Prakasam farmers a worried lot as monsoon plays truant in early phase

While the entire State experienced good rainfall, Prakasam saw 21% deficit

Farmers in Prakasam district are keeping their fingers crossed as the southwest monsoon failed to bring enough rains to start cultivation even for the dry crops in the early phase of the rainy season. Farmers in Prakasam district are keeping their fingers crossed as the southwest monsoon failed to bring enough rains to start cultivation, even for the dry crops, in the early phase of the rainy season.

The entire State, except Prakasam district, had experienced good rainfall giving an impetus to crop cultivation during kharif season. However, Prakasam district experienced a 21% deficit rainfall up to the first fortnight of July as 13 rainy days in 1-1/2 month brought only 80.40 mm of precipitation as against the normal 101.9 mm.

The shortfall was 13.3% in June and 31.4% in the first fortnight of July, according to a report compiled by the agriculture department.

As a result, the crop coverage was only 10% of the normal extent of over 1.71 lakh hectares during kharif so far, according to Agriculture Joint Director S. Srinivasa Rao.

Farmers, who used to grow red gram in 85,000 hectares every year, have sown the pulse crop in only about 500 hectares so far. The chilli growers in the district, where rampant pest infestation wreaked havoc during last year, had not started cultivation of the spice crop yet. Taking advantage of the light showers, the farmers have taken up cultivation of sesamum in more than 2,800 hectares, a 120% increase in crop coverage as against the normal extent. Sunflower crop coverage was 98% of the normal sown area of 109 hectares, he said.

Samyuktha Kisan Morcha Prakasam district convenor Ch. Ranga Rao urged farmers not to lose heart as the shortfall in showers could be expected to be made good in the next two months. The sowings could be expected to pick up even with a minimum of 90 to 100 mm of rainfall, he said.

Meanwhile, the fast filling of Srisailam reservoir brought hope among farmers in the district coming under Nagarjunasagar Right Bank canal and Krishna Western delta ayacuts, where over 80,000 hectares of paddy used to be raised from August.