HYDERABAD: In the wake of delayed monsoon, the agriculture department prepared a contingency plan and circulated it to district Collectors and agricultural officials on Tuesday.“The normal rainfall of the South-West monsoon in the State is 720 mm and the normal state rainfall as on July 12 is 213 mm against which only 146 mm is received which is a 32% deficit. Twenty-three districts have received deficit rainfall, while three districts are in scanty rainfall zone.
The kharif sowing is also reduced drastically as only 1.73 lakh hectares was sown as against the normal 43.34 lakh hectares. This warrants a contingency plan to meet the situation and ensure that the food grain production is not adversely affected,” principal secretary Agriculture C Partha Sarathi said.He said that Professor Jayshankar Telangana State Agriculture University (PJTSAU) formulated a contingency plan for various crops in the State. So far, only seven districts have received normal rainfall.