Agri crisis looms large

Crops withering away due to dry spell; farmers in distress

Hyderabad: A major agricultural crisis looms over Telangana State this year. Continuous dry spell, fast depleting ground water levels and dead storage level in the reservoirs has badly hit the sowing area during the present Kharif season. According to official figures, sowing of food grains had taken place only in 65 per cent of the total area of 4143302 hectares. What is worse is that the standing crops are also on the verge of withering away due to the prevailing severe drought conditions.

According to experts, even if the State gets some rain now it would not help in saving even 50 per cent of the crop. As per the Crop Coverage Report of the Agriculture Department ending July 29, 2015, paddy was sown only in 1.19 lakh hectares out of the target of 10.59 lakh hectares set, which means only 11 per cent of the area was covered. This is the lowest in the last four years.

However, experts say that paddy was not a problem as it is mainly sown in Khammam and Warangal districts where canal or bore well irrigation is available. The problem is mainly with cash crops like cotton and maize which are cost intensive. Though these crops have been sown in about 90 per cent of the area, with no rainfall they are getting dried up leaving the farmers distressed.

A visit to Koderu in Kollapur and Narayanpet area of Mahbubnagar district which are perennially drought prone indicate that hundreds of cattle are already being traded in the weekly markets which are ultimately sent to slaughter houses. Selling of cattle by farmers is a signal of impending drought. The other districts where drought conditions are acute are Medak and Ranga Reddy.

Last year 14 states had received drought assistance from Centre but the Telangana Government did not declare any area as drought affected. This year too it has not made any assessment of the situation. C Parthasarathy Secretary Agriculture and Cooperation said, “We are closely monitoring the situation in the districts as the IMD predicted that the State would receive rains. Government will wait till August end and depending on the situation it will draw up a contingency plan.”

He said withering of crops has been noticed in Mahbubnagar and some parts of Nalgonda and Khammam districts during the last two weeks. A Lingaiah from Nagarkurnool in Mahbubngar district said that paddy sown in his two acres was completely damaged as it was not irrigated. He neither got a bank loan nor Rs 25,000 which he had taken as institutional credit was waived. “I expected some relief from the government but I have lost hopes after my crops dried completely,” he added.

Telangana Rythu Sangham vice president P Sagar, who is presently visiting the districts to assess the situation, said the government allocated Rs 24,000 crore as institution credit to farmers this year. Not a single farmer has received any help so far. During his visit many farmers were seen in deep distress because of the debt burden coupled with crop damage, he said. Telangana stands next to Maharashtra in farmers suicides, he added.

Even the Jayati Ghosh committee had observed that farmers commit suicide due to crop failure. Telangana is a dry land area and it has been witnessing crop failure though it was trying to usher in a green revolution. About 85 per cent of farmers are either marginal or small and live under poor socio-economic conditions. Failure of monsoon this year will push them in to more hardship.

By:Patan Afzal Babu