Engineers in the irrigation department told District Collector Rupa Roshan Sahoo, during an agricultural meeting held here, that they can provide irrigation facilities to only 79,164 hectares of farm land during the coming kharif season in the district.
Among them, 27,520 hectares of land will avail water from the Rengali Irrigation Project, while 12,768 hectares will get water from the Medium Irrigation Project.
Besides, the Minor Irrigation Project can provide water to 16,564 hectares. The lift irrigation projects will supply water to 7,248 hectares. About 15,064 hectares of land will avail irrigation facility from other water sources.
Deputy director of agriculture laxmidhar Behera said that his department would provide 11,435 quintals of paddy seed, two quintals of maize seed, 38 quintals of mung seed, 62 quintals of back gram seed, 47 quintals of Harad seed and 500 quintals of Dhanicha seed for the Kharif season. He said the Agriculture department has targeted paddy cultivation over 94,840 hectares, cereals over 22,255 hectares, oil seeds over 20,580 hectares and spices and other varieties of food grains over 10,140 hectares of land.
Apart from advising to open maximum number of agriculture service centers in the district, the district Collector emphasised to keep of 7,934MT of chemical fertilizers ready. Besides, she advised the officials to make available organic fertilizers and cow-dung in plenty.
Stressing on co-operative banks and commercial banks to provide Rs16,000 lakh and Rs37,510 lakh agricultural loans respectively to the farmers, the district collector also asked the authorities to provide 90 tractors, 400 power tillers, 40 hydraulic trolleys, 40 threshers, 10 paddy cutting machines, 16 paddy planting machines and 120 mud making machines to the farmers at subsidised rates.
The deputy director of agriculture spoke on the facilities available for farmers under the National Food Security Yojana, the National Krushi Vikash Yojana, the BGREI Yojana and the ATMA Yojana. Among others, the Deputy Director, Horticulture, the Project Director, Watershed Mission, the Project Director, DRDA, the AGM, NABARD, the ADM, Dhenkanal and other district level officials spoke.