According to information given by officials of the Statistical Department, Saidapur in Yadgir taluk has received the highest rainfall of 67.6 mm on Wednesday. The lowest rainfall of 0.6 mm was recorded in Surpur town in the district. The rainfall received in other places are: Narayanpur 59 mm, Balichakra 54 mm, Kakkera 39 mm, Kodekal 27 mm, Hunasagi 23 mm, Konkal 20 mm, Hattikuni 13 mm, Wadagera 12 mm and Yadgir 10 mm. No rain was recorded at the gauge centres at Gogi, Bheemarayanagudi, Dornalli, Hattigudur in Shahapur taluk. Meanwhile, farmers, who faced severe drought in the last three years, are expecting a good spell of rainfall during the monsoon and hope to recover from the crop loss. According to Agriculture Department sources, the spell of showers would help farmers in preparing land for kharif sowing. The department has set a target of covering 2.69 lakh hectares under various crops for the season. Of this, 85,000 hectares has been earmarked for red gram, followed by 55,000 hectares for paddy, 49,000 hectares for cotton and 45,600 hectares for green gram. Of the total target area, 71,650 hectares is in Yadgir taluk, 99,992 hectares in Shahapur taluk and 97,602 hectares in Surpur taluk, respectively. Chetana Patil, Joint Director of the department, said that area under cotton is likely to increase as farmers in a few parts of the district may take up cotton cultivation, after green gram. She said that farmers would have commenced sowing by this time, if the district had received pre-monsoon rain early. Source - http://www.thehindu.com/