The Department of Agriculture used to offer seeds, inputs and farm machinery at subsidised rates to farmers while organising block-level demonstrations. But, from this year, the subsidies will be directly transferred to the farmers’ bank accounts under Electronic Clearing System (ECS). Personal Assistant to Collector (Agriculture) R. Harivasan and Joint Director of Agriculture N.V. Krishnamurthy said that officials had started informing the farmers in the villages about the new system and advised them to open bank accounts.
As per a Central government directive, the department was required to demonstrate certified seeds of less than 10 years and latest agriculture equipment, seeds and machinery would be purchased from private dealers and make them available to farmers, they said.
Farmers, who raised seed farms, used to receive subsidies in the form of cheques and demand drafts.
The department would demonstrate seeds of paddy and pulses and farm inputs next month, ahead of the northeast monsoon, they said adding the paddy seeds to be displayed included NLR 344449, CO 51, Anna R4 and CO 50.
Farmers had cultivated paddy in about 1.30 lakh hectares in the district and about 80 per cent of them had taken up direct sowing to raise rain-fed crops. The direct subsidy would be available only to targeted beneficiaries, they added.


Source : The Hindu