Help hailstorm-hit mango farmers: Rythu Sangham

Vijayawada: Expressing concern over the plight of the mango farmers in various districts across the state, the Andhra Pradesh Rythu Sangham in an statement appealed to the state government to come to the rescue of mango farmers who lost their crop worth several lakhs of rupees due to the hailstorm.

President of sangham Y Kesava Rao and general secretary M Suryanarayana said that the hailstorm damaged the mango crop particularly in Santhipuram, Kalluru, Pedda Panjani and Pulicherla mandals in Chittoor district on Sunday evening.

The farmers of K K Peta, Diguvamurthyvaripalle, Kommireddygaripalle, Kavetigaripalle, Chennupativaripalle, Mangalapet villages in Pulicherla suffered heavy loss. The farmers, who hoped good profits though the yield had come down considerably, are disappointed due to the hailstorm. The farmers had sold the 30 trucks of fallen mangoes at throwaway price suffering heavy loss to the traders of Tamil Nadu.

Kesava Rao and Suryanarayana demanded the state government to pay an ex gratia of Rs one lakh per acre to the mango farmers.