The unpredictable rain patterns in the State have heightened the misery of farmers as thousands of hectares of crops were washed away this year by pre-monsoon rains. According to government data, agricultural crops on 9,581.62 hectares of land and horticultural crops on 12,060.86 hectares were lost due to rain between March and May.
Bidar, which often sees periods of drought, has received excessive rainfall this year, thereby facing the worst crop loss. The district received a total of 200 mm rainfall between March and May, which is a 235% departure from normal, according to the database of Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC). As a result, a total of 5,577 hectares of agricultural crops and 1,292 hectares of horticultural crops were washed away in the district.
Similarly, in Yadgir, where 1,115.73 hectares of agricultural crops were lost, 98 mm rainfall was recorded during pre-monsoon, which was a 62% departure from normal rainfall. These two districts were followed by Davanagere, Raichur and Chitradurga districts which were also majorly affected by agricultural crop loss.
