With ample amount of water in the reservoirs, the Agriculture Department has planned for the sowing of paddy in an additional one lakh acres this rabi season.
While paddy is normally sown in 17.25 lakh acres, this season the Department has planned for its sowing in 18.29 lakh acres.
Total acreage of paddy would be in 1,03,784 acres in 13 districts across the State.
Moreover, it is also to make up for the loss caused by paddy pest infestation during kharif. Even as the kharif season comes to an end, the standing crop in 1.86 lakh acres in Krishna, Prakasam, Srikakulam and West Godavari districts was infested with stem borer, leaf borer, rice blast, Brown Plant Hopper, Bacterial Left Blight, Hispa and Leaf Mite.
While paddy sown during Kharif in 36.25 lakh acres was in different stages ranging from the Panicle Initiation state to harvest stage, the rabi paddy was in the nursery and transplantation stage. The Department has planned paddy in over four lakh acres in Nellore, West Godavari and East Godavari districts.
Paddy is going to be sown in 4.5 lakh acres in Nellore district, 4.24 lakh acres in West Godavari and 4.00 lakh acres in East Godavari districts.