With favourable seasonal conditions on their side in spite of the COVID-19 pandemic impact on sourcing inputs, the farming community of Telangana is set to reap a rich harvest this Vanakalam (Kharif) season as officials of the planning department have estimated the crop production of about 179.4 lakh tonnes including nearly 98 lakh tonnes for food crops.
According to the first advance estimates of crop production prepared by the Bureau of Economics and Statistics (BES) for the first crop season of 2020-21 agricultural year, the production of all major food crops, except that of maize which is cultivated on lesser extent compared to previous years on the advice of the State government, such as paddy, red gram, soya bean and jowar is expected to go up considerably this season.
Record jump
Among the non-food crops, the production of cotton is expected to see a record jump although the difference in the extent of cultivation is only about 6 lakh acres higher this year at about 60.22 lakh acres against nearly 54.46 lakh acres last year. The planning authorities have estimated the production of cotton at 99.53 lakh bales of 170 kg each against the production of nearly 60 lakh bales last year. It is expected to cross one crore bales given the fact that the fibre crop has been cultivated in 60.22 lakh acres extent against 59.58 lakh acres taken into consideration by the officials while estimating the production.
“Production of paddy, which is estimated at 125.46 lakh tonnes from 50.19 lakh acres is expected to cross that threshold too as the actual extent has been over 52.56 lakh acres against the extent taken into consideration by the planning authorities,” a senior official of the Agriculture Department said that total production of food crops could very well cross one-crore tonnes.
Similarly, the production of red gram is estimated at about 8.44 lakh tonnes from the cultivation of the crop in 10.55 lakh acres. Last year, the production was only about 1.9 lakh tonnes from over 7.38 lakh acres of cultivation. This season, the crop is cultivated in nearly 10.77 lakh acres against 10.55 lakh acres taken into count by the BES officials while preparing the advance estimates of production.
Another major food crop soya bean is expected to give a production of 3.42 lakh tonnes from 3.95 lakh acres of cultivation. The final extent of the crop, however, is nearly 4 lakh acres this season. Its production was 2.74 lakh tonnes from nearly 4.27 lakh acres of cultivation during the last Kharif season.
The BES officials have also estimated the production of jowar at 53,000 tonnes, black gram 21,000 tonnes, green gram 22,000 tonnes, maize 4.7 lakh tonnes, groundnut 41,000 tonnes, sugarcane 15.78 lakh tonnes, turmeric 2.54 lakh tonnes, chilli 4.1 lakh tonnes and onion 38,000 tonnes.
