Although only Shorapur taluk received a good spell of rainfall recently, farmers across Yadgir district are expecting widespread rainfall soon to revive sowing activities for the 2023-24 Kharif season.
And, in anticipation, they have started preparing their land to take up sowing for this season.
Green gram and cotton are the main crops in the rain-fed areas across the district.
Meanwhile, the Agriculture Department has set a target of bringing 4.01 lakh hectares under sowing this season.
Of the 4.01 lakh hectares, 3.99 lakh hectares will come under major crops such as paddy, bajra, red gram, groundnut, green gram, sunflower and cotton.
The remaining will have jowar, Bengal gram, wheat, sugarcane, sesamum, soyabean, black gram, horse gram and ragi.
According to information provided by the Agriculture Department, out of the 4.01 lakh hectares target was set for this year, 1.86 lakh hectares will come under cotton followed by 1.01 lakh hectares under paddy, 82,750 hectares red gram, 18,674 hectares green gram, 7,274 hectares bajra, 2,058 hectares sunflower and 1,250 hectares will come under groundnut.
The taluk-wise target is as follows: Shahapur 72,923 hectares followed by Wadagera 54,281 hectares, Shorapur 91,537 hectares, Hunsagi 63,258 hectares, Yadgir 68,822 hectares and Gurmitkal 48,907 hectares.
Out of 72,923 hectares in Shahapur, 38,798 hectares will come under cotton, which is the highest, and 230 hectares will have groundnut, the lowest.
And, 15,430 hectares will have paddy, 950 hectares bajra, 14,000 hectares red gram, 3,140 hectares green gram and 375 hectares will have sunflower.
Of the 54,281 hectares in Wadagera taluk, 26,799 hectares will have cotton, 13,617 hectares paddy, 700 hectares bajra, 11,465 hectares red gram, 1,300 hectares green gram, 95 hectares of groundnut and 305 hectares will have sunflower.
Out of 91,537 hectares that are set as target in Shorapur taluk, 36,500 hectares will come under cotton, 35,037 hectares paddy, 3,100 hectares bajra, 13,500 hectares red gram, 2,800 hectares green gram, 230 hectares of groundnut and 370 hectares will have sunflower.
Of the targeted 63,258 hectares in Hunsagi taluk, 25,666 hectares will have paddy, 25,000 hectares cotton, 1,200 hectares bajra, 9,500 hectares red gram, 1,495 hectares green gram, 95 hectares groundnut and 302 hectares will have sunflower.
Of the 68,822 hectares in Yadgir taluk, 35,500 hectares will come under cotton, 5,995 hectares paddy, 897 hectares bajra, 20,000 hectares red gram, 5,700 hectares green gram, 360 hectares of groundnut and 370 hectares will have sunflower.
Of the 48,907 hectares that has been targeted in Gurmitkal taluk, 23,699 hectares will have cotton, 5,661 hectares paddy, 427 hectares bajra, 14,285 hectares red gram, 4,259 hectares green gram, 240 hectares groundnut and 336 hectares will see sunflower.
Seeds, fertilizer
Sources in the department further said that the seed stock situation is as follows: paddy 51.50 quintals, red gram 209.34 quintals and green gram 128.46 quintals.
Fertilizers in stock are as follows: 27,158 tonnes of urea, diammonium phosphate (DAP) 9,980 tonnes, Muriate of Potash (MOP) 300 tonnes and 21,597 tonnes of NPKS [Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium or Potash and Sulphur].
Rainfall
The taluk-wise break-up of rain is as follows: Shahapur taluk received 10.3 mm rainfall against a normal of 4.9 mm. Shorapur received 1.8 mm rainfall against a normal of 4.4 mm. Yadgir taluk received 1.3 mm rainfall against a normal of 5.3 mm. Gurmitkal taluk received 0.3 mm rainfall against a normal of 4.6 mm. Wadagera taluk received 0.5 mm rainfall against a normal of 3.7 mm, while Hunsagi taluk received 0.2 mm rainfall against a normal of 1.4 mm, the sources said.
And, farmers are now expecting a good spell of rainfall to taking up sowing green gram which is considered a short-term cash crop in the district, the sources added.
