Ahead of the kharif sowing season, the Vidarbha administration has intensified preparations across the region. Divisional Commissioner Vijayalakshmi Bidari directed district authorities to ensure uninterrupted supply of seeds, fertilisers, and crop loans to farmers while cracking down on black marketing and industrial misuse of urea.
Review Meeting and Sowing Targets
Chairing a regional review meeting on Friday, Bidari stated that kharif sowing is planned over nearly 18.95 lakh hectares across the division. She instructed district collectors to coordinate with agriculture, banking, and cooperative departments to ensure farmers receive agricultural inputs and financial assistance on time. The administration is targeting 100% sowing coverage despite concerns over below-normal rainfall this year.
Rainfall Forecast and Crop Plans
According to officials, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast only 92% rainfall for the region during the monsoon season, raising fears of dry spells during critical crop stages. Bidari stressed the need to promote oilseed cultivation alongside traditional crops like paddy, cotton, soybean, and tur. Paddy cultivation remains dominant in Bhandara, Gondia, Gadchiroli, and Chandrapur, while cotton accounts for the largest share of cropped area across Vidarbha.
Officials informed that soybean cultivation is planned over 2.61 lakh hectares, cotton over 6.8 lakh hectares, and tur over 1.87 lakh hectares this season. The region is expected to require around 2.37 lakh quintals of seeds, with authorities stating that adequate stocks are available through Mahabeej and private suppliers.
Fertiliser Availability and Climate-Resilient Farming
Joint Director of Agriculture Umesh Ghadge said sufficient reserves of urea and DAP fertilisers are available to meet demand during the sowing season. The administration advised farmers to adopt climate-resilient farming methods, including ridge-and-furrow cultivation for cotton, broad-bed furrow (BBF) sowing for soybean, and direct-seeded rice (DSR) and System of Rice Intensification (SRI) techniques for paddy cultivation.
Strict Action Against Misuse
Bidari ordered strict action against fertiliser black marketing and diversion of agricultural urea for industrial use. She directed officials to appoint flying squads at the taluka level and inspect shops and industrial units wherever misuse is suspected.
