tudy finds farmers continue to depend on paddy, while rainfall uncertainty and water shortages increase agricultural risks
KRISHNA DISTRICT | August 25, 2026
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VIJAYAWADA: Despite increasing climate-related risks, including irregular rainfall, water shortages and changing weather patterns, many paddy farmers in Andhra Pradesh continue to depend on rice cultivation rather than shifting to alternative crops. A recent study covering Krishna, East Godavari and West Godavari districts found that farmers generally prefer adapting their existing paddy cultivation practices instead of changing their cropping pattern.
📍 Krishna villages included in the study
The research specifically covered 12 villages across six mandals in the three districts.
For Krishna district, researchers surveyed farmers from:
- Mudinepalli mandal
- Movva mandal
The study, titled “Factors Influencing the Adaptation Behaviour of Rice Growers to Climate Change in Andhra Pradesh,” examined how farmers respond to climate-related risks and what prevents them from adopting alternative farming systems.
🌾 Farmers continue to prefer paddy
According to the study, nearly 70% of surveyed farmers preferred traditional farming practices, while 65.83% said they lacked knowledge about alternative cropping systems.
Rather than completely moving away from paddy, farmers are trying to make their existing cultivation more resilient. All surveyed farmers reported adopting practices such as deep summer ploughing and high-yielding rice varieties.
This is particularly significant for Krishna district because paddy is one of the district’s major agricultural crops and is cultivated extensively in the district. The official Krishna district administration describes agriculture as a major economic activity, with paddy grown in abundance alongside maize, pulses, sugarcane, chillies and other crops.
🌦️ Climate change creates new challenges
Farmers are increasingly exposed to:
- Irregular rainfall
- Long dry spells
- Water shortages
- Flooding and cyclones
- Rising temperatures
- Crop diseases
The study found that farmers are willing to adapt, but lack of technical and climate-related information is preventing many from adopting more climate-resilient practices.
💧 Why are farmers hesitant to change crops?
One major reason is the financial security associated with paddy.
Farmers are familiar with paddy cultivation, established markets and government procurement mechanisms. Switching to another crop can involve uncertainty over yield, market prices, buyers and cultivation techniques.
The study found that 89.58% of respondents identified price fluctuations as a major economic challenge, while 86.25% reported inadequate availability of quality seeds and suitable rice varieties.
📚 Knowledge gap remains a major problem
Researchers found that 65.83% of farmers lacked knowledge about alternative cropping systems.
Another important finding was that 74.16% reported insufficient technical knowledge about climate-resilient rice cultivation.
The study therefore highlights the importance of agricultural extension services, weather information and farmer training. Better access to reliable agricultural information could help farmers make decisions based on changing rainfall and water availability.
🚜 Farmers are adapting within paddy cultivation
Instead of abandoning paddy, farmers are currently focusing on improving their existing cultivation practices.
Reported adaptation measures include:
1. Deep summer ploughing
Farmers use this practice as part of their preparation for the next crop.
2. High-yielding rice varieties
Farmers are continuing to select rice varieties aimed at maintaining productivity.
3. Improving cultivation practices
Farmers are attempting to manage climate-related risks without completely changing their crop.
The study indicates that this preference for adaptation within the existing paddy system is stronger than diversification into alternative crops.
⚠️ Water availability adds pressure in Krishna Delta
The issue is particularly important now because the Krishna Delta is experiencing significant irrigation-water pressure.
A July report said newly transplanted paddy in parts of the Krishna Delta had begun suffering because irrigation water was not reaching several tail-end areas. Farmers were being advised to consider less water-intensive crops such as black gram and green gram, but many farmers had already invested heavily in paddy cultivation and could not easily afford to start over with another crop.
The Andhra Pradesh government had also advised farmers to avoid water-intensive crops such as paddy amid the rainfall deficit and El Niño concerns.
💰 Financial risk of changing crops
For farmers who have already spent money preparing paddy fields, changing crops can create another financial burden.
The Krishna Delta report noted that some farmers had already spent around ₹10,000 per acre on nursery raising, land preparation, fertilisers and labour. Switching to pulses would require another round of field preparation and inputs.
This helps explain why farmers may prefer to continue with paddy even when water availability is uncertain.
🧑🌾 What researchers recommend
The study highlights the need for stronger support systems, particularly:
- Better weather and climate information
- Training on alternative cropping systems
- Access to suitable quality seeds
- Improved technical guidance
- Better crop-insurance coverage
- Stronger agricultural extension services
- Reliable market information for alternative crops
The researchers found that 90% of respondents identified the absence of weather-based crop insurance for paddy as the biggest institutional concern