20% fall likely in paddy over dry spell in T’gana

Hyderabad Paddy cultivation in Telangana is likely to witness a shortfall of at least 20% this Kharif season due to deficit rainfall causing a dry spell on account of El Nino conditions across the state, officials said on Wednesday

Hyderabad Paddy cultivation in Telangana is likely to witness a shortfall of at least 20% this Kharif season due to deficit rainfall causing a dry spell on account of El Nino conditions across the state, officials said on Wednesday.

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According to an agriculture department official, the paddy, which is the major Kharif crop in Telangana, has been raised only in 50,11,417 acres till August 25, as against the targeted 65,95,645 acres, accounting for a shortfall of 24.02%.

“Though farmers still have time to take up paddy transplantation until the end of August, the scope for a substantial increase in the paddy area is limited keeping in view the present rainfall situation. The dry conditions are expected to prevail till this month end, restricting further paddy cultivation,” the official said.

Officials initially expected the paddy area to pick up with the arrival of rains and the availability of water for transplantation. However, the continuing dry spell in several parts of the state has reduced the likelihood of a major increase in the cultivated area before the end of the transplantation window.

The state has been experiencing deficient rainfall during the current season, and the prevailing dry conditions this month are likely to further restrict paddy cultivation.

As per the inputs from the Indian Meteorological Department, Telangana has recorded a 28.68% rainfall deficit during the Kharif season so far. As many as 15 districts and 266 mandals have received below-normal rainfall, raising concerns over the expansion of crop acreage during the remaining period of the season.

The district which recorded deficit rainfall are: Adilabad, Warangal, Hanumakonda, Mahabubabad, Jangaon, Khammam, Badradri Kothagudem, Medchal Malkajgiri, Narayanpet, Nagarkurnool, Wanaparthy, Jogulamba Gadwal, Nalgonda, Suryapet and Yadadri Bhongiri.

“During the 2025 Kharif season, paddy cultivation in Telangana covered approximately 67.57 to 69.89 lakh acres, achieving a record paddy production of approximately 148 lakh tonnes. This year, the paddy production is likely to come down drastically,” the official quoted above said.

According to the latest report submitted by the department to the government, crops have been sown across 1,18,63,969 acres, accounting for 89.62 per cent of the total targeted area of 1,32,38,446 acres.

Apart from paddy, other water-intensive crops like castor and sugarcane are also likely to record a fall in cultivation to the extent of 25-48% this season. Only rainfed crops like jowar, maize, red gram and soybean are going to have normal production.

“The cut-off date for sowing of rainfed crops almost end. The tentative area sown under pulses and cotton indicates a significant increase compared to the corresponding period of the previous year. Sowing operations for most crops have been completed, while paddy transplanting and direct seeding are in progress. Intercultural operations, fertilizer top-dressing and pest-management activities are also in progress,” the official said.

The agriculture department has reported that in view of the IMD forecast indicating the possibility of a prolonged impact of El Niño on rainfall patterns in the state, farmers are being advised to diversify paddy cultivation towards alternate, less water-intensive crops to mitigate weather-related risks and conserve water resources.