Rayalaseema Farmers Disappointed Over little Cyclone Murasu Rain Hopes Of Saving Their Standing Crops Fade
Farmers say even one good spell of rain could have helped thousands of acres of standing crops survive: Reports
KURNOOL: Farmers of the upland areas in Rayalaseema are disappointed after Cyclone Murasu failed to bring the rainfall that they hoped would save their crops raised under rain-deficit conditions. Neither did the Cyclone Arnab of three days ago help the crops in Kurnool, Kadapa, Nandyal, Chittoor, and Anantapur districts.
Farmers say even one good spell of rain could have helped thousands of acres of standing crops survive. Skies remained cloudy from Monday night in Kurnool, Nandyal, Anantapur and Kadapa districts. But rainfall remained negligible.
Only four to five mandals in Kadapa district recorded very light rain, with the highest rainfall being around 7 mm. V. Mohanappa, an onion farmer from Yemmiganur who cultivated the crop on five acres, said he had hoped the cyclone would bring rain and save his crop. "My onions could have survived if we had received even one good spell of rain.
After announcement of the Arnab and Murasu cyclones, I expected some rainfall. Unfortunately, there has been no rain," Mohanappa said. Cotton farmers in Kurnool district too are unhappy. Cotton crops across nearly 60,000 acres have already dried up, while another 1.80 lakh acres could meet the same fate in case there is no rainfall in near future. R. Beerappa Goud of Pattikonda constituency said. "Even a moderate spell of rain during Cyclone Murasu would have helped the cotton crop survive.
Our hopes have been dashed," he said. During this season, many farmers in Kadapa district cultivate Bengal gram under rain-fed conditions.
They have prepared their farms and have kept seeds and fertilisers ready. They are waiting for rain to begin sowing. Nearly 50,000 acres could have been brought under Bengal gram cultivation if adequate rainfall had been received. M. Gangireddy of Gorlapalle village in Kadapa district said he is planning to cultivate Bengal gram on eight acres. "I have been waiting for at least one spell of rain to take up sowing. But Arnab and Murasu rains have brought no rainfall.
I have no option but to wait further," he said.
Meteorologists at the Agricultural Research Station in Rekulakunta, Anantapur, said Cyclone Murasu had little impact on Rayalaseema. Although skies turned cloudy, rainfall in the region has been very light.