The state Agriculture Department was caught off guard when the drought struck. And now that the state has received extensive rain over the last three days, the department has failed the farmers once again.

The rain has made the conditions ideal for sowing the late kharif crops. But the seed grains that were to be distributed to farmers as a drought-relief measure, will not reach them in time.

The grains were to be distributed as mini-kits, each containing two to three kg seeds of the late-sowing and low-water intensity crops — millets, pulses and oilseeds. Besides small and marginal farmers, those who had failed to sow paddy or had their crop damaged due to scanty rainfall, were entitled to these.

As per the original schedule, the seeds for the mini-kits were to be procured by the Agriculture Department by August 14. Now the date has been extended to August 30. The mini-kits will reach the farmers by the third week of September after laboratory tests for germination, purity and physical quality.

“The delay is going to deprive the drought-hit farmers the benefit of the current wet spell and the distribution of mini kits will be of little use to them,” said O P Agnihotri, former state advisor to the National Food Security Mission programme. “The seeds of three pulses, Arhar, Moong and Tur, and two millets like Jwar and Bajra, should be sowed latest by August 30. Only Toria (an oilseed), can be sowed till mid-September, but it has not been included in the mini-kit.”

... contd.