Telangana: Sowing operations completed in 38 lakh acres despite challenges

The State government has set a target of 15.19 million acres for Kharif crops this year, expecting a modest increase of eight per cent in the Kharif area.

Hyderabad: Despite the challenges of sluggish progress in monsoon and dry spells experienced in the beginning of the season in a major part of the State, Vanakalam (Kharif) operations have made significant headway, according to officials. As on June 26, over 38 lakh acres of areas of area was covered by the Vanakalam crops in the State. The sowing started picking up in a big way, with a marked improvement in the rainfall of late.

The State government has set a target of 15.19 million acres for Kharif crops this year, expecting a modest increase of eight per cent in the Kharif area. Widespread rains forecast from the last week of the month are expected to bring in the much-awaited inflows into the State projects.

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Paddy sowing can get a big push only after getting inflows into the reservoirs, where in the storage has dipped below the minimum draw down levels. Paddy cultivation which was more or less predominant in the irrigated pockets, is yet to take off in a full-fledged manner. Barring Jurala, no major irrigation project had received any significant inflows so far.

Much of the sowing operations completed so far covered the rain-fed pockets. Farmers, as advised had taken up the Kharif operations right from May 25, following the pre-monsoon rains in a majority of districts. But because of the dry spell they had experienced from the second week of June, the operation slowed down.

In all, 16 revenue mandals in the State had deficient rainfall (as on June 26), while 131 mandals had over 60 per cent excess rainfall and 136 mandals experienced over 20 per cent excess. Some 201 mandals had normal rainfall so far.