HYDERABAD: Even as the state govt urges farmers to avoid paddy amid concerns over water availability and the possibility of El Nino-induced rainfall deficiency, agriculture department expects cultivation to cover 70 lakh to 75 lakh acres during the coming Yasangi season.
The agriculture department projects an acreage of 70 lakh to 75 lakh acres for the forthcoming Yasangi season.
The projected acreage is significantly lower than the 92 lakh acres cultivated during the previous Yasangi season, when irrigation water was readily available. Some experts, however, expect the area under cultivation to fall below 50 lakh acres this season, citing declining reservoir levels and depleted groundwater reserves.The wide gap between these estimates highlights the uncertainty over the Rabi season, with actual acreage depending on water availability, weather conditions and farmers’ crop choices.The agriculture department plans to distribute subsidised seeds and conduct awareness programmes to encourage farmers to grow pulses, oilseeds, vegetables and other crops requiring less water. Under the National Mission on Edible Oils, the department aims to promote groundnut, sunflower, sesame and safflower across 51,225 acres. It has prepared 28,680 quintals of seeds, with the Centre allocating 49 crore to Telangana under the programme. Depending on the crop, seed variety and scheme conditions, farmers may receive subsidies ranging from 50% to 75%.
