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Anantapur district agriculture profile Photo: Mohan Nannapaneni · Pexels License · source ↗

Anantapur district: agriculture profile

Anantapuramu (Anantapur) is the second-largest district of Andhra Pradesh by area and the country's most rainfall-deficit district outside Rajasthan, with a normal annual rainfall of only 552 mm distributed across 32-38 rainy days. Agriculture in the district is dominated by rainfed groundnut, with chronic drought, shallow red soils and groundwater stress shaping every cropping decision.

Agro-climate and soils

The district lies in the Scarce Rainfall Zone (Zone V) of Andhra Pradesh. Mean annual rainfall is 552 mm — the south-west monsoon (June-September) brings about 60% of the total and the north-east monsoon (October-November) most of the balance. Soils are dominantly shallow red sandy loams (chalka) over hard pan, with patches of mixed red and black soils in the eastern mandals around Penukonda and Hindupur. Effective soil depth is often below 60 cm, severely limiting moisture storage.

Cropping pattern

Groundnut occupies roughly 55-70% of the kharif gross cropped area in normal monsoon years, making Anantapur the largest single-district groundnut producer in India. ICRISAT and ANGRAU short-duration Spanish-bunch varieties such as Kadiri-6, K-9, Greeshma, Narayani and Kadiri-Lepakshi dominate. Companion rainfed crops include redgram (intercrop with groundnut at 7:1), sunflower, pearl millet (sajja), foxtail millet (korra) and field bean. Irrigated pockets near Penna and Pennar Anicut command areas grow paddy, sugarcane and chilli, while Madakasira and Hindupur tracts host the district's mulberry-silk and dairy clusters. The Hindupur-Lepakshi belt is also a recognised sericulture cluster.

Horticulture

Anantapur is the country's largest custard apple (sitaphal, Balanagar selection) producing district, with the eastern hill tracts (Roddam, Madakasira) carrying naturalised orchards. The district also grows mango (Banganapalli, Totapuri) under drip in southern mandals around Kadiri and Mudigubba, plus an expanding pomegranate and dragon fruit belt under PMKSY drip subsidy.

Drought and water status

Anantapur has historically faced drought in 8-12 years out of every 20, with monsoon failure correlated to El Nino phases. Groundwater is over-exploited in most mandals; per the CGWB Anantapur stage of groundwater development exceeds 100% across the central plateau, with average bore yields below 1 inch. The High Level Canal under Jala Yagnam and the Handri-Neeva Sujala Sravanthi project are the major surface irrigation initiatives.

Limitations

Climate volatility, declining groundwater, undulating shallow soils and seed-replacement bottlenecks keep groundnut yields low (10-12 q/ha against potential 20-25 q/ha). Crop diversification to small millets, horticulture and small ruminants is the official strategy, supported by Rythu Bharosa Kendras and KVK Reddipalli.

See also: Groundnut crop, Kadiri-6 groundnut, APMIP micro-irrigation, Anantapur custard apple belt.

Sources

  1. Anantapur district agriculture contingency plan. ICAR-CRIDA.
  2. Anantapuramu district handbook. Government of Andhra Pradesh.
  3. District Irrigation Plan, Anantapur. PMKSY / Ministry of Jal Shakti.