Vaanakalam ops in full swing in Telangana

Early rains help farmers commence sowing in about 27.6 lakh acres

Hyderabad: With Telangana State continuing to receive good rains due to active monsoon, farmers have intensified agricultural operations for Vaanakalam (Kharif) season across the State. Early rains have prompted them to commence sowing in about 27.6 lakh acres covering around 25 per cent of normal cultivation area of 1.16 crore acres in the State. Raising of paddy nurseries and sowings of rainfed crops are expected to be in full swing over the next two weeks.

Sowings of rainfed crops like jowar, bajra, maize, ragi, pulses, groundnut, soybean, cotton etc., has commenced. As per the instructions of the Agriculture Department, farmers have taken up cotton cultivation in a large number and total cultivation area for cotton crop is expected to reach the set target of 60 lakh acres. Sowing of cotton crop has been taken up in about 18 lakh acres against normal cultivation area of 47.6 lakh acres in the State, official sources told Telangana Today.

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Similarly, the cultivation of pulses also picked up pace with sowing completed in 2.11 lakh acres against normal cultivation area of 11.32 lakh acres. Sowing of redgram alone accounted for about 1.77 lakh acres. The officials are expecting the redgram cultivation to surpass the season’s normal cultivation area of 8.56 lakh acres during this Vaanakalam season. Soya bean cultivation is also in full swing with sowing taken up in about 31.5 per cent (1.41 lakh acres) of its normal cultivation area of 4.5 lakh acres.

However, the paddy cultivation had a slow start with sowing taken up in only 26,569 acres this season against sowing in 59,533 acres during last Yasangi season. In majority areas, the paddy nurseries are being raised under assured irrigation sources. Officials termed it as a welcome trend which indicated a shift towards market-driven crops as was suggested by Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao and amplified by the Agriculture department through several awareness programmes. However, it is too early to draw conclusions as the Agriculture department itself had set a target of 53 lakh acres which is about 12 lakh acres lesser than previous season.

Meanwhile, the Agriculture Department has taken all necessary steps to make available required quantities of various crop seeds and fertilisers to the farmers during Vanakalam 2021 season. Telangana has a stock of 13 lakh quintals of seed required for the cultivation of various crops during the ongoing Vaanakalam season. About 8.64 lakh tonnes of fertilisers, including around 4.41 lakh tonnes of urea, also is currently available with the State government.

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