With rainfall remaining below normal across the State amid the continuing impact of El Niño, Professor Jayashankar State Agricultural University Vice-Chancellor Aldas Janaiah has urged farmers to reduce paddy cultivation and shift to water-saving crops such as pulses, oilseeds and millets.
Speaking at a farmers’ seminar organised by Rythu Sangham in Nalgonda on Sunday, Mr. Janaiah advised farmers against undertaking fresh paddy transplantation based on expectations of water from the Nagarjuna Sagar and SRSP reservoirs.
He noted that the State has recorded a rainfall deficit of around 10–12%, with the shortfall touching nearly 30% in eight districts.
Farmers, however, should not panic over the rainfall deficit but should treat the situation as an opportunity to diversify their cropping patterns. For instance, farmers growing paddy on four acres should consider cultivating at least two acres with pulses, oilseeds or other dryland crops, he suggested.
Mr. Janaiah cautioned that paddy requires substantial quantities of water and chemical fertilisers, while excessive dependence on borewells has contributed to groundwater depletion. With reservoir levels falling, he warned that water availability could become even more uncertain in the coming months.
He said farmers who have already raised paddy nurseries should carefully assess local water availability before transplanting. Paddy cultivation dependent entirely on Nagarjuna Sagar water carries a significant risk of crop failure, he cautioned. According to him, current weather conditions could persist until September. Any substantial rainfall later in the season may be more beneficial for a second crop or early Yasangi cultivation than for the present Vanakalam paddy crop.
Farmers’ leaders at the seminar called for greater government support, crop diversification and measures to ensure remunerative prices for agricultural produce. They stressed that coordinated action by the government, Agriculture Department, irrigation authorities and agricultural institutions is essential to help farmers cope with changing weather conditions.
Agricultural scientist and vice-president Telangana Rythu Sangham Aribandi Prasad Rao, All India Kisan Sabha central committee member Julakanti Ranga Reddy, former legislator Nandyala Narasimha Reddy, Communist Party of India (Marxists) leaders Bonthala Chandra Reddy, Mudireddy Sudhakar Reddy, Veerapalli Venkateswarlu, and others participated.
Published – August 16, 2026 07:43 pm IST
