The good rain the district has received under the South-West monsoon since August has propelled agricultural activities and the sowing for the kharif season has been completed in 96% of the targeted area.
From January 1 to September 7 this year, the district received 2,162 mm of rain against the normal of 1,907 mm during this period.
The Department of Agriculture had set a target to take up sowing on 1.55 lakh hectares for the kharif season this year and it has been completed on 1.49 lakh hectares so far.
Kiran Kumar M., Joint Director of Department of Agriculture, told The Hindu that paddy has been cultivated on 90,000 hectares; maize on 54,500 hectares, and pulses and oilseeds on the remaining 5,500 hectares. It may be mentioned here that as there was delay in the onset of monsoon in the district this year, farmers in Hosanagar, Sagar, Tirthahalli taluks were initially reluctant to take up cultivation of paddy, a water-intensive crop.
However, with the monsoon becoming active from the first week of August, the work to raise the nurseries of paddy seedlings began.
In command areas of Bhadra, Anjanapura and Ambligolla reservoirs also, the farmers commenced the work from the second week of August.
Mr. Kumar said that the transplantation of paddy seedlings has commenced in these areas now and after its completion, the target of bringing 1.55 lakh hectares under cultivation for kharif season will be fulfilled.
He said that as incessant rain lashed the maize growing areas in Shikaripur, Sorab and Shivamogga taluks during the phase of cob formation in the crop, the farmers can expect good yield this time.
