Heavy rain that lashed several parts of Krishna district caused heavy loss to farmers. The sudden spell of rain hit mango, chilli and maize farmers in particular.
Mangoes which were ready for harvest dropped due to strong gales and rain on Friday night. Labourers were seen collecting the fallen ones in mango orchards on Saturday. Farmers raised Banginapalli, Chinna Rasalu, Pedda Rasalu, Neelalu, Chakkera Rasalu, Totapuri and other varieties in Nuzvid, Mylavaram and other mandals in some thousands of acres. Some farmers plucked the first crop and are waiting for the second by the middle of May. “The sudden rain caused much loss to mango farmers. The price of dropped fruit is less when compared to that of fine quality. Mango produce, weighing some hundreds of tonnes, was damaged due to rain and gales in the region,” said a farmer V. Rama Rao of Nuzvid.
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Chillies dried in ‘kallams’ were soaked in rainwater in Mylavaram, Gampalagudem and Vatsavai mandals. Maize produce was damaged in Avanigadda, Challapalli, Vuyyuru and other areas in the district.
Many chilli and maize bags which were ready for shifting to storage points were drenched, causing huge loss to farmers. Paddy crop worth lakhs of rupees which was ready for harvesting was damaged due to sudden rain in Gudivada, Bantumilli, Kaikalur and other mandals in delta region.
Leaders of Andhra Pradesh Rythu Sangam (APRS), Krishna district committee appealed to the government to save the farmers who suffered huge loss due to the untimely rains. APRS district president Y. Kesava Rao and secretary J. Prabhakar demanded that the government procure wet paddy, maize and chilli produce. Officials should enumerate the loss and pay compensation to the farmers, they urged.
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