Farmers in the drought-prone Prakasam district are in dire straits as the southwest monsoon failed to bring enough precipitation to raise crops during the khariff season.
Low acreage of red gram
The crop coverage was a poor 11% of the normal extent of 2.17 lakh hectares during khariff so far. Farmers could not take advantage of the rising price of red gram as the extent under the crop coverage was a mere 6% at 4,500 hectares, according to a report compiled by the Agricultural Department. Usually, the pulse crop is cultivated in about 80,000 hectares in the rain-fed district.
The dry spell in the early phase of the monsoon season continued in August when it experienced 75% deficit rainfall, taking the overall deficit since June 2023 to 30.5%. The district recorded a rainfall of a mere 146.5 mm as against the normal rainfall of 210.8 mm to date. The rainfall recorded in August up to the 25th was only 16.2 mm as against the normal rainfall of 92 mm, the report said.
“We are hoping against hope for rainfall activity to pick up at least in September to take up cultivation of crops belatedly”Ch.Ranga RaoSamyukta Kisan Morcha Prakasam district convenor
“We are hoping against hope for rainfall activity to pick up at least in September to take up cultivation of crops belatedly,” said Samyukta Kisan Morcha Prakasam district convenor Ch.Ranga Rao.
The extent of land under various foodgrain crops, including millets, was only 7,784 hectares as against the normal 1.09 lakh hectares. Edible oil seeds were raised in 23% of the normal extent of 5,550 hectares.
Paddy cultivation hit
Paddy cultivation under Ongole and Darsi branch canals of the Nagarjunasagar Right Bank canal was taken up only in 500 hectares as against the normal 14,600 hectares. The poor storage of 277.93 tmcft (47.13%) in the Krishna basin reservoirs put paid to their hopes of growing paddy even as prices of rice varieties in the open market went up by ₹5 to ₹8 per kg of late.
Tomato crop no better
Enthusiasm in taking up tomato cultivation waned, with the market price dipping to about ₹40 per kg from a very high ₹200 per kg earlier. The land under this vegetable crop was only 130 hectares as against the normal 670 hectares in the district.
All is not lost as farmers can take up cultivation of dry crops up to September-end if the district witnesses a wet spell in the next fortnight or so, according to Agriculture Joint Director S.Srinivasa Rao.
Khariff and rabi cropping seasons overlap in the district as the farmers make good the shortfall in crop cultivation in khariff during the winter season, he explained. ‘‘The red gram acreage can go up in September if there is a pick up in rainfall activity next month,” he opined. Farmers could also grow green gram, black gram and cowpea as alternative crops, he added.
