Having seen heavy losses during the past two years, groundnut farmers in Mahbubnagar, Wanaparthy, Gadwal and Nagarkurnool districts are pinning their hopes for good yield on at least this Rabi season.  According to Agriculture Extension Department officials in Mahbubnagar, this year, out of expected 2.60 lakh hectares of total crops sown, the farmers in all the four districts are expected to sow groundnut over 88,787 hectares. Unlike in Kharif, which is mainly dominated by paddy, maize and jowar crops, farmers during Rabi season go for various types of crops like groundnut, sunflower, onions and other horticulture crops in addition to maize, paddy and Jowar. However, this year, majority of farmers is inclining towards sowing groundnut crops, despite having seen huge losses during the past two years. As part of this, the Agriculture Department is also well prepared and has stocked about 98,000 quintals of different varieties of seeds to be distributed to the farmers. “Out of 98,000 quintals of total seeds, we have already dispersed 48,000 quintals of groundnut seeds to various mandals for stocking, of which 27,000 quintals of groundnut seeds have already been distributed to the farmers on subsidy,” informed Dr Ramakrishna, Agriculture Extension Coordinator, Mahbubnagar. If we go by district-wise details of the cropping pattern this Rabi season, as against a normal sowing of 56,956 hectares of area in Mahbubnagar, about 25,844 hectares of land is expected to be covered with groundnut crop this season, while remaining land is expected to be cultivated with other crops like pulses, green gram, sunflower, onion and mirchi. In Wanaparthy, out of a total 35,485 hectares of cropping during Rabi, this season about 24,938 hectors accounting to more than 70 per cent of the total cropping areas will be covered by groundnut. During the past two years I have lost heavily sowing groundnut just because of lack of rains. This season we have had enough rains and the groundwater levels have risen. Even the tanks which were left empty during the past two years have adequate water. So this year again am going for groundnut and expecting to reap a good yield,” informed Banovath Narasimha, from Korlakunta village of Pangal mandal from Wanaparthy district. Similarly, the farmers in Nagarkurnool district are also giving more focus on sowing groundnut crop. Out of a total 39,472 hectares of cropping areas, the farmers in this district are sowing groundnut over about 27,995 hectares. However, unlike about three district farmers, the ryots  in Gadwal district are giving priority to green gram and pulses which is expected to cover over 22,012 hectares, while groundnut crops is expected to be sown over 10,050 hectares. Overall, the farmers in Mahbubnagar, Wanaparthy, Nagarkurnool and Gadwal districts are expecting good groundnut yields due to adequate rains and rise in groundwater levels. However, the agriculture officers are advising the farmers to be cautious and asking them to check the water source availability before going to groundnut sowing. Source - http://www.thehansindia.com