HYDERABAD: In view of an El Nino risk alert issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the state government has prepared contingency plans for the Kharif season.
As per the directions of the Centre, the state Agriculture department has readied district-wise plans, with officials stating that the government is ready to deal with any adverse situation.
As part of those plans, the government has urged farmers to cultivate less water-intensive crops and advised them to shift to cultivation of red gram (tur), green gram (moong), black gram, jowar, pearl millet, foxtail millet and oilseeds such as sesame.
Paddy cultivation a ‘serious risk’
The government also suggested that the farmers cultivate short duration crops, instead of depending on single crop cultivation. As there is a possibility of a drought-like situation occurring due to poor monsoon, the government is categorically discouraging the cultivation of paddy. Officials said that with poor rainfall, paddy cultivation may prove a “serious risk” for farmers.
During the 2025–26 Kharif season, paddy was cultivated in over 67.57 lakh acres, yielding about 148 LMT of produce, in Telangana. According to officials, paddy is being cultivated in more than 50 per cent of the total sown area in the state.
The biggest challenge before the government is to convince the farmers to shift to other crops. In order to overcome this challenge, the government has decided to organise awareness camps across the state in the coming days.
Farmers’ concerns
According to agriculture experts, farmers are likely to hesitate to shift to cultivation of other crops due to fewer marketing facilities and inadequate procurement operations. There is a concern among farmers that if a large number of farmers cultivate crops suggested by the government, it would lead to a fall in market prices.
Sources said that Agriculture officials have unofficially asked fertiliser sellers to discourage farmers from purchasing paddy seeds. They also instructed them to explain El Nino conditions to farmers and how they will adversely affect paddy crops.
Meanwhile, Telangana Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Commission, headed by former MLA M Kodanda Reddy, has sent a few recommendations to the government on crop diversification.
The Commission recommended that the government encourage farmers to cultivate horticulture crops and ensure they are provided price support for their produce. It also recommended strengthening Farmers Producer Organisations by implementing the FPO policy in the state.
It also suggested extended financial support to FPOs for capacity building, initial working capital and setting up of infrastructure like storage godowns and creation of processing facilities and value addition units.
