Deprecated (16384): The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead. - /home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line: 150
 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php. [CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311]
Deprecated (16384): The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead. - /home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line: 151
 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php. [CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311]
Warning (512): Unable to emit headers. Headers sent in file=/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php line=853 [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 48]
Warning (2): Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php:853) [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 148]
Warning (2): Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php:853) [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 181]
LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Facing drought, Telangana shifts focus to dry crops -Bappa Majumdar

Facing drought, Telangana shifts focus to dry crops -Bappa Majumdar

Share this article Share this article
published Published on Jun 12, 2015   modified Modified on Jun 12, 2015
-The Times of India

HYDERABAD: In a major policy shift that could shape the future of agriculture in Telangana, the government on Wednesday said it was getting ready to grow dry crops such as ragi and bajra in view of an impending drought after the killer heat wave in the region.

Unseasonal rains in MarchApril had damaged Rabi crops in 75,000 hectares across nine districts of the state, forcing the government to admit to a steep decline in agriculture output this year. The heat wave that followed also dried up nearly 18 lakh borewells and destroyed horticulture crops. With the India Meteorological Department (IMD) now predicting deficient rainfall in 580 out of 676 districts across the country, including the largely arid region of Telangana, agriculture economists have suggested that only a change in tack can save farmers from huge losses and suicides.

Faced with these alarming realities, the government has said it is willing to adapt to the vagaries of nature and has been holding extensive talks with farm bodies to prepare for a bad monsoon. "We have come up with a contingency plan. We have been convincing farmers that in case we get early indication of failing rain, they must grow dry crops to overcome heavy losses," P Srinivas Reddy, state agriculture minister, told TOI.

The government is piling up stocks of millet, pulses, bajra, jowar and ragi seeds, and has conducted workshops with farmer bodies in all districts between May 26 and June 5. "We have kept seeds and fertilizers ready and we can tell you this is part of a new strategy to save farmers and give new shape to agriculture in the state," the minister said.

Weather experts said Telangana is vulnerable to extreme weather events such as unseasonal rains, severe heat waves and drought. "The monsoon has been delayed and if the IMD forecast of deficient rainfall turns out to be correct, the cotton production will come down by half and paddy and other crops will suffer a lot," said Aldas Janaiah, senior professor and researcher at the Acharya NG Ranga Agricultural University.

"It's high time to change our farming tactics as lakhs of borewells have gone dry. Unless the farmers are convinced about sowing millets and other dry crops, farmer suicides will rise manifold," he added. About 700 farmers committed suicide this year amid mounting debts and poor production of paddy, maize and cotton.

Former planning commission member and JNU professor Abhijit Sen also said there is an urgent need for a change in the agriculture policy of Telangana."What has been done so far in the agri sector is clearly not enough and the realization has dawned upon the government now that digging borewells will simply not work. They need to look at alternatives," Sen said from New Delhi. Bulk farm ing in Telangana depends on rainfall in the catchment areas of Godavari and Krishna rivers apart from irrigation projects. Almost 25 per cent of the farm land relies on ground water. With the drastic reduction in water leveles, farmer bodies have pressed the panic button.

"We have gone from 50 feet deep 30 years ago to 1,000 feet in search of water now. No government came to guide us forward, despite us telling them there is need for change in policies," said P Chengal Reddy , chief advisor, Consortium of Indian Farmers.

Icrisat welcomes proposal

Icrisat welcomed the government's contingency move, saying crops like pearl millet (bajra) or jowar require much less rain and are well adapted to drought-prone areas. "A crop of pearl millet or sorghum (jowar) would make it with as little as 300 mm of rainfall whereas rice would need at least 3 times as much in the rainy season. As such, they also reduce the risk of crop failure compared to rice and bring resilience to farming systems," said Dr Vincent Vadez, assistant research program director, Dryland Cereals, Icrisat.


The Times of India, 11 June, 2015, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/Facing-drought-Telangana-shifts-focus-to-dry-crops/articleshow/47622721.cms


Related Articles

 

Write Comments

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*

Video Archives

Archives

share on Facebook
Twitter
RSS
Feedback
Read Later

Contact Form

Please enter security code
      Close