Panic grips farmers

Panic grips farmers
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Vijayawada: Thousands of farmers in Krishna district are worrying with the Cyclone Vardah which may hit the coastal districts in the next three days. November and December are the crucial months for the lakhs of farmers in the district because it is the end of kharif season and beginning of rabi season.If the district gets heavy rainfall coupled by gales, standing crop in 1.30 lakh hectares ma

Vijayawada: Thousands of farmers in Krishna district are worrying with the Cyclone Vardah which may hit the coastal districts in the next three days.

November and December are the crucial months for the lakhs of farmers in the district because it is the end of kharif season and beginning of rabi season.

If the district gets heavy rainfall coupled by gales, standing crop in 1.30 lakh hectares may be damaged.

Crops will be inundated in the storm waters. Paddy also lose its quality due to the impact of heavy rains.

Total crop area in Krishna district is 2.17 lakh hectares this kharif season. Of the total crop area, harvesting has been completed in only 40 per cent of the area.

Due to demonetisation effect, the farmers don’t have money for the harvesting their crop. So, nearly 60 per cent crop is yet to be harvested.

The farmers need at least Rs 5,000 for wages and other post harvesting expenses per acre.

Due to note ban by the Union government, the farmers are not able to get new currency notes from the banks or ATMs.

Unfortunately, due to lack of money, thousands of farmers in Krishna district could not harvest and sell the paddy crop at the Paddy Procurement Centres maintained by the government or private traders.

The Cyclone Vardah may cross Krishna, Guntur districts on December 12 and may trigger heavy rains coupled with speed between 80 and 130 km per hour. In this backdrop, farmers are worried that there is a possibility of damaging the standing crop.

Joint Director of Agriculture U Narasimha Rao told The Hans India that the agriculture department officials are going to the villages and giving suggestions to the farmers how to save the crops.

He said the farmers must cover the harvested paddy stack with tarpaulin covers. He said the officials are also asking the farmers to shift the harvested crop to the safer places.

He said the farmers must take precautions to save their crops.

Sowing of irrigated dry (ID) crops also started in 40,000 acres in Krishna district this rabi season. Maize, black gram and green gram are some of the important ID crops in the district.

If the district registers heavy rainfall, the ID crops may be inundated in the storm water. Already, the farmers are in distress due to demonetisation effect.

In this backdrop, if the district registers heavy rainfall, the standing crops may be damaged causing further loss.

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