Farmers in Siddipet suffer heavy crop loss as rains damage over 7,000 acres

Continuous rains over the past 10 days have damaged crops across Siddipet, Medak and Sangareddy, hitting paddy and cotton fields. Farmers, already struggling with earlier monsoon setbacks, are demanding Rs 20,000 per acre as compensation to recover from mounting losses.

Siddipet: Continuous rains over the past 10 days have caused severe crop damage across Siddipet, Medak and Sangareddy districts, leaving farmers anxious about future yields and mounting investment costs.

According to preliminary estimates, crops in 3,803 acres were damaged in Siddipet, 2,400 acres in Medak and 1,003 acres in Sangareddy. Paddy and cotton, the two major crops in these districts, were the worst hit as floodwaters entered fields along overflowing streams and irrigation tanks.

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Agriculture officials, however, expressed hope that paddy fields may recover once the floodwaters recede.

Farmers had already faced hardship earlier in the season due to scanty rainfall during the initial two months of the southwest monsoon. Paddy transplantation was delayed, while cotton, maize, soya and other semi-arid crops failed to sprout in June and July. Many farmers were forced to sow seeds two or three times, adding to their investment burden.

Moderate rainfall in early August had raised hopes of revival, but the heavy downpour over the past 10 days inflicted fresh losses. With the IMD forecasting another spell of heavy rain in the last week of August, farmers fear they will be unable to remove weeds or apply fertilisers on time, which could further affect productivity.

Urging government intervention, farmers demanded compensation of Rs 20,000 per acre of damaged crop to help offset their growing losses.