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AGRICULTURE AND IRRIGATION
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SEED SUPPLY
The adoption of appropriate varieties or strains of crops
suitable for the tract is an important factor that contributes to
improving food production. Very often the agriculturists pick up selected earheads from healthy and vigorous plants at the
time of harvesting and preserve them till the next sowing season. Nowadays, however, under the Grow More Food campaign, the State Government has given more emphasis to evolving high yielding strains of various crops. Accordingly research stations as well as the seed farms have been established at numerous places. The Seed and Demonstration Farm at Sindewahi in Brahmapuri tahsil, for example, is carrying out experiments on the paddy crop. This centre commands an area of 85.923 hectares (212.32 acres). Besides, there are nine seed farms which provide improved seeds to farmers. The combined area of these farms is 244.572 hectares (604.35 acres). These farms mainly multiply improved seeds of jowar, paddy and wheat. The improved seeds of pulses like tur and gram, and cotton and sesamum are also evolved. These improved seeds are distributed to the farmers through the Zilla Parishad and the Panchayat Samitis. In order to increase the supply of the improved seeds, the system usually followed is that the nucleus seed obtained from the Government farms is multiplied at the farms of registered seed growers. The seed is then purchased by the Agriculture department and then distributed to the farmers in the district.
In addition, various schemes such as (i) multiplication and distribution of improved seeds, establishment of a seed village scheme, and (ii) a scheme for hybrid seed production programme are also implemented in the district to increase the supply of improved seeds.
Under the first scheme an entire village is selected for multiplying the improved seeds. Accordingly in 1965 one village was selected from the whole of the Chandrapur district. The number of such villages increased to 33 during 1966-67. Nowadays every Panchayat Samiti has about four to five such villages from which seed supply is procured. A special staff which consists of an agricultural assistant per seed village and one agriculture officer for every three Panchayat Samitis is appointed to execute the scheme.
Another scheme for hybrid seed production was launched in the district in 1966. One hybrid seed production officer and one agricultural officer have been appointed to implement the scheme in the district. In 1966-67 the district was excluded from the hybrid seed production programme. In the following year, however, the Government has permitted the Agriculture department to take up the hybrid seed production programme in the district. Accordingly 230 quintals of hybrid jowar and 70 quintals of hybrid maize were supplied by Agriculture department.
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