Cultivation of fine variety paddy likely to go up in Karimnagar

By Raghu Pathari

Cultivation of fine variety paddy is likely to go up in the erstwhile Karimnagar district in the present Vanakalam season. Farmers, who used to sow normal variety paddy, are planning to shift to fine variety in the wake of government’s decision to give Rs 500 bonus to fine variety paddy. In this regard, the state government made an announcement in the recent budget.

So, the ryots, who already formed seedlings of normal variety, are contemplating to shift to fine variety by destroying normal variety. As part of its poll promises of six guarantees, the congress party promised to give Rs 500 bonus to paddy if it was voted to power in the state. After coming to power, it changed its voice and assured to give bonus only to a fine variety.

Lack of clarity in the government’s decision, the farming community was in dilemma at the beginning of Vanakalam season. With the recent announcement in the budget, ryots are planning to shift to fine variety since there is a chance to sow some of the fine variety paddy seeds up to August ending. Moreover, the government has also issued orders by identifying 33 paddy varieties as fine varieties. BPT-5204, RNR-15048, HMT Sona, and Jai Sriram are among few varieties which were identified as fine variety paddy.

In every Vanakalam season, paddy is cultivated in 9.50 lakh acres in the erstwhile Karimnagar district. It is estimated that the crop is going to be cultivated in 9.65 lakh acres this time around. 80 percent of the area is usually covered by normal variety and remaining 20 percent fine variety. Last year, a fine variety was cultivated in 87,000 acres. This time around, it is likely to cross 3 lakh acres, agricultural officials estimate.

Though there is huge demand for fine variety rice in the market, farmers usually do not show interest in its cultivation because of various seasons. High investment, less yield and vulnerability for infections by insects are the main reasons. Moreover, it requires high maintenance when compared to normal variety.

Including land tilling, weed removal, spraying pesticides and labour charges, about Rs 30,000 is enough for cultivation of normal variety in an acre land. However, the fine variety requires Rs 35,000. Farmers have to spray pesticides two to three times additionally since it would easily be infected by insects. For this purpose, ryots have to spend Rs 5,000 additional amount than that normal variety which requires pesticides ranging between Rs 3,000 to Rs 3,500.

When 30 to 35 bags of yield would be produced in an acre of field wherein normal variety paddy was sowed, only 30 bags of crop would be produced in fine variety fields. Speaking to Telangana Today, a farmer from Annaram of Manakondur Manda, M Srinivas Reddy said that cultivation of fine variety was more risky. The Rs 500 bonus announced by the state government was not enough since the crop would easily be infected by insects. Moreover, the lower yield would be produced.

In the last Yasangi season, he cultivated Basmati variety paddy in his three acres of land. However, he could not get any benefit as yield declined due to unseasonal rains and insect attack, he said.

This article has been republished from The Telangana Today.