Drought Threatens Cotton Crop in Telangana; Farmers Turn to Alternative Irrigation to Save Harvest
Adilabad, Telangana: A prolonged lack of rainfall combined with rising temperatures has placed the standing cotton crop in the district under severe threat. To save their crops, farmers are resorting to various measures, including the use of sprinklers, drip irrigation, borewells, and water from canals. The persistent dry weather is hindering the growth of cotton plants, raising concerns about a potential decline in yield.
With temperatures in the district reaching approximately 36°C, soil moisture levels in the fields are depleting. According to available agricultural data, the area under cultivation in Adilabad district includes approximately 4.30 lakh acres of cotton, 56,000 acres of soybean, 42,000 acres of pigeon pea (arhar), and 21,000 acres of maize.
Gandrath Prabhakar, a farmer from Kapparla village in Tamsi mandal, is using water from a borewell to irrigate his cotton fields via sprinklers. He notes that the lack of rain has prevented the plants from developing an adequate number of cotton bolls. Furthermore, irregular power supply and frequent electricity outages are complicating irrigation efforts.
Meanwhile, some farmers are attempting to save their crops by sourcing water from canals, local streams, and small rivers; however, the availability of water remains uncertain.
According to Punjab Reddy, a farmer from Nipani village in Bhimpur mandal, the drought may make it difficult for many farmers to even recover their cultivation costs. There are concerns that the second and third rounds of cotton picking will be adversely affected.
Crops in the red-soil regions of Tamsi, Talamadugu, and Bhimpur are expected to suffer the most damage, whereas the situation in areas with black soil is reportedly somewhat better.
While the hot and dry weather might reduce issues related to excess moisture in the cotton, this does not guarantee that farmers will receive prices above the Minimum Support Price (MSP). Cotton quality, market demand, and production conditions also influence prices.
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