VIJAYAWADA: In a major relief to farmers across Andhra Pradesh, widespread rainfall triggered by successive weather systems over the Bay of Bengal has provided a crucial lifeline to moisture-stressed crops, particularly those at a critical stage of growth and facing the threat of drying up.
The rainfall has come after a prolonged spell of deficient rain that affected agricultural activity across the State. The extended rainfall deficit had reduced cultivation prospects in several areas, with some farmers unable to take up cultivation and others leaving portions of their land fallow due to inadequate moisture and water availability.
So far, paddy, the State’s largest Kharif crop, has been cultivated in 12.725 lakh hectares, while cotton covered 4.260 lakh hectares and groundnut 1.568 lakh hectares. Pulses performed better at 3.410 lakh hectares, with redgram accounting for 2.899 lakh hectares, blackgram 0.427 lakh hectares, green gram 0.067 lakh hectares and soybean 0.112 lakh hectares.
Tobacco remained among the crops with the lowest coverage at 0.003 lakh hectares, followed by horsegram at 0.008 lakh hectares, while jute and mesta covered 0.012 lakh hectares.
Overall, Andhra Pradesh has so far covered 24.226 lakh hectares under Kharif crops, accounting for 79 per cent of the full-season normal of 30.84 lakh hectares.
For crops already sown, the latest rain has arrived at a critical juncture. The replenishment of soil moisture is expected to help crops showing signs of stress withstand dry conditions and continue their growth. The extent of recovery, however, will depend on the intensity and distribution of rainfall and the stage of the crop.
The Bay of Bengal weather systems have provided rainfall support at an important stage of the Kharif season. An earlier system around Vinayaka Chavithi had brought rain to parts of the State, while the latest deep depression produced another widespread spell.
Over the past three days, the State has received widespread rainfall, with the average broadly estimated at around 20-30 mm. Canals, streams and minor watercourses have begun overflowing at several places, while continuous rain has also brought cooler weather after a largely warm and dry spell.
Till about a week ago, the State had recorded a rainfall deficit of around 50 mm, with almost all districts witnessing deficient rainfall. The latest spell has brought the deficit down to 34.81 mm as of September 24, providing some improvement in the overall rainfall situation.
Some farmers, however, feel the rainfall would have been more beneficial had it arrived about a month earlier, when crops were in greater need of moisture and sowing activity could have expanded. Nevertheless, they said the present spell has come as a welcome relief. V Chenna Kesav, a farmer from Tarakaturu in Krishna district, said the rainfall deficit had forced several farmers to leave their lands uncultivated.
“Our lands are now filled with water, but for those who could not cultivate, there is no use. However, many farmers in the surrounding villages cultivated their crops depending on canals. Those crops were reaching a critical stage due to lack of water, and the present rainfall has provided them much-needed relief,” he said.