On the back of a normal monsoon in the State, the cultivation target for paddy in the kharif season is 15.90 lakh hectares. It is less than the last year's target of 16.25 lakh hectares. In fact, the target was less last year also when compared to the 2018 kharif season which was 16.26 lakh hectares.
According to information, the normal sowing during the season was 16.03 lakh hectares in the 2016 kharif season. Now, the normal sowing during the season is just 14.97 lakh hectares. The normal sowing has been on decline since 2016.
Districts such as East and West Godavari and Krishna, which are known for paddy cultivation, have shown a decline trend in paddy sowing. For instance, the normal paddy sowing in Krishna was 2,45,279 hectares in 2016 kharif. It has slipped to 2,30,375 hectares now (2020). Similarly, it was only 2,23,431 hectares in East Godavari as against 2,29,617 hectares in 2016. Likewise, the normal sowing was 2,38,524 hectares in West Godavari in 2016 and is now 2,27,161 hectares.
Strikingly, districts like Srikakulam have shown a steady growth. In Srikakulam, the normal sowing was 2,04,661 hectares in 2016 and rose to 2,07,432 hectares in 2020. Similarly, the normal sowing was 1,19,069 hectares in 2016 in Vizianagaram and now stands at 1,22,007 hectares.
Main reason
“The decline in some districts is primarily due to switching over to other crops or aquaculture. The farmers feel other crops/ aqua culture is better than paddy cultivation,” says an official on condition of anonymity.
The agriculture officials, however, are hopeful that the paddy cultivation will surpass the set targets in view of normal monsoon. So far, the rainfall is excess. The season's normal rainfall is 556 mm, while it was 126.2 as on July 8. Overall, the average rainfall received in the State from June 1 to July 8 was recorded as 159.9 mm as against normal as on date is 126.2 mm. Also, all major reservoirs are holding 328.29 tmcft compared to 189.62 tmcft last year as on July 8. “This will encourage the farmers to go for sowing. Also, reaping a bumper crop yield this season is likely with the Met department predicting a normal monsoon this year,” opines a senior official.
The agriculture officials say that they have commenced seed distribution by taking a village as a unit. The seed distribution is under progress. Paddy crop is at nurseries to the transplantation stage. Early sown paddy is at vegetative to tillering stage, say the officials.