Barring Anantapur district, the remaining 22 districts of Andhra Pradesh have reported a deficit in rainfall that ranged -7 per cent to -31 per cent., hitting agricultural operations to a great extent. Drought-stricken Anantapur district, however, managed to reach the normal ‘as-on-date' average.
Though the deficit in the State has come down by half at -18 per cent when compared with June level of -39 p.c., erratic rainfall had resulted in skewed growth of crops in various districts.
With paddy being the worst hit, officials of the Agriculture Department have called for growing of paddy under SRI (System of Rice Intensification) cultivation method in a big way.
Besides about three lakh acres lost in ‘crop holiday' agitation in the paddy-growing areas, the crop is covered 25 per cent less than the normal season area. Paddy is grown in 26 lakh hectares in the season. Officials, however, said that as-on-date performance put deficit at 18 per cent.
The season, so far, registered sowing in 43.85 lakh hectares, 56 per cent of the normal kharif area of 78.11 lakh hectares.
The Department of Agriculture has taken up a collaborative project with the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard), Watershed Support Services and Activities Network (Wassan), ANGRAU, DRR etc. for up-scaling of SRI in the State with specific reference to the following districts.
Meanwhile, the Department of Agriculture has initiated a State-wide promotion programme to encourage SRI cultivation. It is going to appoint a SRI coordinator in August. Initially, the programme would target backward districts of Mahboobnagar, Medak, Nalgonda and Khammam.
“The coordinator would promote collaborations, partnerships and convergence among various organisations to promote SRI cultivation. Besides developing and managing the centralised Web-based tool, the coordinators identify research needs and link them with Acharya N G Ranga Agriculture University, Directorate of Rice Research,” Ms V. Usha Rani, newly-appointed Commissioner (Agriculture), said.
The deadline for submitting applications ended on July 31, 2011. The Department hopes to complete the process by the month-end. National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard), Angrau and Wassan are also involved in the programme.
Other crops
Among the worst hit are chillies that has witnessed only 9 per cent of the season normal area of 1.61 lakh hectares is covered. The loser is sunflower with coverage of just 4 per cent of the normal area of 0.93 lakh hectares. Crops that fared far below the normal averages areas (with areas in bracket are): greengram (67 p.c. of 2.43 lakh ha); redgram (72 p.c. of 4.73 lakh ha) and onion (60 per cent of 23,000 ha).
Cotton and turmeric, however, have gained with 131 per cent and 107 per cent. of normal areas of 13.51 lakh ha and 0.63 lakh ha respectively.