Visakhapatnam: The Kharif season is nearing its end in Andhra Pradesh, with around 73% of sowing completed as of September 11.

The season is expected to conclude in two weeks across the coastal and Rayalaseema districts.

According to the state agriculture department, sowing has been completed on 23.86 lakh hectares (lh) out of the estimated 32.5 lakh hectares, marking a 5.5% increase compared to last year’s 22.65 lakh hectares. Despite early rainfall in June raising hopes for a promising season, insufficient rainfall in the latter half of the month posed challenges for farmers.

Major crops being cultivated include paddy, pulses, groundnut, cotton, oilseeds, and millets. Dr. BR Ambedkar Konaseema district leads with 93% sowing completed, followed by Kakinada and Kurnool at 91%. Srikakulam stands at 88%, with other districts like Parvathipuram Manyam and East Godavari at 86%, and Krishna at 84%. However, Annamayya and Nellore districts have the lowest sowing completion at 38%.

Despite these challenges, Andhra Pradesh has received 35% more rainfall than usual this monsoon, with 565.8 mm recorded between June 1 and September 11, compared to the average of 418.3 mm. Coastal Andhra Pradesh and parts of Rayalaseema experienced heavy rain between August 30 and September 8.

Srikakulam District Agriculture Officer K. Sridhar believes the increased rainfall could enhance crop yields, predicting 5,000 kgs of paddy per hectare. However, he warned that excessive rain could negatively impact production. In districts like Krishna, NTR, Guntur, and Godavari, recent rains have damaged standing crops in thousands of acres.

Farmers like G. Ganesh from Vizianagaram are hopeful that normal rainfall in the coming months will lead to improved yields this season.

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