Copious rains over the last few days in several parts of Telangana have revived hopes for the kharif season, according to The Hindu BusinessLine. The newspaper reported that until last week, 23 of the state's 33 districts were in the "deficit" bracket, prompting the state government to release a comprehensive Action Plan to salvage the situation by promoting pulses and millets in a big way.
Rainfall improves crop prospects
Extensive rains across the state over the last few days have revived farmers' hopes, businessline reported.
"We are better off than we were last week. Reports suggest that farmers in several districts are in a safe zone now," Jaipal, a farmer from Mahaboobabad district, told businessline.
Prabhakar Vuppala, a farmer from Nizamabad, added: "Late rains over the last few days do help, particularly for paddy farmers."
Government cautions against paddy
Citing reports, Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao said a few days ago that the adverse impact of El Niño would continue into August as well and advised farmers not to undertake paddy cultivation. He directed officials to keep sufficient seed ready to help farmers adopt alternatives. Citing weathermen, he had indicated that El Niño could cast its shadow even on the rabi season.
The state government, however, remains wary and still believes paddy is not a good idea. It estimates that the overall sowing area may fall by 20-25 per cent this kharif compared with the area sown in the last kharif.
"That several farmers had to go for second sowing shows how precarious the situation is. We are advising farmers, even those with borewell support, not to go for paddy this season," a government source said.
Sowing area data as of July 29
According to the figures available as of July 29, paddy sowings declined. As against approximately 8.9 lakh hectares as on date last year, paddy was sown in approximately 8.28 lakh hectares. Maize was sown in approximately 1.90 lakh hectares, against approximately 2.19 lakh hectares, and redgram in 1.79 lakh hectares against 1.75 lakh hectares in the last kharif. Cotton, however, reported higher sowings with 18.62 lakh hectares against 17.40 lakh hectares as on date last year.
| Crop | Sown area as of July 29 (lakh hectares) | Sown area on same date last year (lakh hectares) | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paddy | 8.28 | 8.90 | Declined |
| Maize | 1.90 | 2.19 | Declined |
| Redgram | 1.79 | 1.75 | Up |
| Cotton | 18.62 | 17.40 | Up |
Kharif outlook
The state government's estimate points to a 20-25 per cent fall in overall sowing area this kharif, even as the late rains have improved the near-term crop situation. businessline reported that the government continues to advise farmers against paddy, including those with borewell support. The sowing figures as of July 29 — with cotton up at 18.62 lakh hectares and paddy down at 8.28 lakh hectares — provide specific data points for commodity traders tracking Indian kharif output, particularly for cotton, pulses and coarse cereals.
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