Andhra Pradesh - Visakhapatnam   

Rain spurs farm operations in Vizag

Photo: K. R. Deepak

Nursing hopes: A farmer ploughs his field after good rain in the agency area of Visakhapatnam district.

VISAKHAPATNAM: With monsoon activity picking up and widespread rain, agricultural operations in the district have picked up momentum. This gives a boost to kharif paddy operations that have begun all over the district.

Of the 139 mm normal rain for July, the first four days experienced a rain fall of 21 mm, according to officials. In June the district had deficit rainfall. Against the normal of 128 mm, it received 91 mm, about 29 per cent less. But it is considered all right as late sowing of paddy is the practice in north coastal districts.

Of the 2.32 lakh hectares of normal area in kharif, paddy is taken up in 95,000 ha. Of it about 40,000 ha is in the agency. So far on 6,000 ha, including 4,000 ha in the agency area, paddy is sown by broadcasting. To cover the remaining extent, nurseries are being sown spurred by the rain. The agency area, however, is ahead and nurseries are already sown. All over the district hectic activity is going on and it is expected that by July 15 sowing of nurseries will be completed, says an official of the Agricultural Department. The department is supplying 20,436 quintals of seed worth Rs.3.06 crores to farmers at a subsidised price. Kharif paddy yield last season was affected as the crop was deprived of rain when it panicles.

Against a normal area of 41,156 ha, sugarcane is being raised on 33,000 ha this season. The other dry crops like groundnut, jowar, bajra, ragi, pulses, groundnut and other oilseeds are sown on about 1.1 lakh acres. They are likely to be completed in the next few days owing to the continuing wet spell.

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