The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Rains boost prospects of kharif

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Thursday, Oct 01, 2009
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Rains boost prospects of kharif

P. Samuel Jonathan

‘Late spell will get rid of rodent problem’

District records rainfall of 95.3 mm in Sept., well short of normal rainfall of 145 mm
Transplantation of paddy almost coming to an end in the delta region

GUNTUR: The overnight rain triggered by the low pressure boosted the prospects of a normal kharif in the Krishna Western delta region, while it raised hopes among the parched plains of Palnadu ,where farmers are keeping their fingers crossed over the scheduled water release from Nagarjunasagar reservoir from October 15.

Fears allayed

Farmers in Repalle area expressed apprehension over crop damage due to retention of rainwater, but agricultural officers allayed their fears and asserted that the late spell of rain would get rid of the rodent problem.

Amaravathi mandal recorded the maximum rainfall of 191.4 mm till Tuesday afternoon, while Repalle and Pittalavanipalem recorded the least rain of 8.6 mm. Deputy Director of Agriculture Y. Pulla Reddy visited the mandal to assess the situation.

The district recorded a total rainfall of 95.3 mm in September, far behind the normal rainfall of 145 mm, and the number of rainy days too was reduced from 12 in 2008-2009 to 8 in 2009-2010.

Cultivation was yet to pick up in rain-fed 1.06 lakh acres under the NSP command ayacut, while sowing of irrigated dry (ID) crops in 2.50 lakh acres picked up. The farmers were pinning hopes on the water release into the canals from the NSP.

Out of the normal area sown in kharif measuring up to 5.83 lakh hectares, about 4.62 lakh hectares was completed, with a deficit of 1.20 lakh hectares in Palnadu. The late surge in rainfall in the second week of August saved the day for cotton farmers, who had all given up hope this year due to prolonged dry spell.

While the normal area of sowing 1.55 lakh hectares for cotton had come this year also, with 1.51 lakh hectares sown, cultivation of chilli too was picking up.

Transplantation of paddy was almost coming to an end in delta region, while it was yet to pick up in a few tail-end areas like Karlapalem near Bapatla.

Though farmers in Vinukonda had taken up cultivation of red gram, the district achieved a target of just 50 per cent.

Challenges

Late monsoon had thrown up a few challenges like persistent rodent problem. Mr. Pulla Reddy, who had supervised the Rodent Control Programme, said that a community-based mass campaign was launched and packets of anti-rodent pesticide were given to farmers.

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