Focus on drip irrigation

  • 13/08/2008

  • Deccan Chronicle (Hyderabad)

Visakhapatnam, Aug. 12: The district collector, Mr Sanjay Kumar, asked the agriculture officials to focus on the drip irrigation. Talking to the officials at a review meeting held here on Tuesday, the collector told them to encourage farmers to cultivate cashew, mango and orange through drip irrigation as per the fertility of the land under state government's Indira Prabha scheme. "Beneficiaries among the farmers should be identified and awareness should be created among them about the drip irrigation. Special focus should be given on the Agency areas of the district," said the collector. The horticulture project director, Mr Vaikuntha Rao, said that the department had identified around 8,000 acre of land in the district for drip irrigation. "We have targeted to bring around 1,000 hectare initially into drip irrigation during the first year. We have achieved 225 hectare cultivation. On the same lines 600 hectare were targeted in Agency areas and achieved 268 hectare," said Mr Vaikuntha Rao. He added that they have taken up the drip irrigation project in coordination with the District Water Management Agency (DWMA). The farmers who come forward to cultivate through drip irrigation would be given subsidy through various government agencies and loans through banks., Mr Rao added. The SC corporation executive director, Mr Srinivasan, DWMA, sericulture, horticulture, agriculture, minor irrigation officials took part in the review meeting.