The incessant rains that are lashing the district for the last couple of days has come as a boon for the drought-stricken farmers.
The rainfall has improved the crops, particularly ragi and jowar, according to the Agriculture Department. The rain has also improved the condition of horse gram and ‘avare kalu’ (field beans), whose season starts this month.
Speaking to The Hindu , Joint Director of Agriculture Mahanteshappa said the target for sowing in rabi season had been fixed at 60,500 hectares. So far, sowing has been done in 36,300 hectares, he said, adding that sowing of minor crops had intensified and is expected to cover the remaining area.
During the rabi season, ragi alone had been cultivated on over 10,000 hectares. This is highest sowing of ragi during the rabi season in the recent years. Perhaps, the reason for increase in ragi cultivation was supportive price which the government had been giving to ragi growers, he said.
A quintal of ragi is purchased at Rs. 2,000 at the procurement centres opened by the government, he said. Mr. Mahanteshappa said the area under rabi cultivation had been less this year because the crops had been sown till late kharif during to deficient rainfall in monsoon.
There was still scope for sowing crops such as jowar and horse gram, he said

Source : The Hindu