Rajahmundry: Incessant rainfall due to the influence of south-west monsoon helped farmers to expedite transplantation of paddy in parts of delta and upland areas in kharif season in Godavari districts. In East Godavari, paddy is normally cultivated in about 2.29 lakh hectares area. Out of it, 70 per cent area is covered with transplantation of paddy nurseries and about 25 per cent in upland areas.
At present the crop is under transplantation to tilling stage. Non-availability of water from Yeleru Canal and Pitapuram Branch Canal had impact on their command areas. Under the influence of rainfall, the fields have been getting good supply of water making the farmers to take up transplantation of paddy in a brisk manner. If there is no any adverse climatic condition in the days ahead like floods and cyclonic storm, the farmers are expecting to reap the crop towards end of October.
The agriculture authorities are also encouraging the farmers to adopt mechanisation of farming in a big way by providing agriculture equipment and tools at 50 per cent subsidy. They say that lack of availability of adequate number of farm labourers the cost involved in hiring them, the farmers are showing inclination towards using moderate machines to save expenditure on labourers.
East Godavari agriculture joint director K.S. Vara Prasad said, “The present rainfall is of immense use especially to the farmers in upland areas to expedite transplantation of paddy nurseries. As average paddy yield in kharif season is relatively less when compared with rabi, we are expecting good yield.” In West Godavari, paddy is raised normally in about 2.38 lakh hectares and so far 2.16 lakh hectares area is covered with transplantation of paddy nurseries. As Krishna canal water is yet to reach tail end areas in parts of Eluru and Pedapdu mandals, the authorities fear that there may be no cultivation of paddy in about 8,000 hectares.
Paddy transplantation is yet to be taken up in upland areas like Chinthalapudi and K.R. Puram. In Agency areas like parts of Polavaram, Kukkunuru and Velerupadu the situation remains same as in the case of upland areas. The farmers suffered losses when cotton seeds were washed away during the floods in these Agency mandals recently.
