AP to start enumeration of damage, loss to agri crops after rain stops

Vijayawada: With several districts in Andhra Pradesh still receiving rainfall, the government is yet to start enumeration of damage or loss to agricultural crops like paddy, except for a preliminary assessment. The enumeration would start once the rain stops.

Agriculture authorities maintain that there is a chance for agricultural crops to survive the heavy rainfall and inundation for a few days. Once the rain stops, field officers would start the enumeration and assess the damage or loss of crops.

Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has asked the officers to come up with correct figures of crop damage or loss after a careful enumeration. There should be no guesswork or confusion so that the affected farmers can be provided with some relief at the earliest.

Agriculture special commissioner Hari Kiran said the authorities are assessing the quantum of harvested paddy left in the fields and getting affected due to the rainfall and they would get in touch with the rice millers for its procurement through RBKs.

Meanwhile, the horticulture authorities have come up with a report on damage or loss to crops in an extent of 1,434.05ha, affecting 1,748 farmers in 142 villages of 73 mandals in 13 districts including East Godavari, Annamayya, Nellore, YSR Kadapa, Prakasam, Nandyal, Anantapur, Krishna, Sri Satyasai, Palanadu, Guntur, Kurnool and NTR, and estimated input subsidy as per SDRF norms pegged at ₹339.95 lakh.

Farmers are complaining about inadequate supply of gunny bags and non-availability of sheets to protect the harvested paddy from getting drenched in the rain. There are also transportation issues from field to the miller.

They appeal to the state government to procure all the harvested crop as it had promised to procure every grain and avoid irregularities in taking broken rice by the millers. Some of them are reportedly seeking ₹80 to ₹100 per bag and also want a clear direction to procure paddy from the farmers.

In some districts, revenue authorities stopped paddy procurement and said they would resume it after the rain stopped.

Meanwhile, IMD warned of an increase in rainfall activity in the next two days-- May 3 and 4 -- in Parvathipuram, Manyam, Visakhapatnam, Anakapalli, Ambedkar Konaseema, Eluru, West Godavari, Nellore, Tirupati and Chittoor districts.