Farmers in Karnataka are facing increasing financial pressure due to the lack of rainfall caused by the weak arrival of the southwest monsoon this year. State Rural Development and Panchayati Minister Ishwar Khandre on Wednesday confirmed that the state has registered a deficit of over 40% so far this year.
“Groundwater levels have also come down significantly,” the state Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister said.
In Shedinur village in Haveri district, farmer Kiran Kumar Gadigul said he had to drive a tractor through his 11-acre fodder maize crop, burying months of toil and investment of more than 11 acres. $2 lakh.
“The pre-monsoon rains at the end of May were good. Trusting in those rains, we sowed maize seeds. However, since the first week of June, this area has not received any rain. Only a few seeds have sprouted in scattered patches,” Gadigul said. He also appealed to the government to immediately release compensation and declare a “green drought” in the region.
Haveri district recorded a rainfall deficit of 57%, officials said. In neighboring Kalaburagi, farmers took to the streets demanding that the area be declared drought-hit.
Local farmers, including Shivappa Tevari, Prabhu Bidari, Ganesh Yogikoppa, Shambu Bhavikati and Mallikarjun Durgad, have sought immediate crop loss surveys, compensation, extension of farm loan repayment deadlines and special relief measures for the affected farmers..
Mallikarjun K, Joint Director of Agriculture, Haveri, said the cultivation process had been completed on 74.46% of the cultivated land in the district, including 2.35 lakh hectares of rain-fed farmland, but admitted that rainfall remained much below normal.
“There is a lack of rainfall, and we are constantly monitoring the condition of the crops and collecting information from the field.”
Referring to the Gadigul case, he added: “This matter has come to my attention. A detailed report on the incident has not yet been obtained. We will have to wait and see what action the government decides to take on this issue.”
“The impact of El Niño has significantly weakened the southwest monsoon. Between June 1 and June 22, Karnataka received only 78 mm of rainfall against the normal of 136 mm, representing a deficit of about 43%. History shows similar deficits in 1972, 1976, 2012 and 2023,” said senior scientist Channabasanagoda S Patil, who works with the state weather department. “And they all ended in drought years.”
According to the India Meteorological Department, Karnataka recorded a rainfall deficit of 43% between June 1 and 22. Reservoirs, including KRS, Kabini and Himavathi, are holding less water than usual, while the cultivation of ragi, rice, pulses and millet has also been affected.
In Yadgir district, farmer Ningana Karadi Yakshinti said the lack of soil moisture had led to a halt in farming.
“The lack of rainfall has left the soil without moisture, halting the cultivation process across the district. In Yadgir district alone, nearly 70% of sowing operations have reportedly been halted. Farmers who sowed cotton after light rains now fear seed failure due to the dry spell,” he said.
Farmers also claim that fertilizer prices have risen sharply, with DAP sold for approx $1800 bags and urea in between $400 and $500 in several North Karnataka taluks. The current MRP for DAP is $1350 bags.
Leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly, R Ashoka, accused the state government of failing to respond to the agricultural crisis, saying farmers were facing increasing difficulties while waiting for intervention.
The weak monsoon is expected to continue until July 2, further narrowing the kharif planting window.
As of June 22, planting remained below 10% of the targeted area in many affected areas, while major crops such as soybeans continued to fall behind schedule, officials said.
(with PTI inputs)
