Experts from Acharya NG Ranga Agricultural University (ANGRAU) expressed concern over the less-than-normal average rainfall received thus far that resulted in relatively low sowing activity in the current kharif across Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. However, they expect sowing activity to pick up now, with good rain in the last 36 hours.
After inaugurating the three-day AGRITEX 2014 on Monday, Vice-Chancellor Alluri Padmaraju, directors D. Raji Reddy (Extension) and K. Raja Reddy (Research) in the varsity said that farmers still had time till July 15 to sow cotton and paddy, crops that were commonly grown across Telangana alone. Speaking to presspersons, the Vice-Chancellor said a lot of research and development was done at ANGRAU and coupled with collaborative work with experts from Israel and other agencies.
Asked about what would happen if rains were low even after July 15, Mr. Raji Reddy said that farmers could adopt castor, red gram and sunflower with better management practices like closed spacing technique. Mr. Padmaraju and the Consul for Trade & Economic Affairs, Head of Trade Section, Consulate General of the State of Israel, Avi Friedman, went around the stalls.
