Kharif Sowing Operations Hit Hard as Delayed Rains Cause a 30% Setback

Telangana's Vanakalam (Kharif) crop season has been hit hard due to the delay in the onset and spread of the monsoon rains. The state has an average rainfall deficit of 52%, and some districts have deficits of up to 78%. This has had a huge impact on Vanakalam crop cultivation compared to last year.

According to the Agriculture department authorities, as of June 28, Vanakalam crops have been cultivated on 14.86 lakh acres, marking a decrease of approximately 28.6% compared to the same period last year when 20.82 lakh acres were covered. This reduction in cultivation area is attributed to the unfavorable weather conditions caused by the delayed monsoon.

Despite concerns among the farming community regarding the limited time for sowing operations, the Director (Research) of Prof. Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University, P. Raghurami Reddy, has assured them that there is still time for sowing various crops. Reddy stated that many crops can be sown until July 15, with cotton, the major crop for this season, having an extended deadline of July 20.

However, farmers are becoming increasingly anxious about the possibility of harvesting short-duration crops such as soybean, green gram, and black gram during the peak monsoon period due to the delayed sowing operations. They believe that delayed sowing negatively impacts crop yield.

Furthermore, the delay in the onset of rains has also affected the raising of paddy nurseries, hindering the state government's plans to advance the Yasangi (rabi) crop season. The government intended to facilitate early harvesting of Vanakalam crops, including paddy, short-duration pulses, maize, and others, to mitigate the damage caused by unseasonal rains to the Yasangi crops.

Agriculture department authorities revealed that only two districts, Adilabad (60%) and Kumaram Bheem Asifabad (57.35%), have managed to cover over 50% of the normal extent for sowing operations as of June 28.

In the remaining 30 rural districts, the maximum extent covered against the normal is merely 20%, with districts like Narayanpet and Warangal leading, while others range from 0.91% to 19.4% of the normal extent.