Sullurpeta MLA Nelavala Vijayasree and Collector S. Venkateswar view farm equipment on display at the ‘Agri Expo and Kisan Mela’ organised at Naidupeta in Tirupati district on Wednesday.
| Photo Credit: BY ARRANGEMENT
Tirupati District Collector S. Venkateswar has cautioned farmers in Sullurpeta and Naidupeta areas against taking up paddy cultivation over the likely impact of El Nino amid a forecast of scanty rainfall in the coming months.The warning was sounded as a section of the farming community prepares for sowing in October.Mr. Venkateswar, inaugurated the ‘Agri Expo and Kisan Mela’ organised by the Agricultural Technology Management Agency (ATMA) at ALCM School grounds in Naidupeta town on Wednesday. Speaking at the event, the Collector said that agricultural operations are normally taken up in 32,000 hectares in the district, the current year saw a quantum jump up to 52,000 hectares, thanks to the rising groundwater levels and the brimming Kandaleru reservoir.“However, the 32% deficit in rainfall forecast for the year, which is attributed to the El Nino effect, is a cause for concern”, the Collector said.He specifically cautioned farmers in Sullurpeta and Naidupeta areas, which are devoid of assured irrigation water supply sources, not to go for paddy cultivation as it could be too risky.“Farmers have to be aware that there is only 10-12 tmc of water available under the Telugu Ganga canal,” he noted, and urged them to save every drop of water.Sullurpeta MLA Nelavala Vijayasree appealed to farmers to adopt high-end mechanisation, use drones for sowing, take up soil testing to improve soil health and use fertilizers carefully.District Agriculture Officer Prasada Rao and Assistant Director (Agriculture) Nagarjuna explained the concept of Pre Monsoon Dry Sowing (PMDS) seeds, in which a mixture of 15-20 seeds comprising cereals, pulses and oilseeds is sown to improve soil fertility. Published - September 02, 2026 08:57 pm IST
