Andhra receives record rainfall

The government has planned to ensure supply of 4 million tonne of chemical fertilisers to the farmers during the ongoing Kharif season

Andhra Pradesh received  69 per cent excess rainfall in the first fortnight of this month, which is a record-high in the last 10 years and a good start for the farm sector during the ongoing Kharif season. This time around, the monsoon entered the state a few days ahead of the normal date of June 5, while bringing copious rains triggering massive Kharif operations.

The Chief minister’s office (CMO) on Saturday said that instructions were issued to vapors wings of the government as well as the bankers to make a coordinated effort to help the farmers make use of the timely rains. According to the government data, the state had received 88 million metre (mm) rainfall between June 1 and June 15 as against the normal rain fall of 52.1 mm for the same period.

About 400,000 hectare area has been sown, 16 per cent above the normal area as on date, and is 5 per cent of the normal area of 8.11 million hectare sown during the Kharif season, according to the CMO.

The inflows received so far at all the major reservoirs in the state have also been encouraging. Good inflows into the reservoirs is expected to push the paddy cultivation under the irrigated areas, the CMO stated.

The state government said that over 1 million tonne of subsidised seed of various crops, including 431,000 tonne of groundnut seed, had been positioned and so far 577,000 quintal had been distributed on a subsidy worth Rs 108.91 crore.

The government has also planned to ensure supply of 4 million tonne of chemical fertilisers to the farmers during the ongoing Kharif season.