Bumper paddy harvest expected

D Surya / TNN / Dec 12, 2005, 03:10 IST

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It is estimated that 9.64 lakh tonnes out of the total production would be available for sale in the open market.

MACHILIPATNAM: A 55-year-old Balaramaiah of Turakaturupalem village on the Vijayawada-Machilipatnam highway was busy overseeing the harvesting operation in his 3-acre paddy field.
The operation was progressing at a brisk pace but there was a hint of apprehension in his eyes as the threat of cyclonic storm 'Fanoos' loomed large.
By that afternoon, reports indicated that the cyclone threat had subsided and there was a glow again on his face."Had it rained under the cyclone's impact, I would have lost everything. Thank God, my crop is saved," he remarked.
Paddy harvest is progressing at a brisk pace in Krishna district. Already 30 per cent of the process has been completed in 2.5 lakh hectares where paddy was grown this kharif season.

It could be a bumper harvest this year, thanks to the availability of water in time. "The yield is expected to be around 6.1 tonne per hectare," Balaramaiah said.
Initially, there were fears of a fall in harvest because of the flood in August and September that affected the crop in about 17 per cent of the total cultivated land.
While the agriculture department fixed a target of 9.6 lakh tonnes this kharif, paddy production in Krishna district is expected to touch 14.25 lakh tonnes, according to agriculture joint-director S Jagadeeswara Reddy.

Paddy crop that was in the tilling stage got marooned in about 8,000 hectares due to the flood in August. But that did not affect much as the crop soon recovered. The flood in September, however, damaged paddy in over 39,000 hectares, the official told The Times of India.
It is estimated that 9.64 lakh tonnes out of the total production would be available for sale in the open market with the government agencies alone set to procure about 6 lakh tonnes of paddy.
As per the information provided by market committees, the grade-A variety of paddy is currently fetching Rs 950 per quintal while the common variety and grade-B are commanding a price of Rs 650 to Rs 670 per quintal.
These prices are way above the minimum support price fixed by the government (Rs 600 for grade-A and Rs 570 for common variety).
Going by the current market trend, paddy business in Krishna district alone is expected to be around Rs 1,000 crore this kharif season. Farmers are obviously smiling their way to the banks as they never got such a good price in the last three to four seasons.

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