ANANTAPUR: Nature has once again played truant with the farming community of Anantapur district by denying them a minimum rainfall of 25 mm, required for sowing of seed, for the last one-and-a-half months, the appropriate period for sowing.

There has been no trace of rain in majority of the areas since the first week of July.

In spite of such adverse weather conditions prevailing, the optimistic farming community has sown seed in 10 lakh acres so far, out of a normal coverage area of 23.5 lakh acres.

The fact that about one-third of the seed sown has not germinated due to poor moisture content in the soil is most disheartening.

The State Government has in fact supplied about 4.1 lakh quintals of groundnut seed on subsidy to farmers this year to overcome seed shortage.

Last year in October, it was a problem of a different sort. Crops were badly damaged due to excessive rain.

Meanwhile, poor farmers are now being forced to dispose of the seed supplied to minimise the loss.

Hopes of the farming community soared high in June, during the preparatory farm work, when 79.2 mm rainfall was recorded, against a normal of 64 mm.

However, heavy winds blowing at speeds ranging from 20 to 35 kms per hour blew away the clouds.

Meanwhile, a ruling party leader from Madakasira constituency, holding a key post till recently, said that about 20,000 farm workers and labourers have migrated.

Migration is very high from Kadiri and Nallamada areas, he said.

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