Andhra Pradesh : Paddy sown across 90% of target acreage this kharif cycle
Andhra Pradesh has completed kharif sowing on 24 lakh hectares, achieving 76 percent of its 31.16 lakh-hectare target. Paddy dominates at 13 lakh hectares, nearly 90 percent of its normal acreage. Sugarcane continues its steep decline, with only 0.13 lakh hectares (34 percent) sown, driven by high costs, labour shortages, and sugar mill closures.
Visakhapatnam: The sowing of all kharif crops was completed across approximately 24 lakh hectares in Andhra Pradesh as of the first week of September. Farmers sowed paddy in nearly 13 lakh hectares — about 90% of the normal paddy acreage for the 2025–26 Kharif season. However, sugarcane cultivation continues to decline, with sowing completed in just 0.13 lakh hectares — roughly 34% of the normal acreage.Against the normal Kharif target of 31.16 lakh hectares for all crops, the state has achieved 76% coverage so far. The 2025 Kharif plan includes over 20 crop varieties, with paddy as the dominant crop.According to the agriculture department, sowing of paddy, ragi, bajra, redgram, castor, cotton, and soybean ranged between 76% and 100% of the normal area. Minor millets, greengram, blackgram, and sesamum reached 51% to 75% coverage, while groundnut, sunflower, and sugarcane lagged behind at 26% to 50%.Nellore district leads the state with 168% sowing — 85,138 hectares against an estimated 50,767 hectares. It is followed by Tirupati (102%), Dr BR Ambedkar Konaseema (97%), Srikakulam and Parvathipuram Manyam (94%), East Godavari (93%), and West Godavari, NTR, Nandyal (91%). Kurnool stands at 90%. Annamayya district trails with just 16% sowing, followed by Chittoor (21%) and YSR Kadapa (27%).Sugarcane cultivation in Andhra Pradesh has steadily declined over the past decade. In 2014, it covered 1.25 lakh hectares, with north coastal Andhra Pradesh emerging as a key sugarcane region. Rising input costs, labour shortages, and the closure of sugar mills have pushed farmers toward paddy, maize, and pulses.
The normal sugarcane acreage dropped to 40,000 acres in recent years and now stands at 38,000 acres in 2025, with only 34% of sowing completed.”Sugarcane offers better returns than paddy, but most growers have shifted due to labour scarcity, high harvesting costs, and mill closures,” said K Appa Rao, a farmer from north Andhra Pradesh.gfxKharif Crop Coverage Reaches 76%Normal acreage of all kharif crops in the state is around 31.16 lakh hectaresThe 2025 kharif plan includes over 20 types of crops, with paddy as a major cropPaddy is the major crop for kharif in AP with estimated normal acreage of 15 lakh hectaresSouthwest monsoon arrived in Andhra Pradesh on May 26, 2025Normal rainfall during southwest monsoon (June to Sep) in AP is 514 mmOver 60 per cent of farms in AP still rain dependentSugarcane cultivation area declined by over 70 per cent in AP in the past one decadeThe cost of cultivation of sugarcane is Rs3,000 to Rs3,200 per tonneSugarcane farmers demands supportive price Rs4,500 a tonne caneThe average yield of sugarcane is 25 tonnes per acre in north AndhraSugarcane production in AP comes down to 40,000 hectares from overMost of the sugar factories shutdown in Andhra Pradesh
To Read more about Rice News continue reading Agriinsite.com
Source : The Times Of India
