Unseasonal rains: TDP demands compensation to farmers for crop loss in Andhra Pradesh

‘Loss had further compounded the financial woes of farmers reeling under debts’

Telugu Desam Party State president K. Atchannaidu on Saturday urged the government to pay compensation to farmers who suffered crop loss due to the unseasonal rains in the State.

In an open letter addressed to Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, the TDP leader said rains, accompanied by strong winds and hailstorm, had flattened mango, sapota and lemon orchards, causing heavy crop loss to farmers. He said the loss had further compounded the financial woes of farmers who had mounting debts on account of the nature’s fury.

Fruit orchards, paddy and chilli crops were damaged in the downpour, he said, seeking adequate compensation for the affected farmers.

Mr. Atchannaidu said the harvest-ready chilli crop got soaked in the rainfall in Palnadu district and so was the case with mango crop, which got damaged in the Railway Koduru area of Annamayya district. Heavy rains and gales hit the banana plantations and mango crop at Kuppam in Chittoor district and in the surrounding areas of Tirupati.

In Addanki, Panguluru and Santhamaguluru areas of Prakasam district, chickpea crop was damaged, he said, adding that the nature’s vagaries and denial of remunerative price to their crop had further deepened the farmers’ distress.

Referring to the Chief Minister’s election promise of creating a ₹3,000 crore price stabilisation fund for the farmers, the TDP leader said it had not materialised till date. “Crops in over 50 lakh acres were lost in the nine cyclones that hit parts of the State in the last three years and crops worth over ₹20,000 crores were damaged, but the compensation given by the government did not cross even 10% of it,’ he said.

Demanding adequate compensation to the affected farmers, the TDP leader said the government should also procure the rain-soaked and discoloured crop from the farmers.