The widespread rainfall in the district in the past few days augurs well for farmers, who have already begun preparing their lands for this season’s kharif crop.
Ishwar Balatkar, Joint Director of Agriculture, said here on Friday that while sowing has begun in parts of Chincholi taluk, farmers in the other taluks have only begun to prepare the land for sowing.
Initially, farmers in Gulbarga will grow green gram and black gram, before going on to sow red gram, a favourite of farmers in the district, as a second crop. In some parts of Chittapur, Gulbarga and Sedam taluks farmers often sow red and green gram simultaneously for a better yield, Mr. Balatkar said. The Agriculture Department’s targeted cultivable area was 5.71 lakh hectares, to meet the foodgrain production target of over 3.18 lakh tonnes.
Segregation
According to Mr. Balatkar, a target of 34,050 ha had been fixed for cultivation of cereals, while pulses would be planted on 4,38,900 ha, the lion’s share of which would be covered by red gram.
The target set for red gram cultivation this season was 3.65 lakh ha, while the target for black gram was 40,000 ha and green gram, 30,000 ha.
Last year, red gram growers got a good yield, thanks to the lack of pest attacks; they also received good prices for their produce. Farmers expect this year’s yield to be the same, or better.
The target fixed for oilseed production was 51,250 ha during kharif season, of which 40,000 ha would be covered by sunflower.
Cotton would be grown on 24,000 ha, and sugarcane on 23,000 ha.
Rainfall
Mr. Balatkar said that of the average rainfall of 122 mm expected in June, the district had received 30.54 mm.
As on June 6, Chincholi taluk received the highest rainfall (59.1 mm), followed by Gulbarga taluk (43.9 mm); Afzalpur (39.3 mm); Aland (32.4 mm); Jewargi (17.4 mm); Chittapur (14.7 mm), and Sedam (6.9 mm), according to the Mr. Balatkar.
