Rain Deficit Leaves Adilabad Farmers Anxious Over Kharif Crops

A prolonged dry spell after delayed monsoon rains has left farmers in the erstwhile Adilabad district anxiously waiting for a good spell of rain to save their standing cotton, soybean and redgram crops, raising fears of lower yields and drought-like conditions.

Farmers said the delayed onset of the monsoon, followed by a break in rainfall during July, had severely affected crop growth. Many attributed the erratic weather to the El Nino effect and expressed concern that continued dry conditions could significantly reduce cotton yields this Kharif season.

Scanty and sporadic rainfall, coupled with light drizzles instead of sustained showers, has failed to provide adequate moisture for crops across several parts of the district.

Mora Kishtu, a farmer from Ada village in Jainad mandal, was seen returning home in a bullock cart after tending to his 20-acre cotton field on Sunday evening. He told Deccan Chronicle that he had sown cotton during the last week of June after receiving initial rains. While the seeds had germinated and the crop had established, timely rainfall was now crucial for its healthy growth.

Women agricultural labourers working in fields at Ada Kamata and Mukthapur villages also expressed concern over the dry spell, saying regular rainfall was essential not only for crop growth but also to ensure continued employment.

Cotton has been cultivated on about 4.25 lakh acres in Adilabad district this Kharif season. However, hopes of a good harvest have dimmed as prolonged dry conditions continue. Farmers who sowed their crops during the early monsoon in June also suffered losses due to poor seed germination.

Farmers said agricultural activities, including weeding operations, would gather pace only after the region received widespread rainfall.