Central team inspects damaged paddy in Kakinada

Kakinada: A Central team headed by MZ Khan inspected and assessed the grain quality of crops drenched due to successive floods, heavy rains and cyclones in the district since last July on Tuesday.

Technical officers Nadeem and G Kiran Kumar inspected the discoloured paddy grains along with District Joint Collector Dr G Lakshmisha at P Rayavaram and G Kottru villages in Pithapuram mandal and Yedida and Vadlamuri villages in Manda Pet mandal, Sandhipudi and Jonnada villages in Alamuru mandal, Teki village in Kapileswarapuram mandal of East Godavari district. The team checked the grain quality and collected the samples of damaged grain from farmers' fields.

The Joint Collector explained the details regarding crop damage which occurred due to the heavy rains and floods in the months of August, September and November. He also told them that there were incessant heavy rains during the last four months and there was heavy damage to the crops owing to the rains. The Joint Collector requested the Central team to come to the rescue of the farmers and help them in securing a reasonable price for the discoloured paddy. The Central team also elicited the information regarding the type of damage and loss which occurred to the farmers.

The team was shocked at the change in colour of paddy and grains owing to the heavy rains in the district. The team assured the Joint Collector Dr Lakshmisha that it would send the collected samples to the labs and make an assessment for estimating the value for the damage and helping the farmers. He said that they would submit a comprehensive report regarding the damage to the crops and the loss done to the farmers. He said that the Central team visited certain places in the district and would visit some more places and collect the sample for assessment.