The moderate rainfall that parts of Hyderabad Karnataka received in mid-August had initially removed the threat of drought in the region. With a prolonged dry spell coming to an end, farmers across the region whose red gram crop was struggling to withstand the moisture stress had heaved a sigh of relief. But their joy was short-lived as the normalcy of dry spell has returned to the region.
“The dying red gram somehow survived because of the brief rainfall earlier this month. However, with the disappearance of rains, moisture stress has returned. The crop is in dire need of rains. If the area doesn’t receive rainfall in the near future, the crop will die,” said Kalyanrao Kulkarni, a farmer from Kumsi village in Kalaburagi taluk.
According to information provided by the Agriculture Department, the crop is cultivated on 5.66 lakh hectares in these three districts alone, with Kalaburagi leading with 4.46 lakh hectares, followed by Bidar (68,000 hectares) and Yadgir (52,000 hectares).
Almost the same is the fate of soya crops in Bidar and Kalaburagi and groundnut in Ballari. Soya is cultivated on 1.72 lakh hectares in Bidar and 23,402 hectares in Kalaburagi. Groundnut is cultivated on 50,000 hectares in Ballari.
The mid-August rains had indeed threatened the farmers cultivating green gram and black gram as their crops were at the harvesting stage. Now, harvesting is in full swing. Green gram is cultivated on around 46,000 hectares in Kalaburagi, 24,000 hectares in Yadgir, and 22,000 hectares in Bidar. Black gram is cultivated on 26,272 hectares in Kalaburagi and 19,000 hectares in Bidar. “We have already sent a report to the government requesting it to declare Yadgir a drought-hit district. Shahapur and Surpur taluks, where cotton, red gram and pearl millet are cultivated, are the worst-hit. Even in Yadgir taluk, the yield is likely to reduce by 20-30%,” said Devika R., Joint Director of Agriculture, Yadgir.
Drought in Raichur
Farmers in Raichur, whose lands are partially irrigated by the Tungabhadra Left Bank Canal, have a different story to tell. Except for parts of Raichur taluk, most of the areas, including Manvi, Sindhanur, Lingasugur, Sirwar, and Maski taluks, continue to reel under drought. There is little hope of survival for a major portion of cotton, sunflower, red gram and pearl millet — the major crops in the rain-fed areas of the district, sown on around 4 lakh hectares. Some have already died without getting germinated in the warm soil while others have died as young plants unable to withstand the moisture stress.
“In my village, Bettadur in Manvi taluk, most of the crops have dried out. My cousin had sown cotton and sunflower seeds worth ₹70,000, and no seed could germinate. Same is the fate of the other farmers, including those who have taken my land on lease for cultivation,” Chamarasa Malipatil, honorary president of the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha, told The Hindu.
Even if the fields receive rains soon, it would be of no use to the farmers in the rain-fed areas as they cannot re-cultivate kharif crops at this stage. Re-sowing of cotton, the area’s major crop, at this stage would definitely invite a massive onslaught of pink bollworm, the pest that destroyed cotton fields in the district a couple of years ago. “If the fields receive rains hereafter, it in no way helps the kharif crops, but [it] might help the rabi crops,” Mr. Malipatil said.
Little for maize
The rains did not help maize growers in Ballari as their crop, standing on about 75,000 hectares, had already reached the reproductive stage.
With the Tungabhadra reservoir full thanks to the heavy rainfall in its catchment area, paddy transplantation is in full swing across the irrigated belt in Koppal, Ballari and parts of Raichur. In some fields in Ballari that receive inadequate water for paddy cultivation, the farmers are going for cotton. Sources said the area of cotton cultivation is be around 55,000 hectares.
(With inputs from M. Ahiraj in Ballari)