Mancherial sees 72 per cent deficit rainfall; farmers worried

As per a weather report from the Telangana Planning Development Society, the district registered 87.5 mm of rainfall from June 1 to 18, reflecting an average deficit of 72 percent.

Mancherial: The district saw a deficit of rainfall by over 70 percent in June as against the normal rainfall, worrying farmers.

As per a weather report from the Telangana Planning Development Society, the district registered 87.5 mm of rainfall from June 1 to 18, reflecting an average deficit of 72 percent. While 16 mandals out of the total 18 mandals recorded somewhere between 50 and 80 percent of deficit, Bheemini and Jaipur registered 98 percent of deficit rainfall.

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The severe deficit became a cause for concern for a major chunk of farmers who were waiting for rains by sowing cotton, paddy, red gram, maize, jowar, soya, etc., seeds following the onset of southwest monsoon in the first week of June. They regretted that they might have to buy seeds and sow them again considering the deficit rainfall. They reasoned that the seeds that they sown had not germinated so far.

Meanwhile, the farmers, who did not sow the seeds, were also worried by the prolonged dry spell. They said that they could sow seeds only after seeing bountiful rains. They stated that they readied the farms, bought seeds and were waiting for rains. They said that they were following advice of the agriculture officials who suggested farmers not to sow seeds now.

Officials said that the expected area of cultivation of various crops in the district is 3.42 lakh acres in the ongoing Vanakalam season as against 3.35 lakh acres in 2023. While cotton crop is going to be raised in 1.62 lakh acres, paddy crop would be cultivated in 1.61 lakh acres. Red gram and maize crops account for 1787 and 413 acres respectively. Various other crops were going to be grown in 16,081 acres.

Sufficient seeds, fertilizers and pesticides were already dispatched to mandal centres, officials claimed.