Rajahmundry, Aug 31st: After facing shortage of water for raising crops due to deficit rainfall in kharif season, farmers are exposed to problem of pests and weeds, following high humidity. Agriculture authorities are taking up a special campaign to create awareness among farmers on how to tackle it in both East and West Godavari districts as both districts registered deficit rainfall for raising paddy, especially in the delta region initially and later in both rain-fed and upland areas.

As raising paddy nurseries and their transplantation was delayed at several places and in upland mandals, the government advised farmers to raise alternative crops by providing specific varieties of seeds at 75 per cent subsidy. But with incessant rainfall in the influence of a low pressure trough in the Bay of Bengal, farmers are facing the problem of pests due to humidity. Framers have already started sowing the seeds for alternative crops like black gram, green gram, red gram, maize and groundnut in over 5,000 hectares.

In order to supply seeds to farmers, agriculture authorities have acquired nearly 6,000 quintals of seeds out of the estimated requirement of about 10,000 quintals and 4,000 quintals of seeds were already given to farmers.