Hyderabad: With Telangana accounting for more than half of the country’s rabi paddy acreage, the state’s appeal to farmers to avoid the crop this season underscores the scale of the challenge before policymakers.A decade of rapid expansion, backed by irrigation projects, assured procurement and farmer preference, has made paddy the dominant rabi crop, complicating efforts to shift cultivation patterns amid concerns over water availability.Telangana recorded 52.02 lakh acres under rabi paddy in 2023-24, accounting for 51.38% of the total acreage reported across major winter rice-growing states in a state-wise comparison by the Union agriculture ministry. Tamil Nadu followed with 29.13 lakh acres, while Andhra Pradesh reported 14.16 lakh acres. Kerala accounted for 1.78 lakh acres, and other states reported 4.15 lakh acres.The state’s dependence on rabi paddy has grown sharply over the past decade. According to state statistical data, the area under the crop increased from 12.23 lakh acres in 2014-15 to 52.16 lakh acres in 2023-24, a more than fourfold rise. The expansion has been driven by improved irrigation infrastructure, farmers’ preference for paddy, and the assurance of govt procurement.The trend has continued in recent years. According to Professor Jayashankar Telangana Agricultural University, paddy had been sown on 57.32 lakh acres in Telangana as of March 4, 2026, compared with 55.36 lakh acres during the corresponding period a year earlier. The increase of 1.96 lakh acres represented a growth of 3.5%.The govt‘s call for farmers to reconsider paddy cultivation this rabi comes amid concerns over water availability and the potential impact of El Niño on rainfall.However, experts point out that farmers’ reliance on the crop is closely linked to assured procurement, minimum support prices and familiarity with cultivation practices, making any transition to alternative crops difficult without sustained policy support and assured markets.“Pulses, oilseeds and other less water-intensive crops could offer alternatives in suitable areas,” S Anvesh Reddy, member of Rythu Commission, said.
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