Copious rains make and mar farmers' fortune in Chikkaballapur district

The district has recorded a rainfall of 237.7 mm as against the usual rainfall of 153.9 mm this year. Horticultural crops have sustained extensive damage due to the heavy rainfall. Cucumber, horsegram and few varieties of flower are decaying.

 Bagepalli taluk has received a rainfall of 281.1 mm of rain by the end of September as against the normal rainfall of 147 mm.  It has rained 254 mm in Chikkaballapur taluk as against normal rainfall of 148.9 mm. Similarly, it has rained 198.2 mm in Chintamani as against normal fall of 147.6 mm, Gowribidanur - 175.3 mm (against 151.9 mm), Gudibande - 290.5 mm (against 181.8 mm) and Shidlaghatta has received rainfall of 287.6 mm as against normal range of 151 mm. In all the district has received 54 pc more rain this year.
Sowing has been completed in 1,28,755 hectares of land and it will be completed in balance of 15,500 hectares in about a week. The activity had come to standstill following below normal rain in July.

 Groundnut, maize and ragi are grown predominantly in Bagepalli, Gauribidanur and Gudibande regions while ragi, toor and maize are major crops in Chikkaballapur and Chintamani taluks. Groundnut is the major crop in Shidlaghatta taluk. Sunflower and horsegram can be grown in places where sowing has been delayed.
However, sowing should be delayed as the humidity in the soil has increased owing to heavy rain. Farmers who have already sown should  take care to see that rain water does not stagnate in the land, joint director of Agriculture Department, Nataraj, in a press staement.

*  Chikkaballapur has received 54 pc more rains this year.
*  Sowing completed in 1,28,755 hectares of land.
*  15,500 hectares of land to be sowed in a span of one week