Unseasonal rains damage standing crops, mango orchards in Telangana’s Khammam

Mangoes that were ready for harvest have fallen to the ground at Sathupalli, Buggapadu, Rudrakshapalli, Kakarlapalli, Siddharam and other villages in Sathupalli mandal

Khammam: Unseasonal rains accompanied by gales for the last couple of days in erstwhile Khammam district have damaged a large extent of standing crops, affecting mango orchards and maize fields.

Mangoes that were ready for harvest have fallen to the ground at Sathupalli, Buggapadu, Rudrakshapalli, Kakarlapalli, Siddharam and other villages in Sathupalli mandal in Khammam district. In several villages in Yerrupalem mandal, maize crop was damaged while mangoes have fallen to the ground due gales.

Similarly, paddy and maize in Wyra, Konijerla and Tallada mandals brought to markets become wet. Farmers accused the officials of delaying to set up procurement centres leading to the loss to them.

In Kothagudem district’s Tekulapally mandal, about 200 acres of mangoes have fallen to the ground in Gangaram, Bodu, Koyagudem, Chintonichelaka, Mallemadugu, Sampathnagar and other villages causing loss to the farmers.

Similarly, crops in several villages of Karakagudem, Yellandu, Aswaraopet, Annapureddypalle and other mandals were damaged. Tobacco, watermelon, maize, mango, cashew and banana plantations were damaged leaving the farmers worried.

In Burgampad market yard, paddy was washed away due to untimely rains. The farmers complained that the market committee and PACS have not given enough tarpaulins to cover the produce. They demanded the State government to buy the wet paddy.

Horticulture officials visited the affected villages and said a report would be sent to the higher authorities about the crop loss. CPI (ML) Massline Prajapantha leader Nayini Raju and others demanded a compensation of Rs 25,000 per acre for the damaged maize crop and Rs 35,000 per acre for paddy.

Meanwhile, Telangana Rythu Sangham of CPI staged a dharna at Khammam collectorate demanding a minimum support price of Rs 25,000 per quintal chilli. Sangham State president B Hemantha Rao wanted the government to start paddy and maize procurement centres forthwith.

He said the government which promised to waive crop loans worth Rs 31,000 crore had waived only Rs 20,600 crore so far. It was not correct to announce crop loan waiver was completed without waiving loans of farmers who took loans above Rs 2 lakh, he said, demanding the government to extend Rythu Bharosa to all eligible farmers.