VIJAYAWADA: The production of cotton, chilli and groundnut during the Kharif season in Andhra Pradesh is likely to be hit due to deficit monsoon, opine agriculture experts.
As per the agriculture department statistics, till October 11, only 40 per cent of the groundnut crop was sown and the farmers cultivating the crop, especially those in Anantapur district, have reportedly given up hopes over the crop this season.
Rangamma, a woman farmer from Obuladevara Cheruvu mandal of Sri Satya Sai district, sowed groundnut in her four-acre land, but with no rains the corp started withering. “I had no other option but to engage farmers to remove the crop and use that as fodder for cattle,” she said and added that she suffered losses and was burdened with debt. There are several farmers like Rangamma in Sri Satya Sai, Anantapur, Kurnool and Chittoor districts, who are resorting to such drastic measures. Some of them are trying to irrigate the crops with borewell water.
The total area under groundnut cultivation in the State is 6,44,144 hectares and as on October 11, only 2,55,038 hectares were sown, while on the same day last year, the extent was 5,06,554 hectares. In Anantapur district, out of total 2,31,150 hectares, only 92,461 hectares was utilised to cultivate groundnut this year, as against 1,73,613 hectare cultivated last year.
In Sri Satya Sai district, against the normal extent of 2,05,601 hectares, groundnut was cultivated in 71,671 hectares, while it was 1,97,563 hectares during the corresponding period last year. In Chittoor district, as against normal extent of 51,266 hectares, groundnut was sown in only 14,454 hectares, while it was 34,054 hectares last year for the same period.
Even in Annamayya district, there is a drop in groundnut cultivation as against normal extent of 47,885 hectares, as much as 16,852 hectares was utilised for cultivation till date, while it was 27,223 hectares last year. In Kurnool, groundnut is normally cultivated in 66,568 hectares and this time it was cultivated in 37,574 hectares, while it was 43,105 hectares last year.
Officials said that they have advised the farmers to take up alternative crops and even readied the seeds for distribution, but there are less takers. What is more worrying for the farmers is that these losses do not come under any category to satisfy the norms for input subsidy.
On the other hand, cultivation of chilli, which is extensively cultivated in the Palandu region of Guntur district, has also decreased significantly. According to Palnadu Horticulture Officer BJ Binni, the normal extent of chilli in the region is anywhere between 1.25 lakh acres to 1.5 lakh acres. “However, till date only the crop has been cultivated in around 70,000 acres, while it was between 90,000 to 1 lakh acres last year,” he said.
Agriculture department statistics indicate that only 66 per cent of the normal extent of cotton has been cultivated so far in this Kharif season. As against 6,17,683 hectares of normal extent, cotton was cultivated in only 4,06,783 hectares. By this time last year, it was 6,64,895 hectares, which is more than the normal extent.
In the Palandu district of a total of 1,21,621 hectares, it was cultivated in 61,409 hectares till date this year, which is 50 per cent. In the Kurnool district, where it is extensively cultivated, of the total 2,50,827 hectares, 1,97,045 hectares were cultivated.
Chilli cultivation decreased significantly
Cultivation of chilli has decreased significantly. The normal extent of chilli in the region is anywhere between 1.25 lakh acres to 1.5 lakh acres. However, till date only the crop has been cultivated in around 70,000 acres, while it was between 90,000 to 1 lakh acres last year.