The poorer sections in the four districts constituting undivided Adilabad, especially the Adivasis, are busy preparing to begin agriculture operations for rabi season. This is the season when they get to forge food security through cultivation of jowar (sorghum) and chana (chickpea or Bengal gram).
The most extensive rabi cultivation, takes place in Nirmal district with 28,782 hectare out of a total of 71,631 hectare with Mancherial being a distant second at 15,200 hectare and Adilabad and Kumram Bheem following in that order with 14,733 hectare and 12,816 hectare. As Nirmal is by far the most developed district in terms of irrigation, it has more farmers going in for the second crop and the area is likely to increase this season thanks to the fully recharged groundwater reserves.
Jowar was once the staple diet of Adivasis and other poor people in the erstwhile Adilabad district but it has been replaced by rice thanks to the supply of the subsidised variety through the public distribution system. The cultivation of jowar has come down drastically since the last two decades but it still remains a favourite with people in these parts. Jowar accounts for 11,159 hectare and chickpea for 14,604 hectare in these districts. While much of jowar cultivation is concentrated in Kumram Bheem district, more area under chana crop falls in Adilabad district.
According to independent estimates the total yield of jowar from the 6,450 hectare cultivated in Kumram Bheem district would be about 2.5 lakh quintals. This definitely takes care of the needs of the 1.1 lakh tribal population inhabiting the mandals of Wankidi, Kerameri, Asifabad, Jainoor, Sirpur (U), Tiryani and Bejjur, to quote a few.
Adilabad district has the highest normal area of 8,903 hectare under chana cultivation concentrated mostly in Jainad, Bela, Ichoda, Bazarhatnoor mandals. The good rainfall in monsoon usually results in early morning dew which helps the chickpea grow. The Agriculture department has made preparations for supply of required quantum of seeds on subsidy to farmers for the forthcoming season. Its action plan includes supply of a total of 45,730 quintals for Rabi.
