Rajamahendravaram: Nursery farmers in deep financial loss due to flood

Rajamahendravaram(East Godavari District): Among all the people, who suffered with the floods, the worst suffers are nursery farmers in Rajamahendravaram. They received a big blow as saplings worth lakhs of rupees are virtually rotting in the stagnated water. Horticultural crops such as nurseries, flower gardens, vegetable gardens, green vegetables and banana orchards were inundated in Godavari Lanka.

On the other hand, roads were damaged crippling the transportation of saplings.

Nursery farmers complained that crops in more than 10,000 acres were submerged. They had invested more than Rs 25 lakh per acre and lost everything. These nurseries spread over Alamuru, Madiki, Baduguvani Lanka, Jonnada, Choppella, Vemagiri, Venkayamma Peta, Burrilanka, Kadiyapu Lanka, Pottilanka and other areas. They include a small farmer with one acre to a hundred-acre landlord.

In addition to nurseries, vegetable crops and banana plantations were also destroyed due to the inundation of flood water and stagnation of spring water.

Nursery farmers said that they were unable to transport plants even to the deals that had been agreed due to rains for a week.

Pragada Suresh, a nursery farmer, said that he took loan and invested and suffered a loss of Rs 30 lakh due to floods, as he couldn't supply saplings as per the contract.

First the incessant rains, then Godavari floods came one after the other and flooded the nurseries, leaving hundreds of acres of nursery plants under water, said Pulla Chanti, president of Sir Author Nursery Association. Even if floodwater was removed, there will be mud in the nurseries for another 15 days. "We have never seen such a flood in recent times," said Palla Sattibabu, a nursery farmer.