The advance storage of seeds and fertilisers for the Kharif year 2013-14 is already underway in the kabirdham district with the farmers lifting the same without payment of any interest keeping in view their convenience and facilities to be made available to them, an official statement said here on Friday.
The advance lifting of seeds and fertilisers was commenced on February 1, 2013 itself keeping in view their need for farming activities.
The State Government had also decided not to charge any interest payable on the seeds and fertilisers lifted in advance by farmers between February 1 to May 31. As a result, there would be no interest payble by the agricultural committees during the aforesaid dates for advance storage of seeds and fertilisers.
An crucial meeting related to Agricultural Exchange Storage was held by the District Collector S Prakash here on Friday at the District Collectorate .
During the meeting, Prakash directed storage of 36,580 metric tonnes of key fertilizers such as Urea, Super Phospahte, DAP, Potash and NPK while keeping in view the needs and convenience of farmers at Kawardha, Pandaria, Sahaspur, lohara and Bodla Development Block. He asked officials to even carry out storage of certified soyabean and paddy seeds. The primary demand for seeds and fertilisers go up and if the agricultural committees had not carried out sufficient storage of the seeds and fertilisers in advance it creates difficulties for the farmers.
Prakash directed officials to motivate the farmers for advance lifting of fertilisers and seeds while also stating to publicise the scheme of interest-free advance lifting of seeds and fertilisers by the farmers by May 31 this year.
He directed the officials of the Agriculture Department to encourage the members of ‘Baiga’ community to take to farming for their financial upliftment.
The Collector directed that the members of Baiga community holding the forest right letters in Bodla and Pandaria Development Block be provided all benefits of schemes of the State Government in the area of Agriculture.
Present in the meeting were Deputy Director , Agriculture, Banjara, District Nodal Officer, District Co-operative Central Bank, Kawardha, Pandria, In-charge District Food Officer, Deputy Registrar Co-operative institutions and District Marketing Officer.