Telangana farmers worried over monsoon delay

Khammam: The crop year in the second week of June commenced in the district amidst anxiety, tension and confusion of the farmers. Anticipating timely entering of South-West monsoon, the farming community made all arrangements such as seeds and fertilisers placing for the Eruvaka. But, there is no sign of  the monsoon. The Met does not see any quick progress of its arrival, which is crucial for farming.

The Met office had initially said monsoon was on time, only to clarify later saying it is delayed by a week. The monsoon rains are the main source of water for 60 per cent of the district’s  land. These rains are crucial for four lakh farmers in the district. M. Rama Rao, a farmer from Thallada said that anxiety over delayed rains is not new to the farmers of Khammam. “The peasants are facing such an experience for the last four years and bearing heavy losses in farming. They cannot bear another trouble this year too,” he said.

As the agriculture department campaigned more on pulses and cultivation of cotton, many of the farmers obtained seeds to sow redgram and maize this kharif. Interestingly, some mandals such as Karepalli, Mulakapalli, Kusumanchi, Chandr-ugonda, Pinapaka, Tekulapalli, Garla, Bayyaram, Sattupalli and Aswaraopet witnessed some rains in the last week of May. But, there are no rains after commencement of Eruvaka. K. Sampath, an agricultural officer said that erratic monsoon has become common in the country and the farmers should be immune to the new system.