Paddy cultivation is likely to decline in Andhra Pradesh, one of India’s biggest rice producing state and adjoining Telangana, because of delayed monsoons
With prolonged dry spells in both the states and no water in major reservoirs, a major portion of paddy being cultivated in 40 lakh acres in both the states are likely to be affected. The total cropped area in both the states is around 1.2 crore acres and the expected paddy production will be around 60 to 80 lakh tonnes.
Adding to the monsoon deficit woes, is the non-availability of fresh loans to farmers as they have been given default rating by the banks, pushing most of them into a heavy debt trap.
While both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh governments announced loan waiver scheme in thier election manifestos, they are yet to repay the debt to banks to clear the dues of crop loans of farmers.
According to Kharif plans this year in Andhra Pradesh, paddy is expected to be cultivated in about four lakh hectares in Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam districts. As per the traditional kharif calendar, the sowing has to be completed by June-end and the paddy nurseries are supposed to be ready by July first week. However, as the southwest monsoon rains got delayed, the current kharif works are yet to start in majority mandals.
Most of the mandals in the state have received deficient rainfall, resulting in poor or late sowings. According to Andhra Pradesh agriculture minister P Pulla Rao, atleast 325 mandals in the state registered deficient rainfall this year, while 345 mandals managed to meet the averages. The state has received 244.6 mm of rain as against the average rain of 265.9 mm, showing a deficit of 8%, he said. Majority of the mandals that received deficient rainfall were in Nellore, Chittoor, Kadapa, Anantapur and Kurnool districts. However, there seems to be some hope for the farmers when there were little showers during last week. The state government is ready with a contingency plan had the situation continued. The official machinery is ready with seeds for alternative crops and other required inputs, the minister said.
According the agriculture department officials, farmers could sow only in 17.53 lakh hectares, which is about 4 lakh hectares less than the area sown last year.
In Telangana, there was a deficit rainfall of minus 21% in this monsoon, which will lead to a massive shortfall in rice production. As against the 33 lakh tonnes of rice that Telangana produces during the kharif season, the output this time is expected to be not more than three lakh tonnes. As against the normal sown area of 41.43 lakh hectares, farmers took up cultivation only in 29.64 lakh hectares.
The state had faced a very harsh summer and deadly heatwave followed by a long dry spell in the first two months of the monsoon season. Incidentally, lack of rains has also depleted groundwater resources. The officials at the Indian Meteorological Centre say that Telangana has received 16% less rainfall than normal this year so far.