Heavy rains that lashed Mysuru and the rural hinterland on Thursday has brought much-needed relief to the farming community in the district.
For, the district endured prolonged spell and a deficient southwest monsoon despite overcast skies for the bulk of the season.
But on Thursday, there were heavy rains that were uniform and widespread across the district, which received 63.7 mm of rainfall, according to the India Meteorological Department.
Joint Director of Agriculture K.H. Ravi said the spell augurs well for the district’s agricultural prospects. “Mysuru was among the only two districts in the State – the other being Chamarajanagar – where the southwest monsoon, which spans from June to September, was on the deficit side. The standing crops were beginning to wither, but the recent rains have revived them by restoring adequate soil moisture,” he added.
While the region’s major reservoirs are full, Mr. Ravi explained that agriculture in Mysuru continues to depend largely on direct rainfall.
Of the total cultivable area of nearly 3.82 lakh hectares in Mysuru district, agriculture takes place under rain-fed conditions on 2.06 lakh hectares. Irrigation-driven farm activity accounts for only 46% of the cultivable land, which is 1.75 lakh hectares. Hence, timely rains are imperative to ensure good crop yield for farmers who continue to be at the mercy of the vagaries of nature.
Mr. Ravi said there was a critical need for rains as bulk of the crops cultivated during southwest monsoon were in the mature and growth stage. Without sufficient soil moisture, the standing crops were under severe stress, he added.
The southwest monsoon in the district had registered a 23% shortfall, while the deficiency for the month of September was as high as 54%, according to the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre. Mysuru received 324 mm of rainfall from June 1 to September 30 which was 23% below seasonal average for the district. The deficiency for September increased to 54% as Mysuru received only 50 mm of rains and thus deepened the crisis.
In terms of sowing, the district has achieved 94.75% of its target this season. Against the target of 3,75,348 hectares, the actual area sown stood at 3,55,658 hectares. “Last year, we had exceeded the target with 101.5%. This year’s delay in rainfall affected sowing, but the recent spell may help farmers take up late sowing or supplementary crops in some areas,” Mr. Ravi said.
Among major crops, paddy, ragi, maize, and sugarcane dominate the landscape. But the acreage under cotton has declined substantially due to the poor returns and vagaries in the market and many farmers have shifted to maize. “Maize cultivation has seen an impressive 118% of the target area,” said Mr. Ravi.
Tobacco, another key crop in the region, has exceeded expectations with 110% achievement, covering 64,725 hectares against the target of 59,000 hectares.
Mr. Ravi allayed fears of any shortage of fertilizers or seeds and said the department was prepared to meet any additional demand arising from renewed agricultural activity in the district.
Published – October 10, 2025 06:42 pm IST
