Thanks to favourable weather conditions in parts of Krishna district in December, paddy farmers could successfully complete harvesting operations in time.
In the last three kharif seasons, which witnessed huge damage to standing crops or drought-like situations, Krishna district produced a record 14 lakh metric tonnes of paddy in 2014-15. “Paddy harvesting is almost over across the district. Moreover, the production this year was above 13 lakh metric tonnes,” Agriculture Department Joint Director V. Narasimhulu said.
Since Cyclone Hudhud did not impact crops during Kharif, a bumper paddy yield was recorded in the total sown area of more than 2.52 lakh hectares, largely in eastern Krishna, a deltaic land.
Crop-cuttingwas completed by the end of December, as migrant agriculture workforce from northern AP districts joined farm operations in Krishna, while big farmers relied on harvesters.
“Weather conditions play a crucial role in good production. We are lucky that Cyclone Hudhud has spared paddy fields,” said some farmers who turned up at the government-run paddy purchasing centres.
