Rains offer hope for groundnut farmers

Tirupati: The rains which the district is experiencing for the past four days proving immensely helpful for the withering groundnut crop to survive to some extent bringing cheers to the farmers. In the present Kharif season, groundnut was sown in about one lakh hectares after the rains in June and July but farmers were worried with no rains at all since a month threatening the survival of crop.

In many mandals, the groundnut crop started withering panicking the farmers and also the Agriculture department which even at the behest of the Chief Minister readied for alternate measures like rain guns to save the crop.

At this acute condition, the heavenly blessing of rains kindled the hope of the farmers. With Meteorological department predicting more rains in the coming days, the prospect of the survival of the standing groundnut crop brightened, much to the relief of district authorities as well as the farmers.

Groundnut is the major Kharif crop in Chittoor as the district is mostly devoid of dependable irrigation facility and most of the land in the district is dry lands. According to official source, the district recorded average rainfall of 13.5 mm on September 15 and 28.6, 20.5, 14 and 15.3 in the following days. 

Joint Director of Agriculture (JDA) Vijayakumar said the rains virtually saved the groundnut crops and also paved the path for taking up short term crops like horse gram for the benefit of farmers. “We have almost lost the hope of groundnut with continuous dry spell and the showers in September turned the saviour of the crop.

This year groundnut crop area was extended due to encouraging rains in June and July kindling the farmers take up the Kharif crop, he explained. “We are distributing horse gram seeds to the farmers free of cost and 25,000 quintals of horse gram is ready with us for distribution,” he said, adding that if required the government is ready to provide more quantity of horse gram to the district.

Srinivasulu Reddy, a famer in Kalikiri in the arid western part of Chittoor district too agreed that the rains are timely in the sense preventing the groundnut crop from withering. But, there should be rains again after four weeks then only the farmers would be able to reap the benefit or else the crop would be of no use except as fodder.

He said supplying horse gram seeds help the farmers, who have not taken any crop in the Kharif to get some benefit provided again there would rains in October, he added. Meanwhile, ANGRAU’s Gramin Krishi Mausam Seva (GKMS) predicted good rains in the next five days in the district favourable to the standing crops.