Image has been used for representational purpose only. , Photo Credit: Arun Kulkarni
The ongoing spell of rains may spell trouble for people living in low-lying areas of towns and cities and may have helped speed up sowing/planting of kharif crops in Telangana, but the delay in rain intensity has already hurt agriculture. Of pulses
The fall in quantity seems to be adversely affecting the prices of processed pulses, not only in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh but also in neighboring Karnataka and Maharashtra, from where the state gets most of its supplies, as well as in other states as pulses have risen by 10% to 20% during the last three-four weeks.
Babulal, a retailer, said, “The price of processed red gram, one of the major ingredients in the daily diet, has increased by ₹10 to ₹15 per kg even in roadside shops, where it has touched ₹145 to ₹155 per kg.” In supermarkets also it has reached Rs 155 to Rs 175 per kg.
According to the Agriculture Department, even by the end of the third week of July, the cultivation of pulses has not reached even half of the normal limit of the season. Till July 19, red gram was sown in 3.52 lakh acres, green gram in 0.38 lakh acres and urad in 0.15 lakh acres.
The rains since last two weeks have helped in expediting sowing/planting of Kharif crops as sowing has reached about 57.25 lakh acres as against 53.67 lakh acres at the same time last year. This is the first time in this season that the cultivation of Kharif crops has become more than the same period last year.
A senior official said on the condition of anonymity, “Though the rains have worked well for kharif cultivation, the cultivation of moong, moong and urad is already over, as short duration pulses – After sowing of moong and urad, there is a possibility of problems in harvesting, as the crop will reach the harvesting stage during heavy rains in October/November.
Agriculture officials said cotton, one of the two major kharif crops, may not reach the planned range of 50 lakh to 60 lakh acres as it has so far been sown in 37.98 lakh acres and there is hardly any time left for its recommended sowing. , Delayed rains are likely to reduce the area under major crops even after late planting, although the government is planning to advance its cultivation in kharif as compared to rabi paddy to avoid losses due to untimely rains.