The severe cold wave that hit the district for the two months had adversely impacted the production of paddy. The officials claim that it may continue for one more week, but confident that the situation would recover once the summer seeps in.
The district had recorded about 8.5 degrees Celsius temperature some days during the season impacting on the growth of nurseries and paddy.
Due to the severe cold the farmers were asked to see that there was no water logging in nurseries during night and cover them with some shade, if possible.
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The district was already suffering drought-like conditions and 40 out of 46 mandals in the district have registered low rainf-all and there was a demand from the farming community to declare entire district as drought-hit in view of the uneven rainfall.
Keeping the tough conditions faced during kharif season, the agriculture officers from the beginning have advised the farmers not to go for commercial crops during rabi and opt for dry crops. Though power is being supplied for six hours currently, the groundwater levels had fallen drastically and it was stated that one has to dig for about 500 feet to get water in the bore-well.
While nursery activity was taken up in about 8,000 hectares, it was estimated that paddy cultivation may be come up in 20,000 hectares. Farmers were opting more for maize and sunflower this season.
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It was estimated that maize cultivation will be taken up in 20,000 hectares from the already existing 10,000 hectares and the cultivation of sunflower will go up to another 10,000 hectares.
Medak logged a temperature of about 8.5 degrees Celsius for a few days in the season, affecting the growth of nurseries and paddy