Haveri, North Karnataka:
The monsoon has already made its entry in the country but farmers in Karnataka are anxious. The state had recently experienced a severe drought that also hit Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Maharashtra.
In Haveri in north Karnataka, bullocks are made to stretch more to break the soil, every time a dark cloud covers the sky. Last year, the rains gave the three acres of land deep inside Savanoor village a miss. "Just like it did to the whole of North and some parts of central Karnataka forcing a severe drought," said Yellappa, a small farmer.
This monsoon, the 35-year-old is sowing maize, a change of crop from cotton, as it is cost-effective and needs less labour. The small farmer lost nearly Rs 90,000 last year after his crops failed. Add to that, a loan over one and half lakh rupees that he has to repay. Yellappa says he will have to part with a piece of his land if the monsoon fails him this year.
"I used to tell if it would rain or not on seeing a cloud. I have lost too much to risk that again. I do not want to see just clouds. I want to see crops. It has to rain," he said.
In Davanagere in central Karnataka, NDTV met Ashrafullah, a farmer, who was distributing maize seeds to women labourers. For many, they are seeds of hope. For 25 kilos of seeds, Ashrafullah has purchased 300 kilos of fertilisers. The drought, he says, has not just damaged crops but also changed the dynamics of soil fertility. With a good monsoon, he hopes to make up for the huge loss he incurred last year.
I am leaving it to God up there in the sky. I feel positive, though, because the weather report says monsoon will be good this year," he said.
Drought-resistant seeds, which the Centre was meant to send to drought-affected states like Karnataka and Maharashtra, have not made it ahead of sowing for kharif crops. According to the government, sowing has been 15 percent less than normal so far in this season. In Karnataka, for example, only four lakh hectares of area has seen sown since the beginning of June as opposed to the usual 6-7 lakh hectares, the state's agriculture ministry told NDTV. The acute water shortage across districts has also led to lack of food and water for cattle.
"Livestock was badly affected last year because of severe drought. Severity of drought last year was worst in the last 30 years... we are hoping this season, the monsoon will be better," newly-elected Agriculture Minister Krishnabyre Gowda said.
Most farmers through the central and north Karnataka belt - like Chitradurga, Davanagere and Haveri - are using premium quality seeds this season. These cost about Rs 300 more for five kilos as opposed to the seeds in Raitha Samparka Kendras, or government-owned subsidy centres. The farmers hope the extra expenditure will translate into an extra yield.