Erratic rains dash Anantapur farmers’ hopes

ANANTAPUR: Vagaries of nature are bringing tears to the farmers in Anantapur, a drought-prone district. Seeing a good amount of rain at the beginning of the Kharif, groundnut farmers of Anantapur were jubilant, but midway, dry spell dashed their hopes. And when they started removing the dried-up crop to be used as fodder, heavy rains left them helpless.

In June and July, the district received abundant rains which raised hopes of the groundnut farmers for a better yield, but the following months of August and September witnessed dry spells. In June, against the normal rainfall of 63.9 mm, the district received 102.9 mm.  In July, there was 84.3 per cent surplus rain. As against normal rainfall of 67.4 mm, the district received 124.2 mm. However, in August as against 88.7 mm normal rainfall, the district received only 71.5 mm and in the next month — September  — it received just 46.1 mm against the normal rainfall of 118.4 mm. 

As the farmers were preparing to remove the dried up groundnut crop for using it as fodder for cattle, to get something out of what they sow, the heavy downpour in October dashed their hopes. The district has received 117.6 mm rainfall as against the normal rainfall of 91.9 mm.  The district received surplus rainfall during the monsoon, but unequal distribution of the rains created troubles for the farmers. As per the data available with officials, out of 63 mandals in the district, 15 have received heavy rains while 14 scanty rainfall. Bommanahalli mandal was the most affected . As against the normal rainfall of 3.3.4 mm it received just .94 mm. 

On the contrary, Nagulapalli Kunta mandal received 103 per cent surplus rains. Against normal rainfall of 452 mm, it received 922 mm. “Rains have played with our lives and we were completely at the mercy of nature. I cultivated groundnut in 20 acres and was happy seeing good rains in June and July, but after that there were no rains and I was helpless seeing the withering crop. Thought, I would scrap something and as I was removing the crop to use it as fodder, there were heavy rains. I lost the crop completely,” rued Hanumantha Rayudu, a farmer from Kurlapalle village of Kalyandurg mandal. Many other farmers have similar stories to tell.