Raichur district in Karnataka, despite experiencing deficit rainfall during the pre-monsoon season this year, has witnessed a bustling agricultural scene. Farmers across the vast rain-fed areas are actively preparing their fields for sowing, utilizing the limited precipitation the district has received in recent times.
According to the district administration, Raichur, situated between the Krishna and Tungabhadra rivers, aims to sow crops on 5.41 lakh hectares out of the total cultivable land of 6.02 lakh hectares.
Among the taluks in the district, Sindhanur boasts the highest cultivable land with 1,10,377 hectares, followed by Raichur with 94,875 hectares, Lingsugur with 93,679 hectares, Maski with 87,126 hectares, Manvi with 82,422 hectares, Deodurg with 78,528 hectares, and Sirwar with 55,927 hectares.
Given the district's ideal black soil for cotton cultivation, the priority lies in sowing paddy on 1,70,383 hectares and cotton on 1,53,096 hectares.
The major paddy-growing areas include Sindhanur with 57,000 hectares, Deodurg with 30,000 hectares, Maski with 27,775 hectares, Manvi with 24,500 hectares, and Raichur with 15,590 hectares. These areas benefit from irrigation provided by the Tungabhadra Left Bank Canal (TLBC).
In terms of cotton cultivation, Deodurg taluk takes the lead with 56,698 hectares, followed by Raichur with 51,870 hectares, Manvi with 21,248 hectares, and Maski with 7,271 hectares.
Deputy Commissioner Chandrashekhar Naik assured that the district has ample stocks of sowing seeds and fertilizers to support agricultural activities.
He warned that strict legal action would be taken against those involved in selling seeds and fertilizers at inflated prices, as well as against those distributing counterfeit products.
