Nearly 73% of Kharif sowing completed in the state so far

Visakhapatnam: The Kharif season is set to conclude within two weeks across the coastal and Rayalaseema districts in Andhra Pradesh. The sowing of all kharif crops, barring few varieties, have been completed in 23.86 lakh hectares (lh) as of September 11, an increase of 5.5 percent, from 22.65 lakh hectares compared to the same period last year.

According to the state agriculture department, of the total estimated area of 32.5 lakh hectares, 73 percent of kharif sowing has been completed in the state till Sept 11.Though rainfall in early June raised hopes for a good kharif season, taking up cultivation turned out to be a challenge from the fourth week of June due to insufficient rainfall.Paddy, pulses, groundnut, cotton, oilseeds, and millets are a few major kharif crops in the state. Dr BR Ambedkar Konaseema district in the state leads in kharif sowing so far with 93 per cent sowing in 63,514 hectares of the total estimated area 68,416 hectares in the district. It was followed by Kakinada and Kurnool districts with 91 per cent, Srikakulam 88%, Parvathipuram Manyam and East Godavari districts 86% each, Krishna 84%, Vizianagaram, ASR, West Godavari, NTR, and Guntur districts with 82% each. However, Annamayya and Nellore districts in the state recorded the lowest sowing of 38%.Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh recorded 35 percent excess rainfall this monsoon between June 1 and Sept 11. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD) in Amaravati, the state received 565.8 mm rainfall during this period against the normal rainfall of 418.3 mm. Many parts of the coastal Andhra Pradesh and a few parts of Rayalaseema reportedly experienced heavy rainfall between Aug 30 and Sep 8.Speaking to TOI, district agriculture officer (Srikakulam), K Sridhar said that the increased rainfall activity may boost the yield of various crops in the kharif season. However, he pointed out that more excessive rains may bring down production and yield. “We are expecting paddy yield of 5,000 kgs per hectare in Srikakulam region in this kharif season,” he added.The recent rains in Krishna, NTR, Guntur andGodavari districts caused damage to the standing crops in thousands of acres. If the rainfall activity is normal for the coming months, the yield may increase this year, said G Ganesh, a farmer in Vizianagaram district.

Palm seed sowing initiated across Salem district

Tamil Nadu ministers K N Nehru and V Meyyanathan launched a palm seed sowing project along the Cauvery River, spanning 416 kilometers across eight districts. Nehru also inaugurated 15 new BS-6 buses at Salem central bus stand, emphasizing the government's investment in public transportation since taking office with a total of 134 buses allocated to various districts.

Extent of rain-related crop loss in Marathwada increases to 18L hectare

Heavy rainfall earlier this month in Marathwada has resulted in crop losses across 18 lakh hectares, affecting 22.5 lakh farmers. Nanded district experienced the most significant damage with over 4.5 lakh hectares affected. District administrations are expediting panchanamas of crop damage to submit a consolidated report for state government assistance.

Govt hopeful of bountiful kharif production after good monsoon

Maharashtra's favorable monsoon season has led to an estimated rise of 31 lakh metric tonnes in kharif crop production. The state agriculture commissioner's report shows increased yields in rice, jowar, bajra, cereals, pulses, and oil seeds. This surge is expected to support farmers and bolster the rural economy.

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