Early estimates put crop damage in rains at over 2.2L acres in 28 districts

HYDERABAD

The Agriculture Department has estimated the crop damage in over 2,20,440 acres belonging to 1,43,300 farmers of 2,463 villages in 28 districts during the incessant rains this week, as per the preliminary assessment. The damage includes severe inundation, washing away of crop and siltation and sand casting.

According to the preliminary assessment, paddy crop bore the maximum brunt in over 1,09,600 acres and cotton in nearly 60,100 acres. Among other crops, soybean was affected in nearly 21,000 acres, maize in about 16,000 acres, redgram and other pulses in 6,750 acres.

Other crops such as chilli, groundnut, jowar and horticultural crops were affected to the remaining extent. District-wise, farmers in Kamareddy suffered badly with crop damage in 77,400 acres, followed by 23,170 acres in Medak, 21,300 acres in Adilabad, 18,400 acres in Nizamabad and 15,300 acres in Asifabad.

In Mancherial, Khammam, Nirmal, Suryapet, Siddipet and Sangareddy districts the extent of damage is estimated in the range of 5,900 acres to 9,600 acres. In the remaining 17 districts, the extent of damage was up to 2,840 acres.

Urea arrival

Meanwhile, Minister for Agriculture Tummala Nageswara Rao said that about 21,325 tonnes of urea was expected to reach Gadwal, Peddapalli, Jagitial, Warangal, Sanathnagar, Jadcherla, Karimnagar, Pandillapalli, Gajwel, Miryalguda and Nagireddypally over the next couple of days.

In the September first week another 29,700 tonnes urea would arrive from Gangavaram (Andhra Pradesh), Karaikal (Puducherry) and Dhamra (Odisha). It would reach Adilabad, Jadcherla, Gadwal, Warangal, Miryalguda, Pandillapalli, Sanathnagar and Gajwel and from there to the district where the soil nutrient supplement is in high demand or facing high shortage.