Anantapur: Untimely rains cause huge damage to crops

Anantapur: The recent untimely rains caused by cyclone in Chennai coast and in Orissa coast in the Bay of Bengal wrecked havoc on multiple crops in Rayalaseema and in the district in particular causing damage to standing crops including groundnut, pulses and vegetables particularly tomato, brinjal and other crops. Pest problem aggravated damage to crops and spraying chemical pesticides did not have any effect as rains watered down the chemical spray.

Tomatoes are under cultivation in 6,500 hectares, pulses in 1 lakh acres, groundnut in 11 lakh acres and onion in 4,000 hectares.

Farmer Naganna in Kalyandurg mandal bemoaned that he spent Rs 75,000 per acre on tomato cultivation. Due to pest problem, black spots on tomatoes plagued the crop and nosedived their sale price. Spraying of pesticides too did not yield any result.

Vara Lakshmi, growing yellow gram dal in her 2-acre field in Kambadur mandal spent Rs 16,000 per acre on the crop and Rs 2,000 on spraying pesticides but due to rains her efforts were wasted.

Groundnut farmer Naga Reddy spent Rs 25,000 per acre on his 5-acre crop but suffered damage due to no rains at one stage but now rains damaged the final harvesting stage of crop. The farmer fears that he has to contend selling the produce as a fodder to animals.

Another woman farmer Lakshmidevi weeps over her damaged groundnut crop saying that she spent Rs 20,000 per acre but the untimely rains damaged the peanuts. She incurred heavy expenditure on spraying pesticides and in employing labour but in vain as the crop could not be saved.

Agriculture minister Kurasala Kanna Babu, in a statement, called upon all agriculture joint directors to enumerate crop damage and assess the losses for paying compensation.

Agriculture JD Chandra Naik told The Hans India that he had already sent a preliminary report to the Agriculture minister on the crop damages and once instructions were received he would enumerate farmers who suffered crop damages and send the same to government.

Farmers are thanking Kanna Babu for his immediate response and are hoping for an announcement from the government on compensation payment for crop damages and losses.