Unseasonal rains played spoilsport for Nellore district farmers who were hopeful of raking in the moolah from an encouraging market for paddy.
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The rains have come at an inopportune time, lamented a group of farmers in Bogole village as the current spell of rains flattened their ready-to-harvest paddy crops.
Bogole recorded a maximum rainfall of 79.8 mm followed by Rapur 74 mm, Sangam 60 mm, Kaligiri 57.6 mm, Nellore 50 mm and Atmakur 48.4 mm.
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The Government should relax the procurement norms and purchase the wet paddy offering minimum support price for their produce, Andhra Pradesh Federation of Farmers’ Association president Ch. Koti Reddy said.
Except for the NLR 4445 variety which had subdued demand in the market, the farmers in the district are selling the harvested paddy in the open market. The rains have played spoilsport when the harvest is at its peak in Kovur, Dagadarthi, Jaladanki, Kavali and Nellore mandals.
Crops on over 4,400 hectares in 129 villages have suffered damages in the constituencies of Kandukur, Kavali, Udayagiri, Atmakur, Sarvepalli, Venkatagiri and Nellore, according to a preliminary crop damage report compiled by the Agriculture department on Sunday.
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Paddy crops of over 3,597 hectares were damaged. Standing paddy crop on 1,350 hectares in 41 villages was inundated in Sarvepalli. Bengal gram crop on 600 hectares in and around Udayagiri has also suffered damages as also cotton in 240 hectares, the report said.
Mango orchards in thousands of acres in Ulavapadu, Kovur and other areas also suffered damages.
Meanwhile, the district administration decided to open 124 paddy procurement centres for market intervention.