Cotton Sowing Reaches 90% in Adilabad After Good Rain

ADILABAD: Sowing of cotton, soya and redgram has gathered pace in the erstwhile Adilabad district following recent rains, while farmers are awaiting further rainfall to begin paddy cultivation.

A spell of heavy rain in the last week of June and the first week of July eased drought-like conditions and improved soil moisture, enabling farmers to take up sowing operations.

Cotton, the principal crop in the region, has been sown extensively. Adilabad district agriculture officer B. Ravinder Singh said weather conditions were favourable for sowing cotton, redgram, soya and maize. According to preliminary estimates, cotton has been sown in 4.23 lakh acres, soya in 56,000 acres and redgram in 42,000 acres in the district so far.

He said future dry spells could affect standing crops during the kharif season, but current conditions remained favourable.

Cotton sowing has reached about 90 per cent completion, while sowing of soya and redgram is continuing. Farmers have also cultivated maize in 21,000 acres, with growing interest in the crop.

The recent rains have reduced the rainfall deficit in Adilabad, Nirmal, Komaram Bheem Asifabad and Mancherial districts.

Farmers who faced poor germination due to inadequate soil moisture earlier in June have begun re-sowing and gap filling in cotton and soya fields.

Farmer Venkat from Adilabad Rural mandal said the rains after delayed monsoon conditions had helped farmers, particularly those cultivating cotton, and prevented potential losses during the kharif season.

Agricultural operations are under way across several mandals, including Bela, Jainad, Adilabad Rural, Tamsi, Talamadugu, Ichoda, Sirikonda, Boath, Neradigonda, Gundihathnoor, Indravelli and Utnoor.