While cyclone ‘Vardah’ caused distress to several people in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, it brought cheer to farmers in Andhra Pradesh, as the rainfall is just sufficient for tilling and sowing. The availability of water is also likely to bring down the investment cost for them.
Expecting heavy damage, farmers had stopped kharif harvest. Those who had finished harvesting made arrangements to protect the produce in rainfed region of coastal districts.
Farmers who invested in the rabi crop also had stopped working as they were worried over the prospect of heavy rain. However, the cyclone, which crossed the coast near Chennai, left Andhra Pradesh with less rainfall, except in Nellore district. Many farmers started tilling land and began sowing in most parts of East and West Godavari, Krishna and other coastal districts.
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“The weather condition is very conducive for taking up agriculture in the State now. Moderate rainfall in some places will help the farmers. Our investment will also be less now,” said V. Rama Rao, a farmer of Mudinepalli in Krishna district. In Narsapuram, Penugonda, Marteru, Undi, Akiveedu, Kothapeta, Ambajipeta, Kaikalur, Bhimavaram, Gudivada and other mandals, farmers began harvesting the kharif crop. Some farmers, who started early kharif, began sowing rabi too.