Monsoon delay hits farmers hard

The delay of the rainy season has been hitting farmers, who had already sown the seed, hard. They are looking up at the skies for rain God to bless them.

The delay of the rainy season has been hitting farmers, who had already sown the seed, hard. They are looking up at the skies for rain God to bless them.

In many places, farmers started sowing the seeds of cotton and some other crops but the seeds are not germinating, increasing their worries. Though at one or two places, seeds have germinated with little shoots popping up, they are not strong enough to withstand till the rain comes.

Similar is the situation in several districts where one or two spells were seen but not strong enough to sustain the seeds. Farmers fear that many of them may lose their investments if there are no rains in the next two or three days.

In some villages, farmers were seen pouring water with small cans in the fields where seeds were sown so that they can protect them till the rains.

“There are about 3.5 lakh acres of cultivable land in Sangareddy district, in which about 20% farmers might have sown seeds while remaining are waiting for the rainy season to commence. In many places, seeds have not yet germinated,” B. Narasimha Rao, District Agriculture Officer, said.