Hyderabad:
The first set of maize seeds that Balanarsaiah planted in early June dried up and went waste. Yet this farmer has dared to plant again on his two acres, knowing fully well that it is a gamble. He says he has no other livelihood options.
"All the expenditure has become double. The first set of seeds failed, so I had to sow again because I have no other means of livelihood. I have incurred big loans," he says.
For most farmers, it has become a double expenditure. They have lost the seeds they planted and are having to sow once again.
Across the country a weak monsoon has meant sowing this kharif season is down by 35 per cent so far. Rice saplings have been planted on only 86 lakh hectares, down 20 per cent. Pulses on 13 lakh hecares, down 45 per cent. Overall foodcrops have been planted on only 135 lakh hectares, down 34 per cent.
A crisis could be looming not just for farmers as the big worry is this could push up food prices once again like in 2009 that saw the worst drought in 37 years.
Wholesale food prices went up 2.8 per cent cumulatively in April and May as in 2009. Food prices grew 16 per cent in nine months from April to December 2009.
Water in 85 major reservoirs stands at 24 per cent of capacity, some 36.5 billion cubic metres. Even otherwise, despite sinking thousands of crores into irrigation projects, they can only water 16 million hectares. With 75 per cent of the cropped area under the mercy of the rain gods, it is not just the farmer who is worried about the dark days ahead.