Comments
The rabi season in Andhra Pradesh ended with only paddy and maize topping the average cropped area.
Other major crops fared poorly and could result in lower production.
Paddy coverage crossed the average acreage of 14.31 lakh hectares (lh) at 16.20 lh. Rains in the first week of this month damaged crops in Rayalaseema and Telangana.
Corn is the champMaize (corn) is the real gainer with the area rising to 4.50 lh against the normal 3.36 lh.
It has emerged as an alternative to sugarcane in the coastal areas.
With an assured market in the form of poultry industry, maize turns out to be a bankable option for farmers. Bengal gram coverage was around the usual 6.14 lh.
Gains made in paddy and maize resulted in a marginal rise in the total cropped area of foodgrains.
How this will translate into production remains to be seen as the State witnessed dry spells in some places, while unseasonal rain towards the end of the season also played spoilsport.
Telangana gainsRegion-wise, the nine Telangana districts (excluding Hyderabad district) fared better with a 20 per cent jump in the total acreage, while the residual Andhra Pradesh witnessed a drop.
Against the average area of 12.83 lh, farmers in the region cultivated on 15.35 lh.
Nizamabad topped the list with the net sown area rising 50 per cent at 2.54 lh against the average 1.70 lh.
Farmers in residual Andhra Pradesh cultivated on 23.45 lh against the average 26.36 lh.
Comments
COMMENT NOW
Comments
Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.
We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of TheHindu Businessline and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.