Telangana faces Kharif crop crisis amid monsoon shortfall

This year’s erratic monsoon, accompanied by soaring temperatures, mirrors the 18% national rainfall deficit recorded in 2024, which had already impacted Kharif sowing across the country.

Hyderabad: Telangana is facing a severe rainfall deficit as June draws to a close, casting uncertainty over the State’s Kharif (Vanakalam) agricultural season. The southwest monsoon, critical for the Kharif crop cycle, has brought only 56.3 mm of rainfall so far, falling 42% short of the seasonal average of 97.06 mm.

In contrast, the State had received 114.3 mm by this time last year. Thirty out of 33 districts have reported below-normal rainfall, leaving farmers distressed.

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Initial optimism fuelled by 120 mm of pre-monsoon showers in May and a favourable India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast of a “normal” monsoon at 105% of the long-period average prompted early sowing of crops such as cotton, paddy and soybean.

However, a prolonged dry spell lasting over two weeks in June, coupled with uneven rainfall distribution, has severely disrupted agricultural operations.

By mid-June, the State had already recorded a 33% rainfall deficit, with only 48.6 mm received against the normal 72.2 mm. Districts such as Hanamkonda (80% deficit), Suryapet (78%) and Hyderabad (68%) are among the worst affected.

As many as 226 mandals are facing moderate deficits, while 298 mandals are experiencing severe shortages. Rain-fed districts like Adilabad, Medak and Sangareddy, where 70-80% of agriculture is dependent on rainfall, are witnessing delayed sowing.

In Medak, seed germination has failed in multiple locations, pushing up input costs and forcing farmers to resort to manual watering, a costly burden in the absence of rainfall.

Farmers are also haunted by past events. In 2017, early rains led to premature sowing in Karimnagar, but a subsequent dry spell wiped out crops. In 2023, a delayed monsoon and a drought lasting three weeks in August stressed cotton and other crops in Adilabad.

This year’s erratic monsoon, accompanied by soaring temperatures, mirrors the 18% national rainfall deficit recorded in 2024, which had already impacted Kharif sowing across the country.

The IMD’s revised forecast for June predicts further below-average rainfall, strengthening the “wait-and-see” approach many farmers are adopting. With reservoir levels also running low, irrigation alternatives are limited.

Only three districts, Mahabubnagar, Wanaparthy and Nagarkurnool, have recorded slightly above-average rainfall so far. For the rest of Telangana, all hopes now rest on the rainfall forecast for the remaining days of the month.