Agriculture information

Vizianagaram District is predominantly an agricultural district as 68.4% of the workers are engaged in Agriculture and about 82% of the population of the District is living in Rural area s and depend on agriculture for their livelihood. Rainfed farming is the characteristic of Agriculture in the District as about 80% of its area is cultivated purely under Rainfed conditions. Even the rest of the area which is termed as irrigated area is mostly dependent on the rainfall received in the District.

In view of the unassured irrigation conditions in the district majority of crops grown are dry crops. The major crops grown in the District are Paddy, Ragi, Bajra, Sugarcane, Pulses, Mestha, Cotton, Maize, Korre Chillies, Seasonal Tobbaco and Groundnut. Paddy crop is cultivated mainly during Kharif season with 80% of its area under tankfed conditions which in turn depend on the local rainfall. The average yields obtained in the district are low due to the erratic rainfall generally received in the district.

Agriculture Department

The Department of Agriculture has been created mainly to provide Agricultural Extension services to farmers and to transfer the latest technical knowledge to the farming community, introduction of high yielding varieties, laying demonstrations, imparting training to farmers to improve skills & knowledge to boost up the agricultural Production and productivity.

In the process of making the mission a reality, the department is adopting following strategies:

• Sustained and coordinated efforts” for facilitating a second green revolution and device strategies for optimum use of natural resources to create new avenues in Agriculture for livelihood and strengthen the rural areas. Government site-specific system to ensure that at least a part of the fallow lands are brought under cultivation by increasing irrigation sources. New seed technology and post harvest technology are need to be addressed.Involvement of marginal and small farmers in crop diversification and food security are the important aspects to be addressed in accelerating crop diversification in the State.
• Credit provides necessary liquidity and insurance provides command over resource to the farming community.
• Provision of banking facilities in un-banked and under banked areas, financial inclusion, SHG bank-linkage programme, financing rural godowns and agricultural Infrastructure are the thrust areas.
• Re-engineering extension approach for effective extension reach
• Empowering the farmer with advance agricultural practices
• Capacity enhancement of Departmental Staff for an efficient extension of technology.
• Ensuring timely input supply.
• Regulation of inputs and quality control.
• Soil test based fertilizer recommendation
• Promotion of self- reliance in seed production among farmers.
• Promotion of Integrated Crop Management through INM, IPM, efficient water management, etc.
• Correcting Micronutrient Zinc deficiency
• Reclamation of Problematic soils to restore the productivity.
• Natural Resource Management through watershed approach for agricultural land development and environmental stability
• Calamity Management in the event of drought, floods, hailstorms etc.
• Promoting cultivation of low risk and low cost intensive crops.
• Promoting Farmers Organization (Rythu Mithra Groups) for technical and monitory benefits in Agriculture and allied activities.
• Facilitate the farmer to avail Agriculture Credit.

The Infrastructure:

The Departments has a strong chain of human resources consisting of more than 4000 extension staff of field and supervisory cadre. The staff is periodically oriented with the advance technology emerging from time to time by re-engineering through trainings, workshops, interactions etc., in addition, the department supports a number of Farmers Training Centers, laboratories, Farmers Field Schools etc., to equip the farmer with necessary deal and knowledge for successful agriculture

Allied Departments

The research support to the Department is endowed by the State Agriculture University and the National and International Institutes. The input support is solicited through various autonomous bodies like APSSDC, APAIDC, APMARKFED, APOILFED, HACA etc., The other eco-coordinating Departments are Horticulture, Sericulture, Fisheries,Animal Husbandry, Irrigation, Forests, Rain ShadowArea Development and Power.Financial support is rendered by NABARD and other Banks, not only to land owning farmers but also to tenant farmers.

Staff Pattern

District level:
At the District level the Department is headed by Joint Director of Agriculture and assisted by DDAs ADAs and AOs at District, Division and Mandal levels.

Agriculture Division level:
The Divisional ADA is the head of the Agriculture division and assisted by the agricultural officers at the mandal level. There are 12 divisions in the District

Mandal Level:
In all the 34 Rural and Urban mandals of the district , atleast one Agriculture Officer is working in each mandal. These AOs are assisted by few Agricultural Extension Officers in the field work.

Schemes

Important Contacts