Kharif Sowing in Telangana Hit by Dry Weather: Report
The water levels in the major reservoirs were also lower than in previous years. As of June 18, the state's major reservoirs held 228.03 tmc ft of water, compared to 377.02 tmc ft on the same date in 2024.
Hyderabad: Kharif sowing in Telangana has been impacted by dry weather this month, despite the monsoon setting in early, leading to a reduction in the area under cultivation compared to last year. Despite this, the area sown remains slightly above the normal average, according to the latest report from the agriculture department.
As of June 18, only three districts recorded excess rainfall, while seven received normal rainfall. However, 12 districts were facing deficit rainfall and 11 suffering from 'large deficit' rainfall.
The normal crop-sown area for kharif in Telangana is 1,32,44,305 acres. By June 18, the expected area sown should have been 19,14,254 acres. However, the actual sown area stood at 19,16,582 acres, just slightly above the normal.
In contrast, last year, by the same date, the area sown had reached 25,27,917 acres. As of June 18, only 14 per cent of the expected kharif sowing had been achieved.
Cotton remained the dominant crop in the state, covering the highest area at 15,26,689 acres. It was followed by soybean (1,04,304 acres), red gram (50,574 acres), maize (48,766 acres), paddy (36,300 acres) and jowar (17,437 acres).
The report highlighted the importance of the south-west monsoon for the state's agricultural activities. It said that as of June 18, Telangana had recorded 48.6 mm of rainfall, compared to the normal of 72.2 mm, showing a deviation of minus-33 per cent.
"Paddy nurseries are being raised under assured irrigation sources, while the sowing of rainfed crops such as jowar, bajra, maize, ragi, pulses, groundnut, soybean and cotton is underway. The agriculture department anticipates that sowing and nursery raising will be in full swing within the next two weeks," it said.
While Mahabubnagar, Nagarkurnool and Wanaparthy, received excess rainfall in June, seven districts had normal rainfall: Nirmal, Nizamabad, Kamareddy, Jagtial, Rangareddy, Vikarabad and Gadwal.
Twelve districts, including Adilabad, Komarambheem Asifabad, Medak, Sangareddy, Siddipet, Jangaon, Khammam, Bhadradri Kothagudem, Narayanpet, Nalgonda and Hyderabad, recorded deficit rainfall. The remaining 11 districts experienced a "large deficit" in rainfall.
The water levels in the major reservoirs were also lower than in previous years. As of June 18, the state's major reservoirs held 228.03 tmc ft of water, compared to 377.02 tmc ft on the same date in 2024.
Meanwhile, the government has credited Rs 7,770.83 crore to the bank accounts of 66.19 lakh farmers under the Rythu Bharosa scheme for the ongoing kharif season by Saturday. Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy launched the disbursement on June 16, and by June 29, those owning land up to nine acres were covered.
The scheme's Rs 6,000 per-acre disbursement has already covered 1.26 crore acres of agricultural land, with the remaining farmers set to receive their payments within the next three days.
