Nivar cyclone: Paddy crop bears the brunt

Guntur : Cyclone Nivar caused huge devastation by damaging the standing crops in 4,30,780 hectare in the state. Paddy farmers are the most affected followed by those who cultivated red gram, Bengal gram, cotton and other crops. According to preliminary estimates by the office of the commissioner of agriculture, the crop loss is 8,32,969 metric tonne.

In terms of value, the loss is estimated at Rs 1,846.85 crore. The government has to pay input subsidy of Rs 580.28 crore to the farmers whose crops were damaged due to cyclone Nivar.

Paddy crop was damaged in 2,80,829 hectare with Guntur suffered highest loss in 1,02,890 hectare, Krishna in 63,503 hectare, followed by 30,146 hectare in East Godavari district. Crop damage is meagre in other districts compared with these three major cultivators.

Similarly, Bengal gram crop was destroyed in 57,234 hectare in the state. Maximum crop damage in 45,113 hectares was reported in Kadapa district and crop was damaged in 11,871 hectare in Prakasam district.

Black gram crop was affected in 36,671 hectare in the state. Highest extent of damage, in 16,360 hectare, is in Prakasam district followed by 12,966 hectare in Nellore district. Red gram crop was damaged in 18,608 hectare in all the districts. The maximum damage of 18,179 hectare was in Prakasam district, followed by 349 hectare in Kadapa district.

Cotton fields were damaged in 16,878 hectares in the entire state with Prakasam district reporting damage in 13,188 hectare followed by 1,202 hectare in Kadapa. Tobacco was hit in 7,972 hectare, green gram was damaged in 3,561 hectare in the state.