Near normal monsoon gives impetus to farm operations in Prakasam

Crop coverage went up to 47% of the normal cropped area of 4.24 lakh acres, says report

Farmers have geared up to complete the kharif sowing operations across Prakasam district in the next 30 days, thanks to the near normal rainfall in the first three months of the southwest monsoon season.

Coupled with this, floods in the Krishna river have brought cheer to the farmers who have been eagerly preparing for the sowing of paddy and other crops in a big way in the district, where kharif and rabi cropping seasons overlap, especially when rains arrive late.

Thanks to the intermittent precipitation, the district recorded 211.2 mm rainfall as against the normal of 224.6 mm up to August-end giving impetus to the farm operations. As a result, crop coverage went up to 47% of the normal cropped area of 4.24 lakh acres, according to a report compiled by the Agriculture Department.

''The situation is conducive for improving the crop coverage to the targeted extent of 1.71 lakh hectares during the kharif,'' Agriculture Joint Director S. Srinivasa Rao told The Hindu.

A north-south trough running from East Vidarbha to South Coastal Andhra Pradesh in lower tropospheric level will bring more rain in the next 48 hours, according to a weather bulletin issued by the Indian Meteorological Department.

A majority of the farmers showed interest in growing oil seeds and cotton during this kharif. The extent of oil seed crops stood at 7,149 hectares, accounting for 133% of the normal cropped area, while cotton in 31,951 hectares accounted for 108% crop coverage. Pulses were sown only in 34% of the normal acreage of 89,613 hectares so far, according to a seasonal condition report released by the department.

The coverage of red gram, the principal pulse crop in the area, was only 29,000 hectares till now as against the normal acreage of 85,000 hectares. Farmers were not interested to grow chilli this year after the rampant pest attack last year. The spice crop coverage dipped to a mere 2,906 hectares as against the normal of 17,435 hectares.