BENGALURU: This monsoon, as IMD officials are predicting positively normal rainfall, agriculture experts are advising farmers to go for long-duration crops.
Karnataka has over 73 lakh hectares of land under cultivation. Prof M B Rajegowda of the University of Agricultural Sciences said with good rainfall predicted, farmers can take up long-duration crops (180 days) like red gram. They will get better yield this year with sufficient water. They can also go for ragi which is a 120-day crop. “There will be no problem next summer as the reservoirs will be full due to good monsoon rains. However, farmers should use water economically,” he said
Gokul Prasad, Statistical Officer, Agriculture Department, said this year there was 70 per cent deficient rain during the pre-monsoon period. During pre-monsoon showers, farmers normally grow short-duration crops like black gram, green gram and jowar. In Karnataka, farmers cultivate land in 5.7 lakh hectares during pre-monsoon. This year it was just 2.50 lakh hectares while last year it was 5.17 lakh hectares. “We can’t say it’s less as pre-monsoon cultivation is just 5 per cent compared to the entire cultivation area in Karnataka,” he said.
He said last year during monsoon, they wanted to sow in 73 lakh hectares but reached just 64 per cent, adding “We hope the monsoon rain will be enough for farmers.”