Suicides, drought, natural calamities, slump in market...Nothing can deter the determination of farmers in Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh.

Despite facing major setbacks during the past few years, farmers here have increased the area under cultivation for various crops in 2006-07 crop year.

Though the normal acreage for over 30 crops, including foodgrains, cash crops and horticulture, is 7,85,141 hectares (ha), they grew crops in 8,26,998 ha, an increase of 41,857 ha in kharif (first crop) and rabi (second crop) of 2006-07.

The farmers had also raised crops in 8,07,779 ha in 2005-06, an increase of 22,658 ha compared with the normal crop area.

Official efforts to reduce paddy cultivation seemed to have not met with much success as farmers grew paddy in 60,461 ha more to 3,17,716 ha in 2006-07 and 3,16,66 ha in 2005-06 against normal paddy acreage of 2,56,255 ha.

However, the state government campaign persuaded farmers to cultivate maize on a large-scale in 33,258 ha compared with the normal crop area of 18,051 ha. The trend started in 2005-06 itself when they cultivated maize in 25,456 ha.

Farmers gave a mixed performance in pulses cultivation. They increased acreage of rabi (second) pulses from 1,30,415 ha (normal crop area) to 1,33,656 ha, an increase of 3,241 ha. Compared with 2005-06 rabi pulses, it was 23,685 ha more. The acreage for blackgram and bengalgram increased from 1,12,602 ha and 7,973 ha to 1,16,588 ha and 11,902 ha respectively.