Deficit rainfall leaves farmers worried in Malnad

Against a normal of 539 mm, the region, consisting of four districts, received only 327 mm between June 1 and July 9

The Malnad region received deficit rainfall after the onset of the southwest monsoon, leaving the farming community worried. Farmers who already began the cultivation, hoping for good rains, are worried about the crop, while those yet to sow seeds are still waiting for the right time. Against a normal of 539 mm of rainfall, the region, consisting of four districts, received only 327 mm between June 1 and July 9, registering a deficit of 39%. After the first two weeks in June, many places in this region did not receive heavy rains at all. Shivammoga district registered rainfall of 438.9 mm against the normal 696.4 mm. Chikkamagaluru received 294.7 mm against the normal of 493.4 mm. In Hassan, the rainfall recorded was 157.6 mm against the normal of 238 mm. H.R. Basavarajappa, a farmer and leader of Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha, said farmers had been facing difficulty due to a dip in rainfall. “The cultivation has been affected due to erratic rainfall. There was a gap of 20 days between rainy days. Farmers cultivating maize are losing hope of good yield.”