Telangana recorded 38% deficit rainfall, according to the Agriculture Department. The department said that the normal rainfall during the monsoon as of Thursday was 324.5 mm but the state received only 200.6 mm.
According to the report Asifabad district received the highest rainfall with 341.1 mm, while Nalgonda recorded the lowest rainfall with 108.4 mm. Only five out of the 33 districts in the state recorded normal rainfall.
Khammam district in the state witnessed 'scanty' rainfall of -60% to-99%. While 27 other districts—Adilabad, Asifabad, Mancherial, Nirmal, Nizambad, Karimnagar, Rajanna, Jagtial, Peddapally, Jayashanker, Bhadradri, Mahabubabad, Warangal (R), Warangal (U), Sangareddy, Jangoan, Medak, Siddipet, Yadadri, Medchal, Hyderabad, Rangareddy, Vikarabad, Jogulamba, Nalgonda, Suryapet and Mulugu recorded a deficit of -20% to -59%.
Due to poor rainfall the crop sown during this monsoon is half what is normally cultivated. Out of the total 43,34,487 hectares (ha) of farmland, farmers have sown crops in a total of 27,64,744 ha, so far. Last year during the same period, 29,60,472 ha of land were cropped.
The report says that farmers have sown 64% of the farmland in the state, compared to 68% last year.
Cotton, paddy, red gram, maize and soya are the crops that are widely grown in Telangana. Of these, farmers have sown paddy in 2,14,386 ha, a deficit of 12% when compared to last year; maize in 2,98,389 ha, a deficit of 13%; and red gram in 2,29,170 ha, which is a deficit of 2%.
Interestingly, there was an increase of 1 % in the cotton cultivation. Farmers have cultivated cotton in 15,95,687 ha.
Due to the poor rainfall, the agriculture department has been advising farmers to avoid growing soya, maize and cotton in areas that are ‘rain critical’. They are also advocating that farmers opt for short-duration (90-120 days) and medium-duration (120-140 days) paddy crops.