The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Paddy crop hit in Krishna

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Monday, Nov 17, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Paddy crop hit in Krishna

G.V.R. Subba Rao

Loss estimated to be around Rs. 6 crore
Farmers urged to spray salt to minimise the loss

KRUTTIVENNU (Krishna district): Large tracts of lush green paddy fields that made a pleasant sight in the delta area of Krishna district till a couple of days ago now present a sorry sight. The fields now remain submerged in rain water, following heavy rain that lashed the district on Saturday due to Khai Muk cyclone.

The crop loss is estimated to be around Rs. 6 crores and the officials tentatively estimate that the standing crop in about 18,000 hectares in the district has been inundated. They say that 10 per cent to 15 per cent of the standing crop has been damaged due to the heavy rain and gales.

Farmers of Kaikaluru, Mudinepalli and Mandavalli mandals mainly suffered the losses, while those of Nagayalanka, Bantumilli, Kruttivennu, Machilipatnam, Kalidindi, Koduru and Avanigadda were put on high alert in the wake of cyclone warning. Farmers say they incurred a loss of one to two quintals of paddy for every acre of crop. The seeds dropped from the pinnacle of the paddy due to heavy winds and gales, according to Joint Director (Agriculture) P. Vaman Goud. The fallen grain is a loss, as the farmers, now, cannot collect them. Farmers have been advised to lift and bundle 10 to 15 plants together and spray salt to minimise the loss.

Farmers recollect how they have been losing in some form or the other due to nature’s fury during the last six months. “We lost the crops that were harvested during the recent heavy rains too. Now, the standing crops have been submerged,” says K. Narasimha Rao and Yesaiah, farmers in Pendur village of Kruttivennu mandal.

Chilkuru Rajeswara Rao of K. P. Agraharam village in Gudivada mandal says: “We cultivated paddy by taking the land on koulu (lease). Now, we have to repay Rs. 3,000 (interest free loan) and 12 bags of rice to the land owners.” The officials are yet to ascertain the exact number of farmers who incurred the losses .

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