Sowing of paddy and other crops till date has been tardy in the State, especially in Krishna, Guntur and Prakasam districts which are part of Krishna delta.
Farmers in these areas are waiting for Godavari water lifted from Pattiseema to reach their fields.
While sowing should normally be completed in 2.99 lakh hectares by June 21, it has been done only in 1.73 lakh hectares (58 % of normal), according to data available with the Agriculture Commissionerate.
The decision of the State government to release water early to Godavari delta has paid off with sowing for all the paddy seedbeds being completed in East Godavari district and 80% in West Godavari district.
The sowing of paddy seed beds in the rest of the State is tardy with only 25 % of the required nurseries being taken up till today.
Paddy nurseries have been raised in 18,306 hectares in various districts, according to the commissionerate.
Encouraging start
When it comes to rainfall, an excess (20% or more above normal) has been recorded in Visakhapatnam, East Godavari, West Godavari, Krishna, Guntur, Prakasam, Kadapa and Kurnool districts since the onset of the South-West Monsoon. Normal rainfall has been recorded in Vizianagaram, Nellore, Chittoor and Anantapur districts.
Srikakulam is the only district that has received deficit rainfall.
Though excess or normal rainfall has been recorded in all but one district in the State and Godavari water was released ahead of the season, sowing is tardier than last year and the year before that.
While crop was sown in 2,80,333 hectares till June 21 in 2015, the acreage fell to 2,74,882 hectares in 2016 and 1,74,905 hectares this year.
