Farmers cultivating Black Gram in the state of Andhra Pradesh are in for some really bad news. Threat of crop damage due to several factors has been worrying farmers.
Bengal Gram and Black gram together account to 8.25 lakh hectares out of the 10 lakh hectares area sown under Rabi Pulses cultivation in Andhra Pradesh. Area under Bengal gram cultivation is around 4.67 lakh hectares and Black Gram is around 3.58 lakh hectares.
During the current ongoing Rabi season, Black gram is leading the race as currently, as the area of 4.08 lakh hectares has been covered against 3.95 lakh hectares sown at the corresponding period of last year. The government has set a target of 4.75 lakh hectares under Black Gram cultivation.
Due to the higher prices of pulses prices last year, farmers have been encouraged to grow more pulses this year in the state of Andhra Pradesh.
As per reports, this year, around 8-10% of the Black gram crop is infested with Leaf curl and bud necrosis and most of the infestation is in the Krishna, Guntur, West Godavari and Prakasam districts. Sporadic incidences of Sucking Pest, Yellow Mosaic Virus, Powdery mildew and Pod borer have also been noticed in Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam, East Godavari, West Godavari, Guntur, Kurnool, Ananthapuram, Kadapa, and Chittor.
Farmers who cultivated Black Gram have suffered losses due to bud necrosis attack that has destroyed most of the crops in Krishna, Prakasam, Guntur and West Godavari. Buoyed by the remunerative prices last year, in Krishna district alone, the crop was cultivated in 1,56,724 hectares, out of which 25,000 hectares has been destroyed by bud necrosis. Not only this, 5,000 hectares in Guntur and West Godavari has also been destroyed by the viral infection.
As far as the climate of Andhra Pradesh is concerned, it is also not very conducive for the cultivation of the crops.
Image Credit: agrifarming.in
