Severe rainfall shortage: Farmers asked to go for short-duration paddy varieties

As deficit rainfall continues to plague the monsoon season, farmers in five districts of the erstwhile Warangal district have been once again asked to go for short-duration paddy varieties.

Warangal: As deficit rainfall continues to plague the monsoon season, farmers in five districts of the erstwhile Warangal district have been once again asked to go for short-duration paddy varieties. The situation has raised concerns among the farming community.

It may be noted here that the government made the decision to advance paddy cultivation in the Yasangi season to mitigate the risk of heavy crop damage caused by untimely rains. Consequently, officials are now advising farmers to cultivate nurseries of short-duration paddy varieties during the Vanakalam season. Notable varieties recommended include Kunaram Sannalu, Kunaram 1638, Bathukamma, Warangal 962, RNR 21278, RNR 29325, Jagtial 1798, Telangana Sona, MTU 1010, Jagtial 24423, IR 64, and HMT Sona.

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According to M Laxminarayana, Assistant Director of Agriculture (ADA) in Mahabubabad, farmers have been strongly encouraged to opt for short-duration paddy crops. These varieties typically mature between 110 to 135 days, whereas longer-duration varieties take around 150 to 170 days.

Kasam Venkanna, a farmer from Narsimhulapet Mandal in the Mahabubabad district, expressed his deep concerns regarding the deficit rainfall. Venkanna has been anxiously awaiting sufficient rainfall for paddy transplantation across his seven-acre farm. He revealed that he has already established a nursery, relying on the limited water supply from his borewell.

As of July 12, paddy transplantation has been conducted only on 7,457 acres of land, a mere fraction of the total normal area of 707,000 acres in the former Warangal district. Regrettably, all districts carved out of the former Warangal district, with the exception of Jangaon, have experienced deficient rainfall ranging from 20 percent to 59 percent during the Southwest monsoon in 2023.

Meanwhile, the cumulative rainfall for the State, from June 1 to July 17, stands at 196.0 mm, which falls significantly short of the normal average of 244.3 mm, with a deviation of -20 per cent. The situation is particularly dire in 15 districts, including Karimnagar, Peddapalli, Jagtial, Rajanna Sircilla, Medak, Siddipet, Hanmakonda, Mulugu, Khammam, Rangareddy, Medchal, Mahbubnagar, Wanaparthy, Jogulamba Gadwal, and Suryapet, where less than 25 per cent of crops have been sown this monsoon.

Additionally, 12 districts, namely Mancherial, Nizamabad, Kamareddy, Warangal, Mahabubabad, Jayashankar Bhupalapally, Jangoan, Badradri Kothagudem, Vikarabad Nagarkurnool, Nalgonda, and Yadadri have achieved a meagre 26 to 50 per cent coverage. Only Nirmal, Sangareddy, and Narayanpet have seen 51 to 75 per cent of their crops sown, while Adilabad and Komaram Bheem Asifabad districts have achieved 76 to 100 per cent coverage, according to the season and crop coverage report released by the Department of Agriculture on July 12.