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Acting early proves costly for cotton farmers
The cotton farmers, who hoped of early monsoon arrival and acted in advance in sowing the crop, are now in a tight spot as the rains play truant.It might be noted that except for some isolated rain activity, the district mainly remained dry for the past few weeks. This is causing cotton seedlings to wither in large extent of land and compelled farmers to feed the crop manually carrying water.
​Warangal: The cotton farmers, who hoped of early monsoon arrival and acted in advance in sowing the crop, are now in a tight spot as the rains play truant.
It might be noted that except for some isolated rain activity, the district mainly remained dry for the past few weeks. This is causing cotton seedlings to wither in large extent of land and compelled farmers to feed the crop manually carrying water in buckets.
According to the agriculture officials, cotton is sown in around 60,000 acres across Warangal district.
Lured by early monsoon forecast and pre-monsoon rain activity, farmer sown the crop going against the advise of agriculture officials.
In view of the fact that nearly 50 percent of 5.31 lakh hectares of cultivable land in the district are rain fed, farmers have no option but to wait for rains to feed the crops. Here cotton crop would normally be taken up in around 2.4 lakh hectares.
The crop is getting affected mainly in mandals like Narsampet, Mahabubabad, Mulug, Wardhannapet, Geesukonda, Sangem, Devaruppula, Narmetta, Maddur, Narsimhulapet and others which received scanty rainfall in this month.
‘This time it is planned to reduce the cotton crop extent by 20 to 30 percent. Since the beginning of the season farmers are told not to act hastily and wait for monsoon to be fully active for sowing,’ said joint director agriculture D Usha. Cotton needs at least 60 mm rainfall for taking up sowing and the crop sown in the mandals where there is below the volume are now in trouble due to severe moisture stress, said District Agricultural Technology and Transfer (DATT) centre coordinator R Uma Reddy.
Feeding the crop manually with buckets of water is not feasible and could not sustain the crop. Majority of the area, where the crop is already sown, requires re-sowing and it could lead to shortage of seeds as it would be difficult to procure the seeds urgently, he told The Hans India.
Cotton could be taken up till July 15 and the farmers should not act hurriedly, he added.
The lack of rains have also dashed the hopes of paddy farmers, who planned to take up long duration varieties like Samba Masoori. The time for taking up long duration varieties is over on June 21 and farmers should go for medium duration varieties, Uma Reddy said.
“We anticipated good rainfall this season. The crop is withering due to lack of rain,” complained Bhukya Soni and Bhukya Ashwini of Chintanekkonda thanda of Sangem mandal in the district. They had sown the crop in their two acre land at the thanda.
By: James Edwin
