The state agriculture department has commenced distributing kharif seeds to over 30 lakh farmers ahead of the monsoon that is likely to arrive in Jharkhand between the second and third week of June.

Considering the host of issues being faced by the farmers' community, already in distress due to the Covid-19 pandemic, state agriculture minister Badal Patralekh said the state government had succeeded in placing advance orders for seeds to enable uninterrupted distribution among farmers on 50 per cent subsidy.

“It is perhaps for the first time that the state agriculture department has started distributing seeds from the last week of May, weeks ahead of the monsoon. Working overtime amid the Covid-19 pandemic, we succeeded in placing orders for 44,000 quintal seeds and about 24,000 quintal has already arrived and out for distribution,” he said on Sunday.

The minister added that the department had rolled out awareness raths (vehicles) almost in every district to publicise the seed distribution drive and various agricultural schemes of the government for the benefit of farmers.

“'Covid-19 has brought several woes for the farmers’ community and the state government is committed to assisting them for timely sowing and better kharif output this year,” he noted.

The minister added that the agriculture department is also alert about preventing black marketing of seeds or fertilizers. “While all the districts have been asked to keep a strict vigil on any such illegal acts, I am also touring different places regularly to take stock of the situation,” he said.

Like last year, Jharkhand is expecting a good paddy season this year too with the Met department predicting timely onset of monsoon in the state. Officials said that the recent spell of rains due to Cyclone Yaas also turned out to be favourable for the agriculture sector as it induced the right amount of moisture in the soil to enable farmers to prepare their land for sowing later this month.

About 18 lakh hectare land is under paddy coverage in the state. “Last year, the coverage of paddy was more than 98 per cent resulting into a bumper harvest of over 40 lakh tonnes. "Considering the timely distribution of seeds, coupled with timely arrival of monsoon, we expect good paddy season this year too,” said another official of the agriculture department.