Andhra Pradesh will bring an additional 400,000 hectares under paddy cultivation this rabi season.
Usually, about 3.92 million hectares comes under rabi cultivation for all crops, of which 1.43 million hectares is under paddy. This year, paddy is expected to be cultivated on 1.8 million hectares. So far, 2.41 million hectares is under cultivation for all rabi crops.
As on January 5, rice has been sown on 427,000 hectares, against 555,000 hectares in the corresponding period last year. The low acreage is due to delayed sowing in some areas following late harvesting of the kharif crop. Pulses has so far been sown in 103,000 hectares, out of the total 1.13 million hectares the crop is cultivated on.
Last year, 2.19 million hectares was under cultivation in the state.
“The water table is good due to the recent rains. Farming activity is on full scale for this rabi season. Farmers are looking to offset some losses incurred during the kharif season,” said Sunil Sharma, commissioner of agriculture.
About one million quintal seeds will be needed for the rabi season and its subsidy value stands at Rs 114 crore. Fertiliser requirement will be about 3.4 million tonnes. Banks have extended about Rs 4,800 crore loans to farmers for the rabi season and more is expected to be given in the days to come, he said.
Harvesting of the kharif crop is almost over except for red gram, chilli and sugarcane. Inter-cultural operations have also begun in all early-sown dry/rainfed areas.
However, the torrential rains till December damaged about 1.71 million hectares across the state. Rain has affected the farm sector adversely as the crop yield as well as the quality of paddy, cotton and maize has been affected. Leaf blight might hit the Bengal gram crop yield in Kurnool and Anantapur districts.
While maize, greengram, red gram and blackgram are at the vegetative stage, Bengal gram is at the flowering and pod-formation stage. Sowing will continue till mid-January. Paddy transplantation is in progress under wells and minor irrigation sources. Pulses are being sowed in rice fallows.
Srikakulam, Nellore, Kurnool, Anantapur, Rangareddy, Visakhapatnam and Mahabubnagar districts lead others in terms of farm activity.
