Rain boosts farming activity in Telangana

Hyderabad, Jul 17: Farming operations have picked up in Telangana in the last one week with rain gods smiling at last, though shortage in rainfall stood at minus 48 per cent.

"Overall, the average rainfall received in Telangana state from 1-6-2014 to 16-7-2014 is recorded as 124.1 mm as against the normal as on date (rainfall) of 238.8 mm showing a deficit of -48 per cent," according to official data on Kharif-2014.

The total area in the state where sowing has been done is 18.771 lakh hectares (46 per cent) as against the normal area of 40.38 lakh hectares and is normal as on date in 23.71 lakh hectares (79 per cent).

Crops like paddy, ragi, groundnut, sesamum, sunflower and chillies have been sown in less than 25 per cent of the season's normal area, the data shows.

Sowing of rainfed crops had been sluggish in June as monsoon remained inactive, though farming activities like sowing of crops such as maize, pulses, cotton are in progress due to the recent rains.

Transplantation of paddy is also going on under assured irrigation systems. The rain-fed crops faced moisture stress in Telangana due to delay in onset of monsoon and erratic rainfall in June, but the crops recovered from moisture stress due to the recent rains, the data said.

The state agriculture department officials are recommending farmers to sow safe crops like redgram, jowar and castor in areas where the sowing is delayed. Overall, the standing crops like paddy, redgram, sugarcane are satisfactory, the data added.

PTI