Farmers criticised the government for neglecting the plight of farmers in the district, who have been severely impacted by unfavourable weather conditions.

With the State Disaster Management Authority (APSDMA) recently declaring 54 mandals in five districts of Rayalaseema as drought-hit during the Kharif season, The New Indian Express interacted with farmers in Annamayya district to bring to light the issues faced by them due to the lack of water.

In Kalakada, a severely drought-affected mandal in Annamayya district, dwindling water resources have impacted agriculture activity. With irrigation ponds and wells drying up, farmers are struggling to cultivate their lands. Known for producing tomatoes, groundnuts and paddy, the region has witnessed a sharp decline in acreage due to unfavourable conditions. This year, farmers cultivated groundnuts in 816 acres, tomatoes on 1,427 acres, and rice in 339 acres — which is around 38% to 45% less than the previous years. As a result, farmers have been facing severe losses, particularly with groundnut yield falling short of expectations. Additionally, livestock farmers are also struggling to provide fodder for their cattle.

SV Naidu, a ryot from Kalakada, rued, “I planted tomatoes in 25 acres and spent up to Rs 1 lakh. We have seen little rain this Kharif season. The quantity and quality of my produce have also declined, further forcing me to sell it at a low price.” 

Several mandals reel under drought in Rayalaseema dists

The situation is dire in the entire Pileru constituency.

All the affected mandals have been identified in five Rayalaseema districts of Ananthapur, Sri Sathya Sai, Annamayya, Kurnool, and Chittoor. At 19, Annamayya district has the highest number of severely drought-affected mandals. These include Galiveedu, Chinnamandem, Sambeppalli, T Sundarapalli, Rayachoti, Lakkireddipalli, Ramapuram, Veeraballe, Tamballapalle, Gurrankonda, Kalakada, Pileru, Kalikiri, Valmikipuram, Kurabalakota, B Kothakota, Madanapalle, and Nimmannapalle.

Another farmer from Chinnamandem, lamented, “I have 30 acres of land. However, this year we have not cultivated anything due to lack of rain. We were even forced to sow paddy in Karthika Masam for food grains, but it dried up.”

To gauge the severity of the issue, agricultural officials in Annamayya district have employed scientific methods to estimate groundnut yield cultivated during the Kharif season. Recently, a crop-cutting experiment, conducted in over six acres to assess the groundnut harvest, revealed that a yield of 1,200 kg was recorded, equating to approximately 194 kg per acre and translating to only five bags of produce.

No mandal in Kadapa declared as drought-hit

Meanwhile, in Kadapa, farmers are furious as none of the mandals were declared drought-hit. They argue that excessive rainfall and drought conditions have devastated crops, yet the official statistics fail to reflect their plight. Farmers in Kadapa cultivated crops in over 37,518 hectares this Kharif season, significantly lower than the normal area of 75,189 hectares. They focus mainly on rice, groundnuts, and cotton.

Explaining why it is important to declare drought-hit mandals, a senior official from the Agriculture Department said, “Farmers in the affected mandals are eligible for benefits like loan rescheduling, investment assistance, and special funds for livestock feed. Last year, too, Kadapa district was excluded, forcing farmers to endure continuous losses.”

Mandals such as Pedamudiyam, Kalasapadu, Porumamilla, Badvel, Gopavaram, Thonduru, Atlur, Ontimitta, Siddavatam, and Vempalle have all experienced below-average rainfall. During the last Zilla Parishad meeting, members highlighted the adverse effects of drought on farmers, urging the district administration to respond with subsidies, seeds, and fertilizers needed for farming.

Govt failed to add Kadapa in drought declaration list: CPI

CPI district secretary G Chandra and farmers condemned the government’s failure to include any mandals from Kadapa in the drought declaration list. They warned that if drought mandals are not announced soon, protests are inevitable.

They criticised the government for neglecting the plight of farmers in the district, who have been severely impacted by unfavourable weather conditions.

They noted that excessive rains have brought little benefit, considering that drought conditions have ravaged 20 mandals. The farmers have called for the government to compensate them through crop insurance and investment rebates, arguing that the Central Government’s drought manual has been inadequately followed, leaving farmers in a difficult position.

Declaring the drought-hit mandals, APSDMA Managing Director Ronanki Kurmanath explained that while the State received an average rainfall of 681.6 mm during the monsoon (June-September), which is higher than the normal of 574.7 mm, some mandals experienced below-average rainfall and dry spells. In Kharif 2024, 93.55 lakh acres were cultivated as against 88.55 lakh acres in 2023. The government has acknowledged that despite some regions receiving above-average rainfall, many mandals received significantly less precipitation than needed for optimal crop growth.

According to the Central Agriculture Department’s drought manual, two indicators -- rainfall and dry spell -- and four impact indicators -- agricultural crop area, remote sensing, soil moisture, and hydrology -- are considered while assessing the drought situation. A report from District Collectors indicating crop losses of 33% or more is also mandatory. Based on these assessments, APSDMA has declared severe drought in 27 mandals and moderate drought in another 27 mandals for Kharif 2024.

As per government criteria, drought assessments are based on factors such as rainfall, dry weather, humidity, and hydrology. Reports have been submitted to the government, emphasising that rainfall is the most critical factor for drought declarations. Lack of rain for 21 consecutive days is categorised as a dry spell, and three dry spells during Kharif would classify a mandal as experiencing drought.

Source - https://www.newindianexpress.com