Mahbubnagar: Farm activities pick up with good showers

Mahbubnagar: Agricultural activities have picked up in the erstwhile Mahbubnagar district after a day-long rain on Sunday.

Though the monsoon began in June first week, there were no early showers in many areas, particularly the regions of Nagarkurnool, Kollapur, Wanaparthy, some parts of Gadwal and Mahbubnagar. However, the showers on Sunday are the second biggest rains witnessed in the region ever since the beginning of monsoons.

Farmers, who sown rain-fed crops like maize, cotton, jowar, bajra, soybean etc during the first showers in June second week, became worried as they feared lack of germination of seeds and drying up of budding seedlings. However, heavy rains on Sunday relieved them.

Gopi Nayak of Shankarayapally Thanda in Jadcherla mandal, said that he had sown cotton in about four acres 15 days ago. But ever since there was not a single drop of rain and he was afraid whether the seeds will shoot up or not. He said that he was happy after the Sunday rains.

According to metrological department, 18.46 mm of rain was recorded in entire Palamuru region. Narayanpet district received 203.1mm and Maganoor mandal received the highest rain fall of 38.6 mm on Sunday.

Good rains were witnessed in Jadcherla, Midjil and Balanagar of Mahabubnagar district. Other regions like Wanaparthy,

Nagarkurnool, Kollapur, Gadwal, Amarachinta, Atmakur and Deverkadra regions also witnessed medium to heavy rains on Sunday.

Nearly 16 to 20 lakh acres in the entire erstwhile Mahbubnagar district will be cultivated during this kharif season. With a daily inflow of about 31,000 cusecs reaching Jurala project, 14,000 cusecs of water were being lifted to fill Bheema, Koilsagar, Nettampad and other major reservoirs in the district. About 20,000 cusecs of water was being left towards Srisailam reservoir through the power generation outlets from Jurala.

According to district agricultural department officials, paddy would be cultivated in major share of the land, followed by other rain-fed crops like maize, groundnut and cotton this season.

District agricultural officer Sucharitha said that they were requesting farmers to go for more profit-making corps like cotton and other oil seed crops. As majority farmers are going for paddy, this will not get them enough profits and they may not get their returns as expected, she observed.