The khariff season had completed July first week, but the agricultural operations are yet to be taken up in the integrated Karimnagar district due to deficit rainfall this season.
Against the normal rainfall of 162.9 mm in the month of June in Karimnagar, the district recorded only 133.7 mm rainfall with a deficit of 29 mm. Incidentally, there were only four rainy days in the month of June. Due to prevailing dry weather conditions, the farmers are yet to take up farming operations.
Following the recent rains, the farmers had tilled the soil and were waiting for further rains to take up sowing operations. However, due to insufficient rains, the cultivation of various crops had come down drastically. Though some farmers had sown cotton and maize, they are a worried lot with scanty rainfall.
In Karimnagar district, against the normal area of cultivation of 50,968 hectares of cotton, this time so far only 27,747 hectares of land was cultivated with cotton. The maize was cultivated in 7,087 hectares against 13,084 hectares. The paddy is at nursery stages only in 2,124 hectares against the normal area of cultivation in 41,118 hectares.
Same is the situation in Jagtial district which is the command of SRSP and availability of groundwater table, the cotton is cultivated in 6,912 hectares against the normal area of cultivation in 12,847 hectares. The maize is cultivated in 22,102 hectares, against 23,22 hectares and the paddy in 11,500 hectares against 41,118 hectares.
In Rajanna-Sircilla district, which is known for cotton cultivation, farmers had so far cultivated in 31,868 hectares against 49,433 hectares, the maize in 951 hectares against 2,576 hectares and paddy in 726 hectares against 21,235 hectares.
In Peddapalli, district, the cotton is cultivated in 1,980 hectares against 44,000 hectares, the paddy in 16,300 hectares and 33,500 hectares and maize in 860 hectares against normal area of 1500 hectares. The farmers are worried lot over deficit rainfall and no inflows into the SRSP and other irrigation projects in the district.
In the meantime, the agriculture officials are alerting the farming community not to cultivate the rain-fed cotton and maize. Instead, the farmers are being urged to cultivate red gram and other pulses. However, there was still time for the cultivation of the paddy in the district, they said.
