This week’s rains may have brought some cheer, but there can be little improvement in the overall agricultural scenario in Prakasam district unless inflows increase into the Nagarjunasagar project. However, with inflows being near zero so far, farmers may have to forgo paddy altogether this season.
In the Krishna Western Delta, (KWD) they have no option but to go in for a crop holiday if inflows from catchment areas in Karnataka and Maharashtra do not improve.
This has so far been the worst-ever water year for Prakasam, say farmers in Karamchedu. However, they have not lost hope altogether because the Krishna river reservoirs have received copious inflows in September in the past. In just three days in October 2009, farmers remember, the reservoirs received no less than 25 lakh cusecs.
But that’s all in the realm of hope. For now, farmers are worried. Sharing the farmers’ concern, TDP farmers wing leader Jagarlamudi Anil Babu says, ''Farmers in KWD have no option but to wait for inflows into Srisailam and Nagarjunasagar this month.''
Andhra Pradesh Kaulu Rythula Sangham general secretary N. Ranga Rao says tenant farmers have been the worst-hit in Prakasam district. ''They paid advance rents of Rs 25,000 and are in deep trouble now.''
Before the rains of the last two days, peasants were able to raise seedlings only in 3 per cent of the normal paddy area of over 39,000 hectares during kharif, agriculture joint director J. Muralikrishna said.
In a normal year, farmers in KWD sow paddy in 28,000 hectares and peasants in the NSP command area sow about 75000 hectares. Besides irrigated dry crops are sown in another 1.05 lakh hectares.
Until the latest rains, 24 mandals in Prakasam received normal rainfall and seven others mandals excess. On the distaff side, 24 mandals received deficit rainfall and one mandal scanty rainfall. Farmers in paddy-growing areas could go in for more remunerative cash crops like red gram, chilli and black gram, says G. Ramesh a scientist at the District Agriculture Advisory and Transfer of Technology (DATT) Centre. Enterprising farmers could go in for cultivation of ''aerobic paddy'' under bore-well irrigation, he added.
Before the rains of the last two days, peasants were able to raise seedlings only in 3 per cent of the normal paddy area of over 39,000 hectares during kharif
- J. Muralikrishna,Agriculture joint director
Farmers in KWD have no option but to wait for inflows into Srisailam and Nagarjunasagar this month
- Jagarlamudi Anil Babu,TDP farmers wing leader
