Guntur: Cotton, red chilli in 50K acres damaged
Cotton crops inundated in Achampet mandal on Sunday
Guntur / Narasaraopet: Incessant rains during the last three days inundated cotton crop in over one lakh acres and chilli fields in Palnadu district and red chilli crop over 50,000 acres in Guntur and Palnadu districts, it is learnt.
According to official sources, farmers cultivated cotton in over 4 lakh acres in the erstwhile Guntur district. The early sown cotton ready for picking will get damaged due to inundation of cotton crops.
Farmers have sown cotton early in Macherla, Krosuru, Karempudi, Veldurti, Rentachintala and Achampet mandals of Palnadu district. They will get first picking very soon. Due to inundation of cotton crops, moisture percentage will be more in cotton and as a result it will get discoloured.
Due to this, farmers will get inferior quality of cotton, for which traders will offer less price, incurring heavy loss to the farmers.
A farmer Sivaiah cultivated cotton in three acres in Rentachintala. Due to heavy rains, the crop was inundated, leading to reduction of quality. "We will get inferiority quality of yield. At present cotton is being sold at Rs 7,500 to Rs 8,000 per quintal. Traders will offer Rs 4,000 to Rs 5,000 per quintal for inferior quality," he lamented.
Similarly, red chilli crops in low-lying areas in Veldurti, Macherla, Rentachintala, Achampet, Krosuru, Amaravati, Prattipadu, Kakamanu and Vatticherukuru mandals were also submerged in rainwater. If rainwater recedes, farmers will get less loss. But if it continues, red chilli will damage, leaving the farmers without a choice, except to re-sow the crop.
Meanwhile, turmeric gardens in about 10,000 acres in Repalle, Bhattiprolu mandals were inundated. If water recede early, loss will be less. Deputy Director of Horticulture, Guntur, Sujata said, "Horticulture crops inundated in over 5,000 acres in Guntur district. We have to get preliminary reports on crop damage." Agriculture department officials informed that incessant rains during the last three days are useful for paddy crop.