The 73 per cent deficit in rainfall during the North-East Monsoon has hit the sowing of various crops during Rabi. Rainfall of 43.8 mm has been recorded against the normal of 182.9 mm from October 1 to date (November 8).
Only 2 lakh hectares out of the normal of 3.88 lakh hectares have been sown . This is just 8 per cent of the 24.63 lakh hectares and 51 per cent of the normal area sown (3.88 lakh hectares) as on date, according to data provided by the Commissioner of Agriculture.
While sowing in Kurnool district touched 40 per cent of the normal area sown, most of the other 12 districts did not cross the double digit mark. Excepting Visakhapatnam where it touched 24 per cent of normal, it has not begun in East Godavari. The percentage in the other districts is: Srikakulam 0.3 per cent, Nellore 0.5, Krishna 0.6, Kadapa and Chittoor two per cent each, Vizianagaram 3 per cent, West Godavari 4 per cent and Prakasam and Anantapur 5 per cent each.
The status of rainfall with South-West and North-West Monsoons together has been given as deficit for the entire Andhra Pradesh. It is marginally surplus in Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam and Guntur.
When it comes to sowing pattern as per the crops paddy, wheat and Ragi are trailing the other crops. While paddy has been sown in one per cent of the normal area, the sowing of ragi and wheat have not yet begun. Redgram sown in 140 per cent of the normal area is ahead of all other crops. In the oil seeds, Niger Seed is ahead with sowing completed in 70 per cent of the normal area.
Paddy sowing seems tardy because transplantation is under progress in Krishna, Guntur, Prakasam, Nellore, Kurnool, Kadapa, Chittoor and Anantapur districts. Preparation of land for jowar, bajra, maize, redgram, greengram, blackgram, bengalgram, horsegram and groundnut is under way.
