Nalgonda: The unseasonal rain on night of Friday damaged harvested paddy which was brought to procurement centers at several villages in erstwhile Nalgonda district.
Farmers suffered loss as paddy stocks were washed away in rain water at some procurement centers and got wet in some other centers.
Out of 31 madals in Nalgonda district, 16 mandals have witnessed heavy rain on Friday night. The district witnessed average rainfall of 20 mm on the last night. Paddy stocks in PACS procurement centers at Kothapet, Kattangur, Aitipamula, Saligowraram and Gudiwada in Nalgonda district soaked due to heavy rain.
In Suryapet district, Thungathurthy, Maddirala, Nagaram and Nuthankal mandals have witnessed heavy rain. The paddy stocks at paddy procurement centers got wet due to heavy rain.
On the instructions of the district collectors of Nalgona and Suryapet, Tasildars of these mandals visited the paddy procurement centers at several villages and examined the condition.
FARMERS NO NEED TO WORRY
Inspecting the paddy procurement center at Kanchenaally, Nalgonda district Collector T Vinay Krishna Reddy said officials were asked to shift paddy to the mills from the centers immediately after purchase from the farmers in view of unseasonal rains. He also directed the officials to purchase paddy arriving at the centers as early as possible.
Stating that the farmers need not panic, he assured that the entire crop of the paddy stocked at the procurement centers would be purchased. Purchase of paddy was started at 272 procurement centers in the district and 78,3892 metric tons was purchased from 9,380 farmers. He said that 10,000 to 12,000 metric tons of paddy was purchased through paddy procurement centers every day.
He also asked the organizers of paddy procurement centers and farmers to be alert in view of unseasonal rains and take measures to protect the paddy from getting wet by using tarpaulin covers, which were available at the centers.