Agri officials expect bumper yield in kharif

Sowing of ID crops falls drastically

Sowing of irrigated dry crops in non-command area and tail-end lands is not as expected, and paddy transplantation has just picked up, but agriculture department officials are expecting a bumper yield during ‘yasangi’ (kharif) this year.

As against the total expected area of 1.60 lakh hectares for the cultivation in the season, all kinds of crops put together were sown only in 70,000 hectares till date in the district.

Administrative machinery has done an extensive campaign to convince farming community to sow ID crops. Notwithstanding, maize was sowed only in 5,000 hectares as against 12,000 hectares and sunflower in just 1,000 hectares against 6,000 hectares. Bengal gram and safflower were sown in less than half of the area expected.

Bengal gram, safflower and other miscellaneous pulses were planted in non-command areas where the residual moisture was present and they would have ample growth due to the winter dew even though there is no rainfall. Against the popular belief that paddy seedlings did not grow under the impact of severe winter, the agriculture officials said the winter has not impacted it.

According to Md. Wajid Hussain, Deputy Director, Agriculture and in-charge District Agriculture Officer, when the temperature goes down below 10 degree Celsius it would affect the growth. However, in the district this season it has never gone below 11 degree Celsius. As against the 2.50 lakh acres, paddy was transplanted in 1.40 lakh acres till now and by the end of the month transplantation would be over, they said.

Reports reveal that sowing of pulses had drastically fallen in Bodhan, Navipet, Renjal, Yedapally, Armoor, Jakranpally and Armoor mandals.

The offcials expected that pulses would be sown in in over 1,000 hectares, but figures show that they were grown only in half of the said area.

A majority farmers are inclined to transplant paddy as there is plenty of water in Nizam Sagar Project, SRSP, Ali Sagar, Gutpa and other LI schemes followed by 24-hour uninterrupted power supply to 1.46 lakh agriculture pump sets.

However, the fast depletion of ground water levels is causing a serious concern.