Identify rain deficit areas; submit drought report, officials told

Hyderabad: Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao instructed officials on Thursday to identify rainfall deficit areas across the state and coordinate with revenue authorities to submit comprehensive mandal drought proposals. Reviewing conditions with senior department officials, he explained that central drought management guidelines mandate evaluating multiple parameters alongside rainfall shortfalls, including dry spells, sown areas, vegetation indexes, soil moisture, reservoir reserves, groundwater levels, fodder availability, drinking water supplies, employment, and migration trends.

Stressing the need to assess drought severity through field observations, Tummala noted that central guidelines categorize a 20 to 59 per cent rainfall deficit as deficient, 60 to 99 per cent as severe deficiency, and zero rain as a critical emergency. Furthermore, cultivated areas falling below 85 per cent of normal levels indicate drought, while acreage dropping to 75 per cent or less signifies severe distress.

Reacting to the recent central minimum support price revisions for the Rabi Marketing Season 2027-28, which raised rates by Rs 675 per quintal for safflower, Rs 413 for rapeseed-mustard, Rs 390 for masoor, Rs 136 for barley, Rs 83 for groundnut, and Rs 25 for wheat, Tummala stated that federal responsibility extends beyond mere price announcements. He urged the Central Government to ensure support prices effectively reach every farmer through complete crop procurement.

Highlighting that the Centre currently procures only 25 per cent of state pulse and oilseed yields through NAFED under the Price Support Scheme, Tummala urged 100 per cent procurement of all notified crops in light of prevailing El Nino conditions and climate change. He emphasized that farmers receive full support prices only when central agencies actively procure entire harvests.

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The Hans India