Rains delay tobacco cultivation in Prakasam
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The latest rains forward of Deepavali has develop into a bane for the farmers in the standard tobacco rising area in Prakasam district.
It was unseasonal rains in January this 12 months that put paid to the hopes of tobacco growers to get a great grade out-turn, the present moist spell has submerged the crops in amongst different areas of Ongole, Vellampalli, Tangutur, Kandukur and Kaligiri.
As a consequence, the farmers must go for contemporary plantation in the areas the place rejuvenation of the crops has been dominated out. The rain through the peak sowing season of tobacco seedlings has broken the crops in greater than 250 hectares in the Southern Light Soil(SLS) as additionally Southern Black Soil area(SBS).
The downpour has delayed the sowing of different rabi crops because the farmers have adopted a wait-and-watch coverage.
Tobacco, the principal industrial crop in Prakasam district, have been planted in about 20,000 hectares in SLS and SBS areas thgus far, hen in comparison with the 27,000 hectares through the corresponding interval final 12 months, SBS Regional Manager R. Srinvasulu Naidu stated, after taking inventory of the seasonal situation in the areas coming beneath the SBS public sale platforms.
“Farmers could take up tobacco cultivation only in about 40% of the intended area in the two regions. The sowing of seedlings in other areas may be delayed by another two to three weeks as the farmers have to wait for the excess water to drain especially in the SBS region,” Mr. Srinvasulu Naidu informed The Puucho.
Expenses to go up
Meanwhile, tobacco farmers have their fingers crossed.
“The incessant rains have flooded my fields a few weeks after I completed sowing operations to recoup the losses incurred during last cropping season when coronavirus-induced lockdown coincided with the peak marketing season. Now, I have no other option than replantation, which involves additional expenses,” lamented V.V.Prasad, a tobacco farmer from Chekurapadu village close to N.G.Padu.
The regular showers has additionally delayed the sowing of chillies, black gram and bengal gram and others in the district.
Low acreage
Rabi crops has been taken up solely in 31,345 hectares as in opposition to the goal of two.56 lakh hectares mounted by the Agriculture Department. Sowing of bengal gram, the principal pulse crop, has been accomplished solely in 2,545 hectares as in opposition to the traditional extent of 95,554 hectares,” stated Agriculture Joint Director P.V. Sriramamurthy, including that the general crop acreage has been solely 13% so far.
Standing crops in 3,142.60 hectares belonging to three,252 farmers in 98 villages had been broken by November 18, stated a preliminary report compiled by the Agriculture Department. Cotton crops in 1,349 hectares suffered a harm, adopted by black gram in 654 hectares, stated Mr. Sriramamurthy, including {that a} detailed enumeration is on throughout the district.
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