Agri Minister Tummala Orders Crop Assessment

Hyderabad: Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao said that the government had received reports of crop damage caused by untimely rains and hailstorms on Friday and Saturday, in Narayanpet, Kamareddy, Nizamabad, Nagarkurnool, Yadadri and Siddipet districts.

Initial estimates pegged the damage as around 2,200 acres for rice, maize and horticulture crops. The minister has ordered agriculture and horticulture officials to enumerate crop damage suffered by individual farmers. He directed officials to help farmers contain the damage that may occur as more rain has been forecast for the state, and paddy crop has been stored at market yards.

Nageswara Rao asked officials to see that the grains which arrive in the markets and purchase centres do not get soaked in rains. Around two lakh tarpaulin covers have been made available to the farmers for this purpose, the minister informed.