Kosal Discussion and Development Forum

Special drive to boost moong cultivation in Balangir district

July 18, 2010 at 8:37 am sanjibkarmee Leave a comment

Following report is from The Pioneer:

t’s common to find farmers sowing seeds of various crops in order to meet our food requirements, which ultimately leaves the soil dry and barren.

But the pulse crop, moong or green gram takes care of human beings, animals as well as mother earth. It provides natural proteins and other vital minerals which are easily digested and absorbed. Its parts are also used as cattle feed. Cultivation of this crop improves soil health as its roots contain Rhizobium nodules which fix nitrogen in the soil. Although moong dal is a part of common man’s diet and cultivated in large areas of Balangir district, its productivity has been abysmally low.

According to official sources, cultivation of pulses was taken up in 70,835 hectares in the kharif season in 2008 which rose to 74,733 hectares in 2009. We have planned to cultivate 76,000 hectares during the Kharif season this year, informed an official.

Moong or green gram cultivation was taken up in 36,185 hectares of land in 2008, which rose to 38,750 hectares in 2009. We have planned to cultivate 39,000 hectares during the Kharif season this year, he added. However, even as moong cultivation is taken up in many areas of the district, the production has been quite low. Thanks to less use of fertilizer, cultivation in marginal land and absence of improved practices.

To boost moong production in the district, a special drive under the Accelerated Pulse Production Programme (APPP) has been taken up in 2,000 hectares of Agalpur and Balangir blocks where farmers would be provided with critical inputs besides seeds of improved variety, informed an official. Besides increasing the production, this crop is going to enhance the soil fertility of the cultivated land while providing nutrition items at the doorstep simultaneously, added an official here.

Entry filed under: Agriculture and Irrigation, Balangir, Moong, Region watch.