Andhra Pradesh - Ongole   

Rabi prospects improve

– Photo: Srinivas Kommuri

Tobacco nurseries buzzed with activity as plantations picked up speed thanks to rains in prakasam district.

ONGOLE: The copious rainfall received in coastal areas in November has significantly improved the prospects of rabi crops in Prakasam district this year.

The weather was sullen and the sky was cast with clouds and it rained one - two hours a day for the last one week making life vexatious in urban areas.

But it wiped out drought conditions in most of the mandals and speeded up paddy transplantation in Nagarjuna Sagar ayacut.

Farmers are waiting for the cessation of rains to sow Bengalgram and tobacco crops to avoid inundation.

Farmers could not take up kharif crops for want of rain and the government declared drought in 55 out of total 56 mandals in the district.

Crops were sown only on about one lakh hectares as against normal 3.33 lakh hectares in kharif season.

The situation turned from bad to worse as north-east monsoon also failed in Sept-Oct. The district received only 44 mm rainfall as against normal 206 mm in October amounting to 78 per cent deficit and the farmers lost hopes on rabi crops as well.

But the situation improved in November when low pressure in Bay of Bengal activated the monsoon and 38 mandals received eight per cent excess rainfall.

The rainfall is still scanty in Martur which reported a deficit rainfall of 75 per cent. Nine other mandals too reported deficit rainfall - Yeddanapudi, Santamagulur, Thripurantakam, Ardhaveedu, Ballikurava, Perchoor, Pullalacheruvu, Korisepadu and Dornala.

The district average rainfall in November till now was 199 mm as against normal 143 mm. But the district still reported deficit rainfall of 28 per cent for the period from June to November.

Though some parts are still reeling under deficit rainfall, coastal mandals received excess rainfall and it helped speed up agriculture operations.

Paddy has been transplanted on 35,000 hectares out of total 81,000 hectares.

As adequate water is supplied through Nagarjuna Sagar canals, paddy would be transplanted on normal area by December 15, officials express confidence.

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