (on behalf of farmers) to LIC. The nominee registered by farmer will get an amount of Rs.5,00,000/- in case of death of insured farmer.

Eligible farmers –                                            1,63,011 farmers
Total claims received till date –                    193
Claims settled by LIC –                                   140
Amount settled (Rs.5 lakh per nominee) – Rs.7 crores
Claims pending with LIC/C&DA –                  53

10. PM-KISAN Scheme:

Each eligible farm family will receive an amount of Rs.6000/- every year in three installments of Rs.2000/-.

Total families in the district –                                        1,84,966 families
Uploaded to PM-KISAN portal (Eligible families) – 1,65,815 families
DBT Success families (Amount credited) –                 1,46,881 families

11. Crop Sown Entry (Crop booking):

Agriculture Extension officers (AEOs) will visit each and every farmer field and collect the survey number, source, variety wise crops sown by the farmer. The data will be entered in Crop Sown Entry module of Rythu Bandhu portal. The data will be collected during both Kharif (Vanakalam) & Rabi (Yasangi) seasons

12. National Food Security Mission (NFSM):

The main objective of the scheme is to increase production of Rice, Pulses, Coarse Cereals, Nutri cereals, Cotton crops through area expansion & productivity enhancement. In this scheme, inputs like Bioagents, Biofertilizers, Zinc Sulphate, Plant protection chemicals will be supplied on subsidy to farmers to decreases cost of cultivation (indirectly increases income) and also to encourage to take up cultivation of those crops.