Officials of the agriculture and allied departments and farmers in Chittoor district are in a jubilant mood as the rains in June and July have come as a big relief to them, setting a record after one and half decades.
Of the 65 mandals, excluding the non-agriculture Tirupati Urban mandal, 63 mandals recorded excess rainfall, with only two mandals recording normal rainfall in both June and July. Officials of the Agriculture Department termed the scenario as “the right rainfall at the right season”, which has rejuvenated the spirit of farmers across the district, with the sowing target set at more than 100%, covering predominant crops of groundnut, sugarcane and paddy.
For the past decade, the district has been cultivating 1.6 lakh hectares during the kharif season for regular crops. However, the rain in early June encouraged the farmers amidst hopes of further spells, leading to sudden spike in the acreage, taking it to more than 2 lakh hectares by mid-July. By the next one week, agricultural operations might see an addition of another 10,000 hectares.
First time
Joint Director (Agriculture) N. Vijay Kumar said that for the first time in “many years”, the district witnessed excess rainfall in June and July. “Generally, the district used to get a small spell in early June and later the rains would evade the fields. But, this year, it is a record. As of July 25, the recorded rainfall is 183% this month. Even if we don’t get rains in August, groundnut and other prime crops would sustain till their harvest in October-November,” he said.
This occurrence would directly or indirectly cheer about 6.67 lakh farmers in the district. The department was expecting rich yields with these timely rains, Mr. Kumar said.
The official said that after several years, paddy cultivation received a fillip in the eastern mandals of Srikalahasti, Thottambedu, B.N. Kandriga, KVB Puram and Satyavedu, and the acreage was expected to touch 20,000 hectares. The sugarcane crop was also looking very hopeful this season, he said.
Inflows
Meanwhile, the constant rains every alternate day in July had resulted in good inflows into the village ponds and minor tanks, and the a number of streams and rivulets. The NTR Jalasayam in Chittoor had been receiving steady inflows since early July. The farmers of the villages at the foot of the Seshachalam hills in Piler division are a happy lot with many streams overflowing and the small tanks brimming with rain water.
